Yellow & Blue Guest Bedroom Reveal
Our yellow and blue guest bedroom reveal - this renovation turned a sad boring room in to a happy yellow Grandmillennial retreat for our guests!
Anyone remember this sad SAD space from last fall? I try really hard not to, but here is where we began with this guest bedroom...
Icky brown and white striped wallpaper that was peeling!
Faded and stained olive green carpeting!
Boring random furniture and decor!
Now totally re-imagined...
...into a happy yellow Grandmillennial retreat that welcomes guests with cozy, cheerful vibes and a comfortable place to linger!
I cannot tell you how satisfied I feel about this room renovation. It makes me so happy we no longer need to be embarrassed when guests come to visit. And the best part? Hearing my husband compliment it several times a week. He will just walk by and say, "Wow! I'm so glad we re-did this." Or "It looks so good!" He is truly one of my biggest fans, and I always feel so gratified when he is enthusiastic about my decorating projects.
Of course, a big part of this room's transformation is thanks to his handy-man extraordinaire talents. He installed the bead board, over head lighting, base board and crown moldings, and re-wired the electrical. Yep! He is that capable!
The Guest Bedroom Renovation
Here's a look at the room's progression over the past 5 months:
There were three main renovation projects we tackled in this guest room:
- Covering the walls with bead board
- Adding crown molding and replacing the base board
- Installing new carpet
The bead board installation was both more time consuming and more messy than either of us first imagined. We used the hardboard panels, which got dust everywhere when cut, and measuring and cutting the boards for outlets, switches, and AC vents was complicated and tedious. But S. made it work in the end, and I love the cozy cottage vibes it gives the bedroom.
The new soft white carpet made a major difference in the look of the room. Going from the drab olive green hue to the off white drastically affected how the yellow walls looked and brightened the space. We chose a pet friendly Shaw carpet called Faint Intent in the Champagne Toast color.
Decorating the Guest Bedroom
I had a clear vision for this room from the start, and you can see my original mood board in this post along with the rooms I looked to for inspiration. Basically, I wanted to create a traditional room with French country vibes in a fresh Grandmillennial way.
The tone of the room was really set once I found the cheerful chintz bedding during a thrifting trip to N.C. I pulled the color for the walls from the bedding, and it is a sunny yellow called Squish Squash from Benjamin Moore. The trim is just a classic bright white straight out of the bucket.
95% of the decor and furnishings of this room were sourced second hand from thrifts, estate sales, and auctions, including: the bed, the dresser, the night stands, the chintz bedding, the desk and chair, the plate wall, and the art. If you are willing to take a little time, stay focused on your design scheme, and go hunting, you can create a beautiful room with a moderate budget by shopping second hand.
One of the few furnishings I splurged on is the pair of custom, hand painted lamps from my artist friend Lydia Reynolds. She takes discarded or vintage furnishings and gives them new life by painting them with charming motifs and murals. I picked up two cheap metal lamps from the thrift store for $6 and sent the pair to her to paint. She looked at the chintz bedding, curtains, and head board I picked out for this yellow and blue guest bedroom then painted motifs that coordinated with those elements. Aren't they charming?
The curtains are from Decoberry in the Emily Leaf pattern. I love the dose of blue and white they bring to the room, and the botanical leaf motif harmonizes beautifully with the bedding without feeling overpowering. You can read my tips on choosing curtains for a bedroom here.
There are still a few items to finish up in this guest room. I'm not satisfied with the blue chair nor the white desk. These were furnishings I already owned and had elsewhere in the house. They work for now, until I can find exactly what I want. I'm looking for a French style Bergère chair to upholster in a blue and yellow toile. The desk needs to be larger for this space, and I would like for it to coordinate better with the chest on chest.
I wanted to point these unresolved issues out because I think it is so important to remember that decorating takes time and sometimes you are never really finished! I hope our yellow and blue guest bedroom reveal inspires you to embrace color and rejuvenate a room in your home that is in need of a makeover!
Sources From The Yellow & Blue Guest Bedroom Reveal
With budget breakdown
Bead Board Panels - $400 Lowe's
Yellow Paint - $43 Squish Squash from Benjamin Moore
Carpet - $1600 Shaw, Faint Intent, Champagne Toast
Lamps - $81 Thrifted Then Hand Painted by Lydia Reynolds
Nightstands - $150 Estate Sale Find
Bed Frame - $100 Thrift Find, Eddy West Pencil Post
Original Floral Painting Gold Frame - $75 Antique Store
Chintz Bedding - $60 Thrift Find, check out this similar quilt and this similar comforter
Blue Floral Accent Pillow - $20 Target
Diamond Voile White Quilt - $174 Lands' End
Gold Satin Throw - $20 Estate Sale
Blue Ticking Stripe Bed Skirt - $29 Laura Ashley
White Plates & Sconces - $30 Thrift Find, Two's Company
Curtains - Emily Leaf C/O Decoberry
Curtain Rods - $0 Thrift Find
Cellular Shades - $148 Home Depot
French Style Chest on Chest - $120 Auction Find
French Louis XVI Style Chair - $34 Antique Store
Approximately we spent around $3500 for this renovation.
You will enjoy this. I have the same spread and shams on my guest bedroom bed. I also have coordinating bed sheets. Have been thinking about new carpet and love your choice. I will clean it up one day soon and send you a photo as I need to make a few changes in this room.
That’s so awesome! I would love to see how you have it designed. We are so happy with our carpet choice, and installed it throughout our second floor. It looks good in all the rooms. Do you know what the fabric pattern is called or who made it. I found it second hand and cannot find any info on the selvedges.
Thank you for sharing and for the resources. Your guest room is beautiful!
Thanks so much Jayne! So happy with it.