Guest rooms are famously filled with leftover furniture, which is great because it’s a great place to keep your favorite items that might not fit in other rooms you care about more. So this room is still a work in progress, but there was a lot of new stuff to show you. About four years ago, when we first moved in (what time is it), it looked like this (and it was pretty cute).



It didn’t really have any beds or much in it, but there was some leftover furniture and lamps that I think looked really cool. It was comfortable and soft, and everyone who slept there loved it.

But for whatever reason, I designed a custom bed to fit right in between the windows here (at the time, I was like “king beds and only king beds forever”). it is upholstered this cute print By Rebecca Atwood, I thought that would just add a texture and slight pattern, without being too bold. But we had to move. You know the story – the bed I ordered for my bedroom didn’t arrive in time for our big real simple Shoot, but it was about to be delivered, so we put it in our bedroom. And because it’s so heavy, and we had already assembled it, we left it there for years. But it was always meant to be here.

wall color | trim and ceiling color | art (old) | Bed (Custom) | bed linen | shamans | Cylinder | disc pillow | duvet cover | quilt
So finally we put the bed up here, and I love it, but it’s not a total slam dunk. She is big, but it could be that I am not used to it? I’m the only one who wanted a king bed here, which is definitely really comfortable for guests. It’s not that it doesn’t fit, and the old mattress on the simple base was also a king, but it’s higher, and the bed frame and headboard themselves add volume. And it feels a little stuffy in the window, but not criminal.

Floor Lamp (VINTAGE+ Similar) | Side Table (VINTAGE+ Similar) | vase | Cooking | frame | Roman Shadow
Love that I finally found a place for my old wicker ghost table (shout out) Shop Wilma in the city). I think this gives it that “unique bed and breakfast” vibe, and it still allows the linen closet to be open for the most part (or at least lighter).

I hung a small gallery wall above the bed with pieces I already had, which I love, but the smaller ones seem too small in this room (probably because the bed is so big!). I didn’t really have a choice, so I left them in, and they’re certainly cute, but not quite there yet.

Desk (unavailable) | picture frame | pink box | vase | Chirag | Cooking
I tried at least 6 pieces here – the blue Demilune, the Elliot’s blue vanity, the Ghost table, but ultimately, this desk is the best scale and function for this corner. table chair Was borrowed from Anthropologie (and I can order it), which adds such a nice softness through the shape and fabric. Brian still sits here to take his therapy calls and work from home when he can’t get to his office to write. So the desk actually gets a lot of use.

I bought a desk from a local maker that turns slabs into furniture, and I love it, but it doesn’t fit the style of the room at all. But I’m not as motivated to find the perfect desk or piece that fits here (that doesn’t stop me from watching FBMP most Saturday mornings). It works quite well!

Now, the corner of the room that’s working really well is this new dresser vignette. It looks tight with the bed, but it has a solid 2 1/2 feet of clearance, I promise. The colors are perfect (it’s called a brown stripe, but it’s definitely giving off a deep pink color). I love that white painting in here (but the kids are asking for the TV back en masse, so I need to figure out a solution there). I also hung my lady painting here along with the bathroom wallpaper, which I love. I removed the pink chair because it seemed like it was a lot of furniture, but I brought it back so I could put all my clean clothes on it, haha (we have two of them – one on the downstairs landing and one in here).

wall art | dresser | blue border vase | vertical picture frame (same) horizontal picture frame | oil diffuser | round tray | Lamp (unavailable)
scale of dresser Perfect here, and it adds nice storage. Before that we had this really low bench that was a placeholder, which had the world’s largest TV on it (which we all got used to using). I’ve had that schoolhouse lamp forever, and then collected a new one from Anthropologie (that new vase And tray Both are amazing). And yes, those are our dogwood branches from my tree 🙂

I swear there is enough room, but the photo looks very crowded. I stayed here the night before my colonoscopy, and it was extremely cozy and comfortable (Leesa Sapira Hybrid Cool Mattress Definitely helps – god, these mattresses are so soft).


I already have layered bedding, which no one can deny is my color palette du jour (or du decade). It’s the same in my bedroom, living room and powder bath. Unintentionally, I promise. These are just my comfort colors.


So this is the update! Part of me thinks that nothing should go above the bed and the art is what is making it feel too busy, and then making the bed too big? Then I wondered if this room needed curtains to add some more visual interest and texture, but that might be too much, and we don’t need them (the colors are blackout, top to bottom/bottom to top, and just functionally unreliable). I feel like your eyes are nice and fresh after seeing this thing. I’m also not stressed about all this because I know that for the guest room, it’s dialed in 🙂
*by photos Caitlin Green
