This room has been done quite awhile but I just got pictures together on it. When I bought the condo the small bedroom was the only thing I needed to address BEFORE moving in. The reason is that, though I wasn't 100% sure what I wanted to do with the room, I did know it would have to house my library. Ooo, that sounds so impressive! All it really means is that my collection of textbooks, novels, leather-bounds, picture books, travel manuals etc - totaling over 40 linear feet - needed a place to live. Since books that numerous {read: HEAVY} require many, many trips from the basement, up two flights, to the bedroom - well I wanted to change out the icky carpet before the movers came. I put in a dark wood lam floor then added the bookcases. I had 2 black Ikea cabinets and decided to take the beech cabinet that could no longer live beside its mate in the dining room and paint it to match. That took care of most of the books.
Next up was the closet. Though I was pretty sure I was going to use the room at least part time as a guest room I considered if I should leave the closet for clothes storage. I decided that was not a good yield on investment and instead built out a fantabulous CRAFT CLOSET! C'mon people - you're all jealous just thinking about it aren't you? Alright - maybe not. But I was excited! It works great, with puck lights under the bottom shelf, all manner of organizational fixtures, the light switch mounted under the table top, an electrical outlet for the glue gun mounted in the corner and full width curtains to cover it all up when not in use!
After that was the done the final decision was adding a bed, for a guestroom, my treadmill, for an exercise room or a leather club chair and ottoman for a reading room. Obviously the guestroom won out! I found the red, white and blue pillows at Target one day. My Mom is a big American Patriotic fan and since she would be the main "guest" I grabbed them.
I knew I wanted something personal on the wall and re-found these graphics that my Dad had painted many years ago, in a scrapbook. I don't think you can see them clearly but I just LOVE the tattered paper (all authentic) and large white mattes. Cheap frames from Michael's made this a super-successful and sentimental project!
The console is the only one I could find that would house my files - they could not find a place anywhere else in my little condo. There you have it. Over the years, Mom has loved staying here and I have found it very functional! I added the satin nickel hooks to the back of the door recently which look nice and work well, with some padded hangers and wood pant holders, for overnight guests' clothes. The roller cart on the far left of the closet has a solid top and I roll it out to hold Mom's breakfast tray! Oh yeah - she gets the royal treatment!
