We just learned that our first overnight guests will be coming at the end of the month… and our guest room currently looks like this:
Not acceptable. Especially since our end-of-the-month guests are my in-laws.
Yep, Sherry’s mom and stepdad are headed from New York to Richmond for some much-anticipated Clara time so we officially have a deadline for making the guest room habitable. We don’t expect to make the room all that we want it to be in a mere two weeks, but we have some basic goals for it:
- Get all of the junk out of there (finally confirm the Habitat for Humanity ReStore pickup & move rest of stuff into the playroom)
- Buy a mattres & boxsping along with a cheap-o bed frame (for the interim at least, we might build a bed frame later),
- Dress said bed with already-owned bedding
- Add shower curtain & other bathroom essentials (towels, new toilet seat cover, etc)
Doing that much will at least make the room functional, since my nightmare would be asking Sherry’s sweet Italian mom and stepdad to sleep on the fold out couch in the office (mental picture: his name is Giacomo LaPadula and hers is Diana DeCesare LaPadula – they’re way too debonair to sleep on a fold out sofa next to our laptops in a room with no doors).
And since we occasionally welcome a challenge (and only crumble under pressure sometimes) we’ll toss out this list of “extra credit”:
- Painting the room
- Putting up curtains
- Adding a nightstand & table lamp
Not that we expect to accomplish all or even any of those extra ones, we just thought we’d toss them out there for fun. Or so you guys can virtually berate console us when we don’t get to them. We’d love for the room to feel nice and polished when they arrive, but really who are we kidding? The room looks like a bifold door convention and Nona and PopPop will probably only be focused on Clara anyways. Either way – wish us luck on our race to guest bedroom-dom!
Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winners. Click here to see if you’re one of them.
r8chel says
Good luck! Sounds ambitious… but fun. Oh, and I’m sure you’ll at least come up with a makeshift nightstand and lamp, even if it isn’t the final solution. You could even push a storage ottoman into place so they at least have somewhere to put their alarm clock, glasses, whatever.
Megan @ reFind says
Oh – nothing like a time crunch to get your butts moving! (Not like you both aren’t doing more than the average person already). Can’t wait to see what you come up with! So you may not have much time to get it shipped, but RugsUSA has great rugs, cheap, and most have free shipping. I just ordered this rug for my office: http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/milliken-vibe/techno-black/2795568315-310054.html at only $132!
Good luck with your room :)
Ashley says
We just bought a beautiful bed frame (leirvick) from ikea for $99! We are in dire need of a mattress by next week when our guests come- any ideas of stores or mattresses to check out? We want to go as inexpensive as possible without sacrificing our guests’ backs! I’ve been a little sticker shocked in my search and haven’t been able to bring myself to buy one yet!
YoungHouseLove says
Scroll back for our plan. Not much of one, but details to come when we find something!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Incoming guests are a huge motivator. I’ve got a bathroom to finish painting before my grandparents come next week.
rachel @ perfectly imperfect says
i was waiting for the ‘crafty bifold door headboard’ pictures! glad they’re going the way of Restore instead… : )
Becca C, says
I know you all will pull it off! I’m excited to see the end result :)
Also, this is a little random, but I’m an interior designer and got an email this morning from a vendor about map inspired rugs – I immediately thought of John! They’re probably a bit pricey, but I know you’re a map-enthusiast so I thought I’d pass it along – it’s fun to look! http://thenoughtcollective.com/wwg/where-are-we-going.html
YoungHouseLove says
So amazing! Thanks for the link. Off to show John.
xo,
s
Tiffany T. says
Love the map rug..I’m gonna add this one too as eye-candy but it’s a post card rug!
http://www.polyvore.com/treasured_postcard_rug/thing?id=27328936
Val says
Sweet! Deadline challenges are the best! I have no doubt that y’all will get it all done, probably with some bonus projects to boot.
Jenny @ Art, Wine and Design says
You can usually locate a simple frame at the thrift store on the cheap. I did a simple no sew bed skirt last week that you could easily whip up prior to the visit from the in-laws! http://artwinedesign.blogspot.com/2011/02/no-sew-bed-skirt.html
Paint will make the biggest difference (after you get a bed in there) but that will be hard if you don’t know your color palette yet. Good luck!
