Our guest room is finished! I repeat, the guest room is finally finished. Get ready for a long post with LOTS of images. It was difficult to narrow them down because it’s been such a long time coming. We’ve been working on this room for what seems like years. It obviously hasn’t been THAT long, but it has been awhile. Refinished floors, new windows, repaired drywall, a new closet, a rehabbed chest of drawers, and a few accessories later- it’s ready to share. Take a gander and let me know what you think!
To give you a little preview of what we were working with, here are a few before images. Everybody loves a good before and after, right?! It’s crazy to think this is where we started.
This place was a total dump. It was rented for 20+ years prior to purchase and neglected. You can totally tell this room (and the entire home) had seen better days.
I’m happy to report, we’ve restored this space to it’s former glory… and then some. Such a difference! I’m really excited with how this room turned out. We’ve been entertaining house guests since we moved in (even in the icky condition), and now I feel like I finally have a space I can be proud of when hosting friends and family.
If you’re wondering about the tallboy dresser, read that post here. It was a lucky vintage find I restored. It goes perfect with the creamy, warm wall color. Speaking of paint, we used Sherwin-Williams Emerald Interior and absolutely loved it. Most walls only required one coat. I know someone will ask, so I included it at the bottom of the post as well, but the paint color is Aesthetic White SW 7035. It’s the perfect neutral! Not too cool and not overly warm or beige.
This room is actually on the smaller side, but we opted for a queen size bed anyway. Since we do host a lot of visitors, it was important to create a guest room that felt comfortable, cozy, and clean.
You might notice some familiar things in this space that came along from our previous home- in particular, the nightstands! I still love the vintage bedside tables as much as I did the day I bought them. They used to live in our master bedroom, but because of their slender size, they fit better in the guest room this time around.
If you haven’t been following along, the first completed space in our reno I shared was actually the guest room closet… just behind those french doors. Feel free to read more on that project here.
The entire room is basically designed with guests in mind. It’s neutral- nothing too crazy and more specific to Utah than any other space in our home. Most of our visitors are from out-of-state.
I wanted to find ways to insert bits of Utah and why we love it into the space, but in an inconspicuous way. I found an amazing book at a rare book store downtown for the nightstand, framed a couple prints from Utah state parks, and added a mini cactus to the window sill from a local greenhouse.
Contrary to our last renovation, I decided to pay way more addition to detail… the type of details that make a space. I carefully selected trim this time around- from panel moulding, base moulding, to crown, and casing. I’m glad I took the extra step because it made this otherwise boring shoebox of a room interesting. We used trim from this fashion-forward collection. I also have to brag on Emmett for one minute- he installed everything and it looks absolutely perfect. The man is a perfectionist and I love that about him. It may take him awhile to complete a project, but his precision is worth the wait.
My philosophy is this- trim shouldn’t be an afterthought! I’ve learned it’s not the “finishing touch”, but it literally builds a space. The same goes for hardware, light fixtures, and window treatments. You could buy the finest furniture and without those “little” things, a space would still look meh.
If you missed the post on “How to Select Hardware“- go read it! I really enjoyed putting that one together and I’ve already had people email saying it was useful. I am SO into our new door hardware. Everyone comments on the knobs and it’s easy to see why… that unique hammered texture is everything.
Shifting gears and sharing one last thought on the window treatments… our rambler / mid century home has weird windows throughout. They’re brand new, but we kept the original sizes because of the budget. Typical of most homes during this time period or style, the windows start five feet up the wall. They’re long and skinny, and high. I sort of hate them, but they’re slowly growing on me. Long story short, woven roman shades made the most sense for this space. They make the windows appear larger and streamlined. I also wanted a little warmth and texture- the woven bamboo adds just that.
The above light fixture has been a point of controversy from the very beginning, and I love absolutely love it! I asked a couple family members what they thought (knowing it wouldn’t skew my opinion- sorry guys!), and every single one of them said no way. Ha! It’s a great size, interesting shape, and that baby looks magical when it glows at night. No regrets whatsoever! I do have to say, after it was installed everyone had the “aha” moment and apologized for trying to steer me in a different direction.
The sconces were another awesome addition. They’re on dimmers and give the perfect soft light at night. The swing arms are also moveable, so they function well as reading lights. It’s also nice to be able to swing them out of the way if needed.
Last but not least, I wanted chat about the accessories in this room (helllllllo throw pillows!).
You guys know I love the color green, and I was immediately drawn to this abstract palm print cushion. I found them at one of my new favorite local shops, in addition to the gorgeous one below (insert five heart eye emojis here).
I also scored this cool, inexpensive vase at Target for under 20 bucks, along with the mirror. Links are all in the collage at the end if you want to shop!
