Guest Room How-To

“This room is our guest room but it ends up being a storage/catch-all since we live in a small apartment. I would love some tips on how to organize it and make it more functional (and pretty)!”

Jamie, thanks so much for e-mailing me! It looks like you can probably have your quest room organized in just a few hours, but I also see some things that will make a huge impact with minimal expense.

Dilemma 1: Space Stealer

The first thing that stood out was the Foosball table – is that used very often? If so, then it’s probably a good use of space. If not, then consider selling it on Craigslist to make some cash for beautifying the room!

The coat rack also takes up extra space in a small space, so possibly consider putting coats in a closet or on wall hooks by the door instead.

Dilemma 2: Low Storage

The next thing I noticed is a very small amount of storage. I recommend getting a bookshelf or dresser to store some of your items in – just leave a drawer or shelf open for your company to use! There’s a visual of what I mean in this article, so make sure to check that out.

I also want to show you what my mom did in the guest room she has for her grandchildren:

My mom purchased book shelves that have closed doors at the bottom. This helps all of the toys, books, and children’s movies to look more attractive. Maybe you could do something similar with some of your storage items – photos could be placed in one or two bins, important documents in another, etc.

While you’re working on displaying your storage items in a more attractive way, read Melanie’s article about how to tame the paper clutter and this article about how to successfully use one space for multiple purposes.

You may also want to consider creating a little bit of wall storage, like I showed in this article.

Dilemma 3: Laundry

Thirdly, I noticed that you have some laundry in the guest room. While that may be necessary, it might also be good to try to get the laundry out of the guest room, or to at least create a little laundry corner within the guest area. I have some laundry ideas pinned here that you may find helpful.

Dilemma 4: Unattractive

And since you mentioned wanting to make the room more attractive… I suggest looking somewhere like TJ Maxx for curtains and a fresh comforter. Black Friday (just a few weeks away!) may be a great time to buy something for a pretty low price. After you purchase a comforter, try putting the pillow right underneath the window when you remake the bed.

Bonus tip: If you purchase a new comforter, put the old one underneath the sheets to make the bed a little softer!

You could also hang a chalkboard on the wall and write fun notes to your guests! I got this one on sale for my kitchen but I also love this one from Kohl’s that’s on sale for $8.99 right now:

And don’t forget that when you’re organizing a room, always shop your own house first! I have an article here with frugal storage solutions, where I outlined exactly how I decluttered and organized my entire home without spending a dime.

I hope this gets your wheels turning, Jamie! I can’t wait to see what you decide to do with the space!

PS Don’t forget that if you submit your own mess by 11:59PM EST today, you’ll receive a free copy of Chaos to Clutter-Free, plus you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card! Details and submission information are here.