Convert Your Catch-All Guest Bedroom into a Dual-Purpose Masterpiece

/

Raise your hand if you’ve ever hastily thrown stuff into your guest bedroom right before guests suddenly came over.

Now raise your hand if you kept doing that and your guest bedroom turned into a black hole of clutter.

Guest bedrooms are great for collecting clutter but that system isn’t practical when someone actually needs to stay in it.

Luckily, you can have the best of both worlds. In this article, we’ll discuss how to optimize your guest bedroom for storing extra items from around your home while keeping it a neat oasis for your guests.

Put It Away

You put random stuff into your guest bedroom because you couldn’t find a place for it elsewhere in your home. Sadly, it can’t sit piled up on the guest bed or at the bottom of the closet.

Your first step will need to be determining what kind of storage solutions you have available in your guest bedroom. You might have one closet, a dresser, and space under the bed.

The great thing about guests is they don’t stay for long, so use as much of those storage spaces as you want, so long as you leave a small space in the closet and one to two drawers in the dresser free.

Guest Bedroom Storage Solutions

Before you put things away, you’ll need to ensure you have the right equipment. For your closets, get some hanging garment and storage bags to protect your clothes and other items against dust and bugs. If you have room in a spare dresser, you can store clothes as-is or you could also purchase vacuum-sealed garment bags to optimize your drawer space.

For under the bed storage, purchase clear plastic bins with labels so you can easily identify what’s in each bin. For a bit of extra room, consider buying some bed lifts to get a couple extra inches of space.

In some cases, you might be in the market for new guest bedroom furniture. In lieu of storage bins under the bed, think about getting a bed with storage drawers underneath. You’ll often find this style in modern and cottage-style beds.

Choose Your Theme

Whether you’re looking to completely transform your guest bedroom or simply give it a tasteful upgrade, you’ll still want some central theme for the room.

Think about what other function the guest room will serve. Many homeowners have dual-purposed their guest bedrooms to also be craft rooms, sewing rooms, libraries, and offices. The secondary purpose of the room might give you inspiration for how you want to decorate it.

For example, you could easily use the guest bedroom as a library. Install floor to ceiling bookshelves, have a couple of comfy chairs, and side tables with lamps. You can create an old-English home feel with heavy curtains, dark wood, and low-light lamps or keep it light and airy with white wood and light-colored furniture.

Multi-Purpose Furniture

We’ve already mentioned purchasing a bed with drawers for more storage, but what about other multi-purpose pieces of furniture?

There are plenty of options for a guest bedroom:

  • A daybed functions as a couch and bed - they also sometimes have storage drawers

  • Coffee table/table combos

  • Full-wall cabinet solution that also has a desk

  • An end table at the foot of the bed as a desk

  • A closet that’s converted to an office/desk

Let Your Imagination Be Your Guide

For many homeowners, guest bedrooms are an under-utilized waste of space. They’re either decorated perfectly to only accommodate desks or they’re filled with junk that doesn’t belong anywhere else in the house.

When you convert your guest bedroom into a dual-purpose room, the enjoyment and value you get out of your home increases. Whether you’re an avid crafter or need a home office, there’s no limit to what space you can carve out in your guest bedroom.

If you’re at a loss for inspiration, browse through Pinterest for ideas. For professional help on how to maximize your guest bedroom space, consult with Ditch the Clutter to find the best solution for you.