I know they will love the house no matter what! XOXO
Lynnski says
Your in-laws won’t care–but your readers sure do! This kind of pressure is keepin’ it real.
Amber says
Sam’s club has super cheap bed frames (~40). We used one in our guest room and it has worked out very well.
Kari says
Same thing happened to my husband and I! We were getting our loft ready at our own pace (just moved in middle of January) and we barely have any furniture in the living room and NONE in the guest bedroom. We gave away/sold all of our existing furniture to wipe the slate clean and start something that was “ours”. Now my best friend and her boyfriend are coming for her birthday the first weekend in March. Looks like we will be scrambling to purchase lots of furniture and finally finish painting the place. Nothing like first guests to give you a kick in the pants and “force” you to get the home ready! At least you have a cute baby to distract them! :)
Lori @ Richmond, BABY! says
My mom and sis arrive on Sunday and our guest room looks similar to yours right now. But honestly, I find that a deadline really helps to get things moving along in a room, don’t you? :) Fun times ahead in the next few days for all of us with guests on the way!
Ecochic says
You can so do it! Even an organized chaos of what you can’t get rid of before they get there will more than likely be appreciated. Remember, they are there to see their granddaughter, not critique your living conditions.
Giulia says
I’m sure you’ll get it to look fab. I think key to guest hospitality is a place to put your luggage (maybe a thrift luggage rack at the end of the bed?) and enough hangers to hang clothing so they don’t have to live out of the suitcase.
I find the IKEA mattresses that have the integrated legs in the box spring a good option. They don’t tie you down to a bed style (you can get creative with headboard later), but they are a step up from the squeaking cheap bed frame they give you when you buy a mattress.
Check out it out here: http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/search/?query=sultan+mattress&pageNumber=4
They might not be picky as to where they sleep, but I’m sure they can enjoy Clara a lot more if their backs are not hurting.
Kerry says
For some reason, as soon as I saw this photo I saw a few of those bifold doors getting cleaned up, hardware removed and painted to make a cool headboard… just like all those ones you see made out of divider screens. Could work and you definitely have more than enough :) Just thought I would throw that out there!
Can’t wait to see what you two do with this space in the short time span! I have faith you’ll pull off something great!
Reenie says
I have a feeling you guys will get it all done…..even your “extra credit” list ;)
Kelly says
Hey guys! You mentioned buying a cheap bed… check out what this guy did with a $49 IKEA FJELLSE bed frame. It came out cool. http://manhattan-nest.com/2010/07/23/a-whole-mess-of-staples/
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah we LOVE that project!
xo,
s
Ben says
It’s like you guys have a design challenge on a reality show.. except it’s not pointless or unnecessarily complicated by random constraints (ie all items must have a price must end in a prime number and you can only use items found in odd numbered aisles).
kate says
I have no doubt you guys will get everything on your to-do list accomplished, and then some! Good luck, and I can’t wait to see the details!
Traci says
You KNOW you can do this…… AND paint the room, too! Two weeks is ample, even with a baby. Keep us posted!
Sara says
We got an awesome bedframe at Sam’s Club for somewhere between $20 and $30 (they also had decent box spring and mattress prices) but the bed frame was totally a steal compared to others we saw and it was adjustable from a twin bed to a king bed so it can always be used!
Kelsey says
Ahh! I love seeing that someone else calls their grandma “Nona”. Growing up, my cute little Italian grandma was always “Nona” and I just had my first baby in November, and my mom is now officially a “Nona” as well!
Rachel says
Can’t wait to see what it looks like! :D
aaroohii says
instead of buying a mattress+box spring in a hurry, why don’t u just move that sofa bed into the guest room?
BTW, mattress+box spring r kinda outdated, foam mattresses r in and walmart sells them for approx $300!
