Inspiration: Guest Bedroom

I am considering setting up a guest bedroom in our house. Plus, I just love the thought of a decorating project! I have never setup a guest bedroom that guests would actually use before. I had an extra bedroom setup at my old house, but never had anyone actually stay over. If I have a guest bedroom I want it to be very nice. Relaxing and comfortable like these rooms...

LINKS
1 2 3 4 5I love the above rooms because they have the crisp white bedding and comfortable upholstered headboards. They are simple with just a little bit of color. I love color though, but I don't want to make my in-laws sleep in a hot pink bedroom. I can put my love of pink aside for one room I suppose. I also love the idea of two twin beds instead of one bed....

LINKS
1 2 3 4Did you know that two twin beds are the same size as one king bed? I told Cody and he didn't believe me, so I looked up the measurements online. HA! I think that our bedroom is two small to have two twin beds. I would probably go with a full size bed. I posted this room on my blog months ago, I love it so much....
Decor PadI don't like to copycat rooms, but I think its just the right amount of color. I love everything about it. Fresh flowers, chrome, pops of orange and the awesome ottoman at the end of the bed. I kinda want to do kelly green or lime green in the guest bedroom though with lots of crisp white linens. Keep it simple.

What is your idea of the perfect guest room?

What would you like in the room to make it feel relaxing for you?

I would love to add a television to the room, but I don't even have one in my own bedroom!! Also this room would be decorated on a thrift store / IKEA budget!

Guest Bedroom Update

I am making progress on my guest bedroom. I decided to purchase a mattress online since the mattress we wanted was unable to be delivered. I hate asking friends with trucks for help, so I just went with buying one from Walmarts website. The mattress came rolled up in a bag... I had never purchased something like this online before. I didn't really know what to except. I had a feeling that when we opened the plastic up covering the mattress all hell was going to break lose. I was right. To prepare for that, we laid the mattress on top of the bed frame and moved out of the way as the mattress flew open... I wish I would of got better action shots of the mattress opening up. It was pretty funny. You can see Cody laughing in the picture above. If you ever buy a mattress like this, be careful! Get the heck out of the way! Overall the mattress was cheap and you get what you pay for. It is very firm and uncomfortable. I went and purchased a memory foam topper for $30 at Walmart to add some cushion. Now I am just working on all the finishing touches in the room. I have nice white bedding that I purchased. Now I just need to find some bright colored pillows to brighten it up!
LINKS
Mattress
Bedframe
Brackets for Frame
Memory Foam Topper

View my other guest bedroom posts: My Design Board | Painting the Furniture | Thrifty Decor Finds
I forgot that I never shared a photo of the dresser I found for the bedroom... It's a great mid-century piece. We paid $95 for it, which was more then I wanted to spend on a dresser for our guest room. We both love it though and sooner or later it will be used by us or a nursery if I ever decide to have a baby. I will post more pictures of it when I reveal the finished room!

My Guest Bedroom {Painting Furniture}

One thing I did last week was painted my furniture for my guest bedroom. I am not a fan of dark wood. I love white crisp furniture. It really gives a room a clean modern look.
I used to always use KILZ primer whenever I did any DIY projects. I recently switched to Bulls Eye Primer and love it! I was lucky because the headboard and nightstand that I was painting didn't even need to be sanded. I painted the furniture with a small roller and applied 2 coats of primer. I painted everything in one day. I never pay attention to the recommended dry times. (I don't recommend being like me. Inpatient!) I applied 3 coats of semi-gloss white paint purchased from Walmart. I probably should of used high-gloss paint, but I already had the semi-gloss so it saved me money. So what do you think? I am very happy with the finished product. I was going to paint the nightstand yellow but decided I didn't want to over due the color in the room. It's not for me, but guests! Plus, I can add color with the bedding. I can't wait to setup the bed and finish all the details of the room!