I’m feeling pretty happy about the variety of textures occurring in this bedroom. It all started with the vintage rug and I just kept layering and layering as I found things I liked. The result was a cozy bedroom full of complimenting textiles.
I wanted to make shopping easy for you guys and answer as many questions as possible in the post itself- find all the sources below, in addition to the permanent renovating materials!
01: flush mount ceiling fixture // 02: wall mirror // 03: upholstered bed // 04: wall sconce // 05: throw pillows // 06: nightstand // 07: vase // 08: pom throw // 09: lumbar pillow // 10: leather ottoman // (not numbered) vintage rug
Permanent Fixtures: trim + mouldings // window treatments // door hardware // closet system
Paint Color: Sherwin-Williams
Alright… that pretty much wraps it up! Thanks for reading allllll the way through that long post. Thoughts? I’d love to hear your feedback!
*This post is brought to you in collaboration with brands I know and love: Lamps Plus, Metrie, Sherwin Williams, and Nostalgic Warehouse. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that allow us to create unique content while featuring products we actually use and trust!
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Ann heltzel
March 22, 2017 at 2:57 pmI knew you would use green and I love it, I love it, I love it!
Using a runner instead of a full blown large rectangular rug is Genius! ! Save $$$ and easier to clean the floors. BRILLIANT! The whole room looks great!
Sarah
March 22, 2017 at 3:12 pmHa! You know me too well, Ann! I do love green. I wish the rug was a little larger, but I fell in love with the color and pattern, so I bought it anyway and it works! Thanks so much for the sweet compliments. xox
Kevin
April 5, 2020 at 6:56 pmWhat color is the trim?
Stephanie_astrid
March 22, 2017 at 3:17 pmLooking great Sarah! cant wait to see the rest of your reveal :)
Sarah
March 22, 2017 at 3:29 pmThank you so much, Stephanie!! xo
Karen
March 22, 2017 at 4:31 pmLove to see the progress! obsessed with those throw pillow & rug :)
Sarah
March 22, 2017 at 11:26 pmThanks, Karen! Those two might be my faves, too. xo
Christiane Nick
March 22, 2017 at 4:51 pmIt came together beautifully! Way to praise Emmett’s craftsmanship and attention to detail…Andy too tries my patience on projects, but the end result is worth the wait 😘
Sarah
March 22, 2017 at 11:26 pmThanks, Christiane! I totally remember Andy tiling your kitchen in the herringbone pattern… worth the wait for sure! xo
Ashley
March 22, 2017 at 5:23 pmGorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!! This room is perfection and soothes my soul :)
Sarah
March 22, 2017 at 11:25 pmThank you so much, Ashley! :) xoxoxo
Holly
March 22, 2017 at 6:47 pmLooks wonderful my dear!
Sarah
March 22, 2017 at 11:24 pmThanks lady!! xo
Leah Prevost
March 22, 2017 at 7:10 pmI had to screenshot almost every picture! It looks amazing. All the details make it look like a million bucks… Everything about it is perfect! Way to go Sarah and Emmett!!
Leah Prevost
March 22, 2017 at 7:12 pmOh and I LOVE the light fixture!!!
Sarah
March 22, 2017 at 11:23 pmYay!! Thanks so much, Leah! xo
Sarah
March 22, 2017 at 11:24 pmAhhh!!! Thank you. You made my day!! xoxo
Dana Moss
March 22, 2017 at 11:56 pmYou guys are amazing! SO blown away by this and so happy you guys have a finished room! I love everything about it and am super obsessed with the wall color choice.
Sarah
March 23, 2017 at 1:24 pmThank you SO much, Dana!! I’m equally happy we have a finished room… finally. Ha! xoxo
Amanda
March 23, 2017 at 12:37 pmIt’s perfect! Love, love, love it! Of all the things I like about this room – and there are a lot – the thing I think I like the most is that Utah book, what a great find and perfect for a guest room! xx
Sarah
March 23, 2017 at 1:25 pmThank you, Amanda! That book was such a lucky find! The sleeve was pretty drab and ugly, but I hate book sleeves and when I took it off- it revealed that pretty gold lettering! xo
Lauren Christel
March 23, 2017 at 8:18 pmWhat a stunning room! Your vision is just beautiful, and I’m obsessing over your custom closet! Thanks for sharing! xx
Sarah
March 23, 2017 at 8:27 pmThank you so much Lauren! Xo
Steven Snow
March 24, 2017 at 2:23 pmWell designed with usage of perfect color combination. All things are perfectly decorate from pillow covers to bed sheet matches with wall color. A perfect interior design work, love the extensible moveable lamps near right and left to the bed.
