Do you hear that high-pitched scream? That’s me in Richmond, thrilled to announce the office/guest room/playroom makeover is complete. Come on in and take a look. First, a quick reminder of how the room looked when we moved in:
And here it is now — an efficient, light-filled office that also works as a guest room and playroom:
We love this small 10 x 10.5′ space because it gets the best light in the house. It’s become our go-to spot for blogging, playtime with Clara, and hosting overnight guests. The projects were worth it — and even fun.
We squeezed in as much function as possible: a shallow DIY desk, a magnetic wall under the window, plenty of shelves and bookcases, and a storage ottoman full of Clara paraphernalia. The budget-friendly sleeper sofa with a full-sized mattress tucked inside freed up valuable floor space when it’s folded away.
The desk John built from an old door saved money and keeps the sofa bed able to fold out easily for guests. We added woven baskets on the tall bookcase by the window and a small filing cabinet under the desk for paperwork and files, maximizing storage without crowding the room.
We refreshed a pair of chairs with patterned seat cushions that coordinate with the sofa and the room’s color palette. These cushions were an affordable find and instantly made the chairs more comfortable during long work sessions.
All the wires are neatly wrangled so the office side looks tidy and streamlined. There’s also room on the rug for playtime with Baby P while one of us works at the desk.
John solved a small problem by hanging a ceramic pig hook within reach to hold paint decks and other tools — it’s functional and decorative. We used additional pig hooks around the room for a flash card clothesline and to hang Clara’s growth chart. Ceramic animals add a bit of whimsy and personality to the space.
The paint deck itself is a DIY: favorite swatches hole-punched and threaded on a binder ring for a compact, easy-to-use sample set.
We enjoy the homemade postcard shelves because they let us rotate artwork and postcards whenever we want. The rotating display is addictive and an easy way to refresh the room’s look. Many readers generously sent postcards and notes, and we keep extras in a filing box compartment so we can swap them in quickly.
Those postcards have come from all over the world, and the ones not currently displayed are stored neatly for future rotation. We also stash cords and cables in a second filing box top compartment, using binder clips to keep them tidy and tangle-free.
We also tweaked an Ikea bookcase by adding a soft blue background and trimming molding so it sits flush against the wall. It stores paperwork, office accessories, and the printer, while baskets hide clutter and add warmth so the shelf doesn’t read as overly utilitarian.
There’s a quick shelf switch we use when guests arrive to make the room feel more like a guest space — more on that in another post. A repurposed white Ikea planter corrals mailing tubes for shop orders so we aren’t constantly going back and forth to the kitchen.
We also made a DIY flash card clothesline for display and play. Safety note: twine, wire, or ribbon can be a strangulation hazard, so keep hanging items out of children’s reach and supervise play.
The clothesline doubles as a display for Clara’s artwork as she grows, and the magnetic wall and wallflowers encourage hands-on interaction. We fitted the room with multiple spots to stash her books, toys, blankets, and blocks — including an affordable storage ottoman and woven baskets on a bookcase by the closet.
The closet makeover turned it from a gloomy mess into a functional storage area for linens when the sleeper sofa isn’t in use, and luggage or clothing when guests stay over. Photos of the bed folded out will be shared in an upcoming post.
Two bookcases in this small room work surprisingly well: one dedicated to Clara’s books and toys, with baskets that keep things organized when not in use. We’ve also got a couple of patterned boxes on the top shelf—tutorial coming soon.
We added a mirror that doubles as a dry-erase to-do list. It’s useful for quick hair checks before guests head out and for jotting down tasks; when guests arrive we erase our notes and write them a welcome message instead.
Budget breakdown:
- DIY pendant light: $32
- Homemade desk: $70
- File cabinet: $20
- File boxes & desktop cubby: $42
- Chair pads: $12.50 each
- Postcard shelves: $23
- Large bookcase (Ikea): $69
- Baskets: $40
- Storage ottoman: $27
- Full-sized sleeper sofa: $699
- Magnetic primer for wallflowers: $21
- Clothesline materials: $20
- Pig hooks: $5 each
- Closet shelf: $12
- Eco power strip: $39
- Wireless printer: $79
- Total: $1,238 ($539 without the sleeper sofa)
The makeover added a two-person desk, a bookcase, a sleeper sofa, an ottoman, built-in shelving, a pendant light, a file cabinet, a wireless printer, and many storage solutions — all for just over a thousand dollars. We were surprised and pleased at how far the budget stretched.
We completed most of the transformation after Clara arrived, tackling projects during naps and taking turns watching her. Up next: a mini sunroom makeover. Stay tuned for more updates.
Update: Check out how the room looks when set up for guests or used as a playroom in our follow-up post.