Guest Room Redo

Last week was spent frantically trying to prepare the house for Menderes’ arrival on Monday. We were still trying to finish the tile job in the bathroom, and Douglas decided that we should paint the room formerly known as the guest room as well. Here is what Menderes’ room looked like before we painted.

It was probably time for that to happen. This bedroom and the bathroom are the only rooms in the house that we had not painted since I bought the house. To give you an example of how bad the original paint job was, here is a picture of Douglas prying the outlet cover off. There was no screw holding it on, but the numerous layers of paint had secured it to the wall for countless years. Those outlets are next on the list to replace. It was one thing that did not get done before Menderes got here.

Douglas started painting last Tuesday, beginning by cutting in around the doors, windows, baseboards and crown molding. He is such an awesome painter that he does not use painters tape or drop cloths. He learned from working with his grandfather, who was a professional house painter, on school holidays.

He worked a little every night last week and finished a second coat around the trim on Thursday. He immediately started rolling and was able to do both coats that night.

We were not sure what to think of the paint color as it was going on, but I really like it now that it is done. It is an olive green that changes color depending on the light. You will see in the pictures that it looks different at various times of day.

Not all of the furniture and artwork that was in the room returned after we painted. The artwork was a haphazard collection of whatever we had slapped on the walls. It needed to be pared. No sixteen year old wants my baby picture hanging on his wall! One of the dressers also went down to the basement for Douglas since that is where Douglas keeps his workout clothes. The room looks so much bigger without it.

I also took time to hang the mirror on the wall. Some things are so simple, but I just never get around to doing them. Does anyone else have this problem.

Of course, the weirdly cool kitty lamp had to come back. You know I love it.

Menderes had told me, because I asked him, that his favorite color was black so I thought that these black and white ink paintings would fit.

I also hung the map of the United States so that he can have something to refer to when he hears about different places. The lines are all the highways I have traveled.

Lastly, I printed a picture of him with his family and a couple of pictures and a map of Berlin to hang in this frame. I felt that it would be nice for him to have a piece of home in his room.

Because he likes black, I decided to change the comforter. Douglas had this one that was black on one side and white on the other. It would have been perfect, but it had faded to a shade of navy blue.

Instead I used a duvet cover that I had. It is black with a large white flower on one side, but the other has a thin black and white stripe. I think that it looks great. I also bought a black pillowcase for the body pillow and put it on the bed as well. I know that lots of guys like to sleep with those. Is it a male thing?

The final touch was a red throw over the foot of the bed. It just looked to plain without it, but I think that this adds the perfect touch.

So, here are the before and after pictures of the room. What do you think?

Also, allow me to introduce Menderes. I took this picture on our walk yesterday.

Happy Homemaking!