Stay tuned....
You can see my post about all my thrift store finds for my guest bedroom {HERE}
Check out my design board for the room {HERE}

Design Board - My Guest Bedroom {think green}

I have been dreaming up a design for My Guest Bedroom. I want to buy most of my stuff from antique shops and thrift stores. (minus the mattress and bedding. Gross.) I am not against buying a cool vintage bedspread or blanket if it's clean. I am obsessed with the color green {today} and being GREEN. I thought it would be cute and fun to kinda have that theme in the guest bedroom...
The bed frame is from IKEA. The pillow is from JcPenney. Everything else is just things I found doing google image searches for vintage items and earth related artwork. The bedding is from Macy's....
I love the crisp clean look of this bedding. I think it would be perfect to balance out all the bright accessories I would like to put into the room. The price on the other hand, NO!!! I could never spend that much on bedding. I am not wired that way. I think it's an easy look and style to duplicate on a shoe string budget. (It's just white!) I am sure I can find something at Ross, TJ Maxx or Home Goods. I decided that my vintage green curtains were a great inspiration piece for my design. Green looks good with so many colors, but I lean towards adding pops of yellow and aquas to the room. I think the color scheme will go well with vintage accessories and furniture.

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1 2 3I am sure kelly green and yellow is out of style this year. Seems like last year that is all you saw everywhere. Well lucky for me I don't follow design trends,...I follow what my heart desires. (You should 2!) As much as I want to stick to only shopping for things at thrift stores, I am sure I will find some cute little ceramic owl on a clearance rack at Pier 1! With all this said, I am going shopping today. The sun is out and it's way to nice to sit inside on my computer.

Thrifty Finds {Decor 4 My Guest Bedroom}

Once I decided that I wanted to make a guest bedroom in our home, I knew it was going to have to be on a tight budget!  I really didn't want to just drive down to IKEA and buy a bunch of furniture.  I wanted to be thrifty!  I went to my local antique shops, thrifts stores and I was super lucky!!!

The books are for guests to read.  I spent around $8 for all of them.

I found many picture frames that I can spray paint and frame some cute artwork in quickly!  I have to have the guest bedroom decorated by the first week in June.  I was so excited to find all this stuff because usually when I go thrifting I find maybe one or two things.  Here is a close up of the tacky floral art I found... 
I loved the lines of the frame!  I am going to cover the floral part with a pretty fabric or paint a picture to place in the frame, not sure yet.  I use scrapbook paper a lot to make artwork and pictures POP more...

The picture frame will be spray painted white.

I love this Woodsy the owl picture.  The bedroom will have a very "Think Green" theme, so I found this picture very fitting.  This is also why I am trying to buy mostly second hand items to decorate with.  It really makes it fun and exciting!  I like looking at the room knowing that I saved stuff from going to a landfill, I saved tons of money and it has a cute vintage flair.  It's really a win win situation.  Here is some of the furniture we found for the room....
I loved that Cody went shopping with me.  He actually helped me pick out the furniture.  It was nice doing it together and letting him have a say in what we bought for the room.  He loved the vintage chair.  (Probably loved the price more, $18!)  We figured it was a great chair to have reupholstered someday.  It does rock, so if I ever have a baby someday it's a great nursery chair.  I picture it covered in some orange vinyl! I did also get a pair of chairs for our living room and a very cool mid-century modern dresser! I will have a before and after of the chairs next week! The dresser wouldn't fit in the car, so we have to go pick it up next weekend. I can't wait to get the guest bedroom decorated. I will be painting the nightstand and headboard this week.  You can see my design board for my guest bedroom {HERE}.

I am linking up over at Her Library Adventures! 

 Go over to her blog to see what goodies everyone else found over the weekend!

*Butterfly Guest Bedroom*

(This room is now my pink office. I decorated the "butterfly guest bedroom" in 2007 when we first bought the house)

I have always loved Lime Green. Lucky for me, my husband lets me paint any color I like. (unless its pink, then he draws the line.) When I first painted our guest bedroom this green color, even I thought it was too bright.

The wall color is Grape Green by Behr.

