Jemma Castillo
A simple spare bedroom refresh has definitely been on my list of things to do but up until now, has seemed daunting and too costly to bother. I used pretty much items I already had in my home, were thrifted as well as some furniture pieces (head and foot boards, bunk bed ladder, students chairs) which were passed on from a friend.
Here are 13 simple and inexpensive ways to freshen up a neglected spare bedroom making your next guests feel welcomed, comfortable and at home. Freshen up the walls with a new paint colour like this beautiful and soft You Look Mauve-lous shade by Home Hardware’s Beauti-Tone brand.
You Look Mauve-lous is Beauti-Tone’s 2017 colour-of-the-year: it’s a gray-infused mauve making it a perfect alternative to the usual neutral tones. Although it pairs nicely with other neutrals like grey and white, we were honestly surprised at how well it also worked with so many other color tones, such as brown, navy and shades of green.
Choose affordable neutral coloured and coordinating linens* like you would find in a nice upscale hotel room. [And isn’t that little reclaimed wood sign we found at Home Hardware perfect? Leaving out some extra clean bath and face towels* is a nice little touch so that guests don’t need to feel like they’re putting you out by asking for more. It’s great to keep the furniture and accessories to a minimum so that guests can feel like it’s their space, rather than that they’re taking over yours. You can find great budget-friendly pieces at a local thrift store or on buy and sell sites. The majority of the bigger furniture pieces in our room (like the head and foot board, retro school chairs and bedside table) are all either thrift store finds or hand me downs.
Add a variety of storage solutions, such as baskets and totes, for guests to put their belongs in as well as to hide away any “stuff” of your own that still needs a place to call home. Save yourself the hunt of finding the guest WI-FI password when they ask and just leave a sign for them in the room.
Arrange a vase full of fresh or artificial flowers and greenery beside the bed. So guests can lament how quickly the time is passing in their French Country retreat.
We grabbed this inexpensive $2 mirror at a garage sale a few years ago and painted it white. And lastly….make your guests really feel the love by assembling a small basket of treats such as biscotti and granola and fresh water for late night snacking.