YoungHouseLove says
Moving the sofa bed is a backup option for sure! We just figure that we need to get a bed for the guest room at some point so we might as well get one soon so people can start enjoying it.
xo,
s
Melissa says
SOOOO random, but I saw this nursery, and thought it had hints of Sherry in it. The wall color and bedding are so-so, but they have white ceramic animals for decoration! Maybe down the road for another baby P?! PS- I think y’all have the ceramic dog already!
http://bit.ly/gclvz2
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet! Love it!
xo,
s
Lauren says
I’m sure you guys will get the room ready in time! We usually have smaller to-do lists that we try to complete before either set of parents come for a visit…it helps us be more productive when we have a deadline!
Amanda says
I love this! I can’t wait to see how it unfolds. I love working under pressure, you come up with the best ideas sometimes. ;)
Laura @ Starting Out Fit says
You guys can do it no problemo!! ;) I love reinventing rooms in a short amount of time! I’m actually better at finishing them when I have some sort of time-line. Vs starting a room and having it drag on and on.
Landry says
Love a great “under pressure” challenge!! Good Luck! You guys will do great!!
Julie says
Ah – my Italian mom is/was supposed to be “Nona”. When my little one was leanring to talk and in the “no” phase she started calling her “Nono”. I think she’ll forever be that. I love how the first grandchild basically gets to determine the grandparent’s nick-names!
Kristen says
I’m excited to see your progress. There’s nothing like the deadline of house guests to help get you movin’!
Ariadna says
Hey guys! I’m sure the guest room will turn out great! And I know you guys are busy but are you planning on doing one of those “What we found at Target post” anytime soon? I was at Target and saw a lot of cool stuff, it would be fun to see if you guys pick out the same stuff. Either way, good luck with the house, so far it looks great! I love the color in the bookshelves in the dining room!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll have to check it out! We love a good window shopping post…
xo,
s
Jennifer says
I love the Target window shopping posts too! :-)
Laura says
i think this means its time to hang some pictures–that’ll help clear out a lot of the clutter!
rachel says
‘ITS A RACE!”
*In the English accent of Mr. Bean
Erica @ Erica's Inspirations says
What does “Egads” mean??
YoungHouseLove says
Nest word ever. It’s an awesome throwback term that roughly means “yikes!!!!”
It’s sort of like “Great Scott!” or “Good Heavens!”
xo,
s
Lindsay says
Speaking of “Great Scott!” have you guys seen No Strings Attached?? If not, you probably won’t know why “Great Scott!” made me think of it, but anyway… Loved that movie! and it has your celebrity twin in it, Sherry!
YoungHouseLove says
Not yet, but we’ll have to rent it when it comes out on DVD (with the bean we don’t get out to the movies very often). Love Natalie Portman though, so it should be awesome!
xo,
s
Meredith says
Have you ever watched The Music Man? Eulalie Shinn, the mayor’s daughter, says “egads!” all the time!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, never seen it. We’ll have to check it out!
xo,
s
Christina says
Wow- I am excited to see where you all take this blank slate. You can do it!
Laura says
I am wondering what kind of mattress you will get for the guest room given that you and Clara sleep on organic mattresses. We are in the same situation, we’re working on the guest room (which will eventually be a kids room with two twin beds) and I have been researching mattresses and want to find a balance between price and quality!
Brittany says
Hey! We just did this when we moved in because we were filling BOTH of our guest rooms for all of my sisters to visit.
I wanted the rooms to look super cute, so we moved everything out, quick painted an both rooms an off white color on the walls, bought two quilts from Target and beds off craigslist! Then I picked up two plastic bins like the ones off the website below and threw all of the picture frames and odds and ends inside. I covered them with fabric and used them as nightstands (with a few books and a lamp on them they looked super cute). While I was getting the room together,Ryan quickly made two headboards to make the beds look finished. We finished up the rooms with a rug.
Our guests were AMAZED! It took us 2 weekends (Saturday and Sunday) We’re teachers, so we’re super busy and have no time to work during the week!
