Children’s Guest Room Makeover

Anyone with experience of children will know that in the blink of an eye they have grown from tiny infants to independent little people and their bedrooms are no longer big enough to accommodate them and their stuff. Since moving to our house some ten years ago the children in our life have turned from toddlers to teenagers and the little guest room that was reserved for them has suddenly become very overcrowded. Short of moving house we have had to find a solution to provide a bit more space for these very important visitors.

Until now the room has been furnished with a Laura Ashley daybed and a lovely old pine wardrobe. Needless to say floor area is limited and once the trundle bed is erected there is no visible floor space at all. It had become obvious that the wardrobe would have to be removed and rehoused. It was also apparent that the fading Fired Earth colour on the wall was in need of revitalisation.

Throwing caution to the wind I decided that the whole room needed to be painted with a much more vibrant colour. Aware of the constraints concerning size and the soft furnishings that I wished to keep, I opted for a lovely Fired Earth Oak Fern green for the walls, and a matt white emulsion for the ceiling and eaves. I felt confident that the tiny room wouldn’t suffer as a consequence of this bold colour combination as there is a fairly even split between wall and ceiling area. I was delighted with the outcome. The room had been transformed from a pretty average space to a lovely, lively, little guest room. With the original pictures put back on the walls and the string of tiny lampshades back on the bed the whole room had a much more cohesive look and feel.

Another concern had been that the existing curtains which I had designed and sewn myself would no longer match. In fact, the new scheme has given them a new lease of life. To complete the room I couldn’t resist squeezing in the little hand painted “toy” cupboard at the foot of the bed to accommodate a selection of updated family photographs and bedside lamp.

The only problem remaining was where to put the wardrobe. The other bedrooms were not an option as they already had plenty of cupboards. The only sensible place was the entrance hall downstairs. Again, I carefully weighed up the pros and cons and was pleased with the result when it was finally in place.
The door mirror not only reflects the morning light from an east facing window but in its new position the reflection in the mirror has created a picture all of its own; the combination of the striped Crucial Trading carpet that boldly leads up the staircase from the flagstone floor, the dark wood balustrades and handrail, and the colourful Sanderson curtains that frame the little window, add a whole other pleasing dimension to the entrance hall.