This whole room was based around the Issac Mizrahi bedding from Target. Sometimes when you see something, you know you must have it for your home. The bedding was a great balance of white, bright colors, and a modern feel. Plus, butterflies make me smile. If you would like to see my Inspiration board for this room follow the (link).


I painted "Do it for the Butterflies" over the bed. It inspires me to keep going. Butterflies are happy and free. So, when I read it, it reminds me to never give up on my dreams. Its also a line from the Adam Sandler movie, Little Nicky.

The room isn't all the way done. I plan to make cornice boxes to put over the curtain rods. I was glad I was able to throw the houndstooth pattern into the decor. Another one of my favorites!

Also, the mini-blinds will go bye-bye someday! They are there now because they fit, and we need them. Also, I have had those stupid nightstands for years. Once IKEA comes to OHIO, I plan on buying some new ones. When you are on a budget,...or just broke, you use what you got!!! lol

Here is another thing you do when you are on a budget. You go to the dollar store and buy picture frames.

The photos are pictures I printed off my computer and a Justin Timberlake cd booklet. When I find cool frames at the dollar store its like Christmas for me. :) The great thing about the room is, its very me. Anyone who knows me could see this room and know its mine. That's one of the best things about decorating.

Here is a before shot of the room. What it looked like when we bought the house.

I don't hate orange, but it did give you a headache is a 10x12 bedroom. Along, with the checkered floor. Wasn't working for me!!! lol

Want to see the day we ripped out the checkered floor? (link)

My Guest Bedroom

Now that my office is almost done I am ready to move on to my next project. The Guest Bedroom will home a nursery someday, but for now it will decorated it like this....

Design Board ~ Marilyn Monroe, Vintage and Modern



The main inspiration piece for this room is the vintage 1970's poster, " The love in you heart wasn't put there to stay, love isn't love till you give it away ". The room is just a collection of items I already have that are just being stored in closets and in my basement. I just have to purchase a few accessories and paint basically. Decorating on a budget can be challenging, but if you are like me you got a bunch of STUFF that you probably can use to do a whole room over!!! I really wanted to paint the room a shade of yellow or purple, but I decided on dark gray. I decided that the accessories would be enough color for this room.

Stay tuned for the end result.... :)

Guest Bedroom - Preview

The gray walls are painted. I still have a lot of finishing touches to do. Here is a few photos...

Not sure what bedding will actually go on the bed. I put the white on just for the photos. I need window treatments and a bedskirt!


Design Board - Here

May 09

Busy Busy Busy!!!!

All I have really done this month is dig in the dirt and plant. My front yard landscaping is complete! What a great feeling!

First thing, the tree in front of the fireplace had to go!

Last month we cut the tree down, this month someone removed the stump for us!

I was finally able to buy shrubs and retaining wall to build raised flower beds.







Here is the photos with the red mulch!







Now that I am finally finished with the front landscaping, I will now do all the painting that needs done. We did get new modern house numbers to! We haven't decided where they are going to go yet. My husband still has to put white siding on the back of the house. Once we finish the siding and painting we hope to remodel our ugly hall bathroom!!!!! (To see photos of the house 2 years ago when we bought it click here!)

Also, a few months ago I talked about redecorating my guest bedroom. I have worked on that project/room, but I am not happy with it. Plus, my husband and I are thinking about having a baby. Which means I would just end up moving my office to the guest bedroom, which means redecorating the guest bedroom yet again!!! hahaha So, I do not know if that room will ever make the blog. :(

Looking Back on My 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Now that 2012 is officially gone, I wanted to take the time to look back on what a great year it was. I decided to go back through my archives for the entire year and pick out my favorite blog posts. I really changed as a person a lot this year and so did my blog. I can not thank everyone enough for following my little blog and leaving me sweet comments all the time! It motivates me to keep going. Thank you.

I probably picked out way too many links to share, but I hope you enjoy reading some of my old blog posts!
You may want to get a cup of coffee or tea and stay awhile...