Here’s the plastic drawers http://www.staples.com/Iris-3-Drawer-Organizers/product_SS940862
Julia M says
My husband just spilled the surprise that he is taking me away for the weekend….wait for it….tomorrow! And my in laws will be watching our little one year old daughter. I am freaking out because it is my first time away from her AND I have to get my house in-law READY in ohhhhh 24 hours. EGADS!
http://www.chrislovesjulia.blogspot.com
Mindy@FindingSilverLinings says
OOOH! Will you be creating a mood board for this room?!?! :)
xo
Mindy
YoungHouseLove says
If we have time, sure! If not we’ll just go rogue and see where we end up!
xo,
s
Megan says
sooo….what’s the other bedroom/playroom look like? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
It still looks pretty much exactly like it does in this post:https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/12/day-fifteen/
Double egads.
xo,
s
tarynkay says
We had a foam Ikea mattress and it was very cheap, durable, and comfortable. Plus they come shrinkwrapped w/ all of the air forced out, so we could take a queen sized mattress home in our tiny hatchback. Then you cut the plastic off and it slowly gets back to regular mattress size as it fills up with air. We now have a mattress from the Original Mattress Company and we LOVE it. If they are in VA, I highly recommend them. They make their mattress here in Raleigh, NC so we were excited about getting a good deal on great mattress and supporting the local manufacturing economy all at the same time.
Jorja says
We moved in our house on January 14. Our first weekend guests stayed with us last weekend. I kicked it in high-gear the week before and cleaned out the clutter, got the bed together, arranged the furniture (with nightstand & lamp!) and even hooked up the TV & components! Mind you, this was while working full-time & training for a half-marathon. My advice? Use this opportunity as a trial run and don’t stress about making it any more than that. After our guests left, we realized the nightstand is better on the other side of the bed…definitely a work in progress! :)
Emily Kidd says
I have a question it doesn’t really go with this post but I’m stumped. I have a long dining area.one side goes intothe kitchen and the other side has a fireplace. There is a fan on the kitchen side in the middle to go over a table but then we have a fan off center at the other side of the room that is centered with the fireplace. We want a large light over the dining table but were not sure what type of light to put by the fireplace so it doesn’t look like to much. Sorry for the long comment would love some suggestions!
YoungHouseLove says
How about a nice glass pendant or glass chandelier or something that looks airy and light so it’s not too heavy and giant to block things. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Emily Kidd says
Thanks so much! I guess I thought something else hanging down would be to much….I didn’t think of glass! Thanks again
Andrea Surrey says
That’s quite a “to do list’. If anyone can do it, it’s you two. Good luck and can’t wait to see the finished product.
Barb says
OK…ROME WASN’T BUILT IN A DAY!
Do the best you can to get it done, but honestly, your parents are there to visit with you and the adorable baby. They want to see the house too, but if it is a work in progress, they will be proud of your finished accomplishments. Concentrate on what you have accomplished, not what a huge list still to be done!!
THE GLASS IS HALF FULL…..NOT HALF EMPTY.
So sit back and enjoy the visit and make sure you have lots of wine. You may need it. Parents do that to kids. Have a great visit and RELAX!!! You are awesome and the place is FAB. U. LOUS! I prefer RED, just in case I drop in sometime. (Just kidding!)
Keep smiling and get done what you find time to do.
kim says
Just wondering how do you guys feel about memory foam mattress? I have a 1″ topper on my bed and I love it some much I was thinking about going for a whole mattress. Or does any of your readers have one, and does anyone have an opinion?
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve read that some foam mattresses can offgas a ton for an extremely long time (we have an all natural green latex mattress, so it feels similar but is more eco-friendly). So that’s why we lean away from non-green mattresses like memory foam ones. Anyone else have opinions or suggestions for Kim?
xo,
s
mike @ the lil house that could says
Don’t pull an us and wait for the day before the visitors arrive. We’re good for that. ;)
nicole says
Oh I am sooooo in the same boat. My office/guestroom/painting stuio lacks even a simple bed. Solution? Daybed and a trundle…not to bring back childhood sleepover memories, but it’s space saving and pretty cheap. GO TEAM EGADS!
Jenn L says
That’s pretty similar to what my guest room looks like currently! Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!! <3
xoXOxo
Jenn @ Peas & Crayons