Kacey
March 26, 2017 at 2:28 amOmg Sarah ! Perfection ! Clean. Serene. Can I come visit ?!
Sarah
March 27, 2017 at 2:03 pmThank you so much, Kacey! xo
Lizzie Ravn
March 26, 2017 at 10:20 amIt’s gorgeous, every single detail!
Sarah
March 27, 2017 at 2:03 pmThanks, Lizzie!! xo
Allison Hasserd
April 3, 2017 at 2:38 pmyay!!!! so pretty and serene!! I love all the little details and thought put in to this room. it looks so pulled together and cohesive! when can we come visit? haha great job!
Sarah
April 3, 2017 at 3:01 pmThank you so much, Allison! xoxoxo
Dee
April 7, 2017 at 3:00 amLove this room!! I’m selecting colors for interior walls and love the color your chose for this room! May I ask what color you used for the trim?
Sarah
April 7, 2017 at 1:01 pmThank you so much, Dee! The walls are Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White. xo
John Buelter
June 9, 2017 at 4:26 pmWhich shades did you go with?
Sarah
June 9, 2017 at 4:45 pmI went with Blindsgalore Natural Woven Shades in Natural Weaves – Abaco Jade 6090
Teryn
August 9, 2017 at 3:24 pmReferencing this post months later, but can’t help myself because I loved everything about it! Question: did you order your trim directly through Metrie or did you order through a supplier like Lowes?
Sarah
August 9, 2017 at 3:54 pmThank you, Teryn! So glad you’re finding it helpful. The trim came directly through Metrie. xo
joy
August 18, 2017 at 5:51 pmI’m absolutely loving that light fixture. It’s a style I never would have looked twice at, but love it in this space! I see yours has brass hardware, but they only have chrome online. How did you get yours to be that lovely brass color?
Sarah
August 18, 2017 at 6:02 pmThank you!! Good eye… I painted it. xo
Ashlee
September 29, 2017 at 4:11 amI absolutely love the bedding in this! Where can I find this in store??
Sarah
September 29, 2017 at 2:30 pmIt’s from a previous Nate Berkus collection that is no longer being sold. I’m sorry!
Maggie
November 2, 2017 at 4:08 pmSarah,
DId you paint the chrome finish on the Possini light? The one for sale at Lamps Plus has a chrome finish but yours looks more copper.
Sarah
November 3, 2017 at 6:29 pmYes! I painted it.
Cynthia Lopez
December 27, 2017 at 12:12 amGreat job decorating this room. I like the up light on the bureau. Where did you get it from? Thanks.
Sarah
December 27, 2017 at 9:35 amThanks, Cynthia! I actually made it… find the DIY here: https://roomfortuesday.com/marble-lamp-diy/
christie
January 2, 2018 at 6:36 pmHI. Love this room. Still looking back on the details!! The Pom Pom throw you link is not the exact one. Can you tell me about yours? Thanks so much- Christie
Sarah
January 2, 2018 at 6:49 pmThanks so much, Christie! The one I have has been discontinued… it was from Pottery Barn, so I tried to find a similar option to link. Sorry!
Neha
May 19, 2018 at 6:06 amHi Sarah ,
The room color is SW7035 , which colors did you use for the trims and the door please .
Thank you
Sarah
May 19, 2018 at 9:03 amHi Neha! The doors and trim and are Sherwin-Williams Extra White. xox
Caroline
June 20, 2018 at 10:14 amHi! Love this look and style. Quick question: How do you select/pair white trim with a white wall while keeping the juxtaposition soft and not stark? I’m on of those people who is totally overwhelmed by paint selections! We live in a very small chopped up old house and I’m thinking of going with warm/neutral white walls with textures and pops of colors throughout, and the trim and ceilings have me totally stuck! Any advice would be fantastic! Thanks!
Valerie Vaughn
October 14, 2018 at 7:18 pmWhat is the paint color of the dresser? It’s a beautiful green!
Sarah
October 15, 2018 at 11:11 amIt’s Army Green by Benjamin Moore :)
Maria
May 27, 2019 at 1:38 pmHow tall are these ceilings?
Sarah
May 27, 2019 at 2:05 pm10 feet
Maria
June 23, 2019 at 3:50 pmThank you! One more question….did you paint the trim/base/moulding in semi-gloss?
Sarah
June 24, 2019 at 10:02 amNo problem! Yep… millwork in semi-gloss :) xox
Julie Vandenberghe
February 13, 2020 at 10:06 pmI love your style so much!!!! Your attention to detail is just so good. Man, will you come overhaul my house please??? I live close by ;)
Sarah
February 17, 2020 at 11:00 amThank you, thank you!! :) xo