Rental ReStyle: Guest Room Ready for Under $400

During the past two weeks, I've been purging closets and storage areas, making donations to local thrift establishments and sending donations to New Jersey Sandy Survivors. With the spaces being cleared, it made it easier to get the house holiday ready. Last year at this time, we were just getting settled from moving from Florida. This year, we'll actually be having a guest: Jeff's mom is flying in tonite from Georgia to spend Thanksgiving with us. Using items I already had plus some pieces I've collected from thrift this year, I was able to convert the last room in a rental home into a guest space for under $450. Mixing in wood pieces and collected baskets added texture plus helped warm the otherwise grey + black + white space. I created another gallery wall with photos I captured in Florida & framed. Because most pieces were already on hand (minus the sleep sofa), the space was done in a day. What helped a lot was the existing neutral foundation of gray walls and the beige carpet. 

Here's the breakdown: 

Pieces I already had: reused and shifted from house:
- Charcoal Ikea panels (96" $20 2011)
- Black Wicker Chair ($60 thrifted in FL 2010)
- Various Shells collected from FL & San Diego (2007-2012)
- Framed Photos: I shot 5 of 7, two are prints (had since 2005)
- Bamboo Ceramic Lamp (Read: My $1 Lamp Find 2010)
- Square lampshade (had from 2005)
- White Throw ($10 Homegoods 2009) 
- Pair of geometric print pillows ($18 Homegoods 2011)
- Pair of ZGallerie Euro pillows ($30 2011) with grey linen C&B covers ($20 2008)
- Large Sunglasses Print (had since 1986 - picked up frame at Ikea 2011)

Finishing Touches (mostly from local AZ thrift)
- Wood & Brass Trunk ($10 Goodwill Chandler)
- Wicker stool ($6 Goodwill ReDesign Store Scottsdale)
- Wicker planter turned to side table ($3 Thrift Treasures Chandler)
- Wicker Urn ($12 Salvation Army Scottsdale)
- Wood & Brass Bar Cart ($5 Goodwill Mesa)
- 4 Round Baskets (3 on wall + 1 as top on urn) ($2ea various Goodwill's in Chandler
- Bowl Basket ($3)
- 2 Mexican Blankets ($3 ea Goodwill)
- Window panel Rod ($12 Ross)

 

One Big Purchase: Black Armless Microfiber Sleep Sofa $149 found at a store here called Garden Ridge. The store just opened in July and it's like a Home Depot for decorators. (More about them in another post!) Jeff had a rewards card he was able to put towards purchasing sleep pillows and a full sheet set, which fit perfectly into the trunk for storage, without taking up any extra space in a closet. The trunk is light enough to push to the side when the sofa is open to sleep. And I kept the space by the window cleared of furniture, for our guest (Jeff's mom) to be able to put her luggage. 

 

 

In the guest bathroom, I cleared the vanity for guest toiletries and a stack of cleaned guest towels. The medicine cabinet turned unto a great little space to put collected hotel toiletries to use. I also repurposed some glass candle holders to hold q-tips, cotton balls and a few smaller bottles. The holders were the free ones you get when you buy mini candles at Bath & Body Works.

 

 

Downstairs space Before:

Rooms transformed into a Indoor Garden Room (read more: here), a Guest Bath Room (read more: here) , and now the adjacent Guest Room.  So even though we're living in the desert, our guests and us still have a seaside-like spaces to retreat to...

 

 SEE: Indoor Garden Room

SEE: Guest Bath Room

 

Guest Room

 Hope this helps inspire you and shows that it need not take much to pull together a guest space or a small space on a small budget - with a little shift and shopping thrift!

 Thanks for stopping by!