JANUARY // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
Working with Animals {month 1}
Making A Photo Collage Wall
Design Board: Loren's Office / Guest Bedroom
Design Board: Loren's Living & Dining Area
Chloe Loves Sunshine
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS


FEBRUARY // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
A WHOLE New Food Life (when we first went Vegan and WHY!)
Missing Ohio & Calling Myself A Military Wife
My Ottoman Makeover
Fashion Friday // Marilyn Monroe
Travel // St. Louis - The Arch
Denver Brass Armadillow (trip 2)
Wrapping Paper Bookcase Backdrop
Working with Animals {month 2}


MARCH // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
The Cincinnati Zoo
Drive to Ohio Day 1 & Day 2
Working with Animals {month 3}
Travel // Driving Through Dallas
Decor Love: SPRING!
White Bean Salad Recipe


APRIL // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
Thrift Finds // Decor for my Guest Bedroom
The "i" Statements Challenge
Whale Wars - The Viking Shores
My Expedit Bookcase
The Columbus Zoo
The Krohn Flower Show
Downtown Cincinnati
I Got A Bike! (This was when I got my first bike, a Huffy)


MAY // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
Trip 2 The Park
Travel // Solvang, CA
Cincinnati Union Terminal
What I Wore #1 (My first ever outfit post!)
Decor Love: Owls
Organized Blogging
Our 6 year Wedding Anniversary
Blog Design: Little Lovables
Baby Bunny
Design Board: Jennifer's Living Room


JUNE // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
11 Things & 11 Questions
Rocky Mountain National Park
Cody's Dad Visits
My Vintage Flower Pins
Why I Recycle & Hope You Will 2
Travel // Vedauwoo, WY
Design Board: Suzanne's Living Room
Recipe: Veggies & Pasta with white sauce


JULY // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
Enjoying Our Summer
Playing Vintage Nintendo Games
Interior Design by Me // Louis Vuitton Bathroom
Trip to the Denver Zoo
Guest Post: Kitty & Buck (post about going on a road trip!)
VegFest & Meeting Peter Hammarstedt
VEGAN FOR 6 MONTHS!
Simply A Day At the Park
What I Wore #5


AUGUST // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
Brass Armadillo & More Pyrex
Jumping on the Iphone Bandwagon
Alpacas in Ohio
Honesty is The Best Policy
Netflix Must See: BAG IT
Decor Love: CB2
Cody & Me together for 9 YEARS!
The Capitol Building, WY
Recipe: Homemade Lara Bars
Our First Year in Wyoming


SEPTEMBER // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
MUSIC i LOVE Be GREEN at Starbucks
I Want to be a Cyclist When I Grow Up (When I got my new bike!)
My Jewelry // Thrifted Shelves
Biking in Winsdor, CO
Biking in Colorado // 43 miles
Birthday Card for My BBF


OCTOBER // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
What I Wore {Meeting Alice}
Inspiration: Pops Of Mustard Yellow
Netflix Must See: Yellowstone Battle For Life
Disney Vacation: Downtown Disney
My FIRST VLOG! {Jessie in Real Life}
Disney Vacation: Hollywood Studios
Recipe: Vegan Pizza


NOVEMBER // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
We Bought A House
My Friends the Antelopes
DIY: Crayon Art
What I Wore #10
BAG IT IN A REUSABLE BAG PLEASE!
Design Board: Our Bedroom
Wood Floors & FurBabies
Collecting Disney Vinylmations
Hello Yellow Living Room


DECEMBER // MY FAVORITE POSTS:
Putting Up Our Christmas Tree
Decor Love: Coffee & Tea Time
Drunken Xmas Party & A House Tour Video
Feeling Blue & Why I Hate Facebook
Recipe: 3 Minute Chocolate Cake
Disney Vacation: Magic Kingdom
Netflix Must See: Veguated
32 Things Before 32
Staging A Bookcase
DIY: Homemade Laundry Detergent

So what do you think? I know you would need a year to read all that. What posts do however stick out to you? I have defiantly geared my blog more to blogging about my own life and issues that I care about. That's what makes it fun for me. :) Again, thanks for your support and friendship. YAY for 2013!!! Let's do this.