Room Reveal: Guest Bed/Laundry Room

You all wish you had a Guest/Craft/Painting/Laundry/Sewing/Storage room this awesome.

That's right...this room functions for all of those things and MORE. I spent about three years being frustrated by this room but then I decided to get over it and make it awesome. So here it is, fresh from it's spring deep cleaning, in all its glory.

This room was confusing for me because it's where our laundry is hooked up. So for a few years we had some messy craft shelves and a desk in here because...how else were we supposed to use this space? It was a huge waste even after I re-arranged it approximately 17 times. I can't stand unorganized inefficiency!

Toward the end of summer 2012 (fact check me if I'm wrong Carley) we bought this double bed from some friends who were upgrading all the beds in their house. I'm not one for buying mattresses from strangers or Facebook swap sites...but buying this mattress, box spring, frame, and AMAZING MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS PAD from some friends is A-OK with me. For a few weeks Josh and I had sleepovers in the guest bedroom because this bed was more comfortable than ours (hence the memory foam purchase in our bedroom). After that, this room finally started to come together.

Originally, all four of this room's walls were painted pink...apparently I had a weak moment in the paint swatch aisle when I chose the color. The neutral tan on the walls makes this room feel warmer since it IS still functioning as a laundry room and is the only room in the house that's still stuck with linoleum (a rug is on my list of wants for this room). Earlier this year I moved these black curtains from the future baby room to this room to try and give it a more 'bed-roomy' feel and I think it worked (and even if you don't think it did, please just play along).

I try and keep things in here clean and tidy most of the time since I never know who will be dropping in, but it is prone to dust bunnies since...you know...dryers tend to make everything dusty and produce lint at an alarming rate. It's not always ideal for guests since there isn't a ton of room for luggage, etc...but it's what we have and it works great for what we need.

For example, when my parents come spend the weekend, Jamie is trying to do a huge basket of her laundry, I'm trying to finish sewing a blanket for my G'ma, and my mom is up until midnight tying royal blue pew boys for a wedding I'm helping plan...things can get pretty interesting in here. Luckily that only happens...like...once every few months. ;)

Here's a brief list of some of the decor in this room and what we paid for it:

Paint: FREE!
Re-used from other rooms in the house!

Double-Bed and Mattress Pad: Bought from friends - $100.

Quilt: Wedding gift.

Black Comforter: FREE!
Still using the same one from college!

Jersey Sheets: Target Clearance - $15
Note: Jersey sheets are hard for some people to sleep in...yes they are soft, but the tend to be a little 'sticky'...so bring slippery jammies if you come stay. ;)

Throw Pillows: Gifts.

Side-Table/Drawers: Garage sale - $10.
These drawers are PERFECT for a guest room...it's not the most beautiful thing I've ever purchased but darnit, it's functional. Inside are guest towels and extra blankets.

Lamp: Base from leftovers - Donation, Shade from Lowe's - Approx. $10?, Spray paint I had on hand - FREE!

Black Curtains: FREE!
I've been re-using these since college! I had dreams of sewing something spectacular in here, but decided to wait and just get more use out of these.

White Door/Headboard: Garage Sale - $10.
Yes I said $10. I still can't even believe it. This door is a twin to the door we found on our farm right down to the etched glass. It just props up against the wall so guests can't get to crazy in here. ;)

Silver Wire Shelf: FREE!
Josh bought this at some point in college...it may be the only 'furniture' item he's ever shopped for. So it was his contribution when we got married, along with some great curbside finds over the years. ;)

Desk: FREE!
Re-using this from college still. Again, it's not the most gorgeous thing I've ever laid eyes on, but it used to be brown with gold hardware, and now it's white with silver hardware, so that counts for something, right? Plus it's super functional and the drawers give me soooo much storage for stationary, spray paint, mod podge, all of our old phones and boxes, sewing supplies...you name it...it has a nice organized home in this desk.

White Chair: FREE!
Found this beaut in a dumpster and painted it white.

Filing Cabinet: FREE!
From our beloved friend Winston, who I think of every time I file something.

Closet Storage: FREE!
The wrapping paper bin, the plastic drawers, the black cabinet...all gathered over the years from college and curbs. It's a beautiful thing.

Organizing Bins: Thirty-One - $25/each, IKEA - $16/each
Probably done buying from Thirty-One when Ikea is soooooooo much cheaper. And I like their look better. I was suckered into a cheer fundraiser that included a free t-shirt...what can I say?

Hanging Mirror: Birthday gift card from Bed Bath and Beyond - $20?

Hanging Shoe Storage: Target - $12
Again, not adorable (are you sensing a theme?) but functional and necessary at our house where the closet space is a tragedy.

Wall Decor: Approx. $5?
This room is a hodge podge of things I like but don't 'fit' anywhere else in the house...so they end up all being adorable misfits in here. I haven't paid more than $5 for anything hanging on the wall, except that black framed and matted drawing from college...because it's the only thing I have for proof that I once was a sleep-deprived, irritable design student.

My organizing mantra for our house is, "ALIKE THINGS TOGETHER." I found that the way we moved in and initially arranged the house frustrated me because it didn't make sense. Does anyone else move into a new place and because something went in a certain spot at their old place, they just automatically put it in that same bottom left-hand drawer at their new place...even though that doesn't make ANY sense?

It took me a long time to figure this phenomenon out. Why was the vacuum always in the other bedroom closet and the broom and Swiffer were in this closet? Both are used for cleaning, so why not give them hooks, move the vacuum and store them all in the same closet? Why are winter coats in one room and winter mittens and gloves in a bin in another room? ALIKE THINGS TOGETHER.

Here's a peek into the closet in the house that gives me anxiety, but recently I spent three nights working to make it functional, efficient, and also...cute. Which isn't important to everyone, but it's important to me. Seasonal clothes move back and forth from our closet to this one. Awkward cleaning supplies like the vacuum, it's accessories, the Dirt Devil, broom, dust pan, Swiffer, and mop all have homes in here. Along with weird things like the tool kit, cords, power strips, light bulbs, and odds and ends 'house stuff' are organized into the plastic drawers. This is the closet where I also keep gifts on hand for weddings and showers so I can pull them out and wrap them in five minutes or less if I have to. The filing cabinet is where all of our rental/house/BLC/bills are organized and it's a lifesaver. 

Not a super-exciting post but I can finally check it off my cleaning list...so just humor me. And in case you think I'm slacking...I deep cleaned my bathroom last week, but it already got a room reveal here, so I won't be boring you with a second one. ;)