Guest Room Update: Progress, Photos, and Remaining To-Dos

Update: We tackled a few items from the to-do list below and it made a noticeable difference — some pieces were removed (goodbye brown blanket in this room) and others were shifted around. For the complete reveal of how it looked when guests arrived, see the original project post.

Below are photos taken about an hour before uploading, showing the current state of the guest room:

This is a clear improvement from the more stripped-down look we started with earlier in the week:

We still have a handful of tasks to finish and several items haven’t yet reached their final places, but here’s what’s been completed so far:

• Cleared out clutter (donated items and moved other things into the playroom)
• Purchased a mattress, box spring and an inexpensive bed frame
• Used existing bedding to dress the bed
• Added a shower curtain and stocked bathroom essentials (towels, new toilet seat, etc.)
• Painted the room
• Hung curtains

Outstanding tasks remaining:

• Hang artwork or a large mirror above the bed to balance the big window on the left (a round mirror is top of the list to soften the room’s hard angles)
• Add a nightstand and table lamp
• Style or replace the empty bookcase between the bathroom door and the bedroom door; it will eventually be swapped for a proper dresser with storage
• Wash and hem the curtains

We tested many layouts — diagonal bed placement, bed on the opposite window wall, centered on the back wall — and settled on the arrangement shown because it felt the most comfortable and balanced once key pieces were in place, like our green upholstered headboard (a DIY project) and the yellow Pottery Barn rug rescued from the living room. We plan to add a larger rug in the future for an even cozier feel.

The rug sits a bit off-center at the foot of the bed, which might not be the most obvious choice, but the colors work so well with the walls and bedding that we committed to making it fit. Reintroducing two slipper chairs from the living room and pushing them together to form a small loveseat helped the layout and balanced that side of the room. Adding a night table to the left of the bed will further stabilize the composition and help the arrangement read as intentional.

We also added a simple white bedskirt ($10 from Target) to coordinate with the bedding we already had: a brown-and-white throw from Bed Bath & Beyond, a white Ikea comforter, printed pillowcases from Pottery Barn, a yellow pinwheel pillow from Target, and a long blue pillow from TJ Maxx. The current bedding is a temporary, mix-and-match arrangement using existing items; it felt fun for now, and we may refine it as the room comes together.

Note: A few bedding items have already been swapped out since these photos were taken — check the original project post for the final guest-ready look.

The curtains are from Ikea: two panels for $39 total (about $19.50 per panel) in an extra-long 95″ length. I prefer hanging curtains high to make standard ceilings feel taller, so the longer size was worth it. They still need to be washed and hemmed, and crown molding above them is on the future-project list.

For small details, we replaced the basic brass closet pull with a bright lime green-yellow knob purchased for $1.25 at a craft store, paired with oil-rubbed bronze hardware to match the curtain rods. The curtain rods themselves were budget-friendly finds from a big-box retailer, about $9.99 each.

To illustrate how much the room changed in a short time, here’s a photo from just eight days ago — a good reminder of progress and why staging, small updates and a little decluttering go a long way:

We’re finishing the remaining items and likely will tweak the layout a few more times, but the room already feels much more welcoming. Small updates—paint, textiles, a few inexpensive accessories and a thoughtful arrangement—made a big difference. Looking forward to the final touches: a mirror or artwork above the bed, a nightstand with a lamp, a styled bookcase or replacement dresser, and properly hemmed curtains to complete the space.