My Budget Inspired Guest Room

After my daughter purchased her own home and moved out, I had an empty room to "play" with.  A blank slate, since she took her furniture with her.  I knew we needed a guest room.  Her room had an adjoining bath, which made for a perfect guest suite.  So what to do with this blank slate.  How fun!!  I could make it anything I wanted, within budget restrictions, of course!  That is half the fun, trying to create something with little or no budget.  So the fun began.  First, I needed a bed.  I found one on the side of the road.  It was a basic full size wood bed.  Score!  I knew I wanted it to be red because I fell in love with a red bed from a pin I had pinned on Pinterest.  So, easy fix, I spray painted the side of the road find red.  Done.  I also knew I wanted the room to have a vintage/cottage chic look.  What is more vintage then hankies?  I began collecting hankies.  I bid on some on Ebay.  I bought some at thrift stores.  Found some at antique shops.  My sister even watched for them at thrift stores she frequents. 

 

Knowing I had a red bed, I looked for hankies with reds in them.  I also wanted the walls to be a soft Robin's egg blue, so I tried to tie that color in with the hankies as well.

 

So, what to do with the hankies, right?  Another inspiration for the room was a picture I had seen in a magazine that used hankies for window treatments.  While I didn't want them as window treatments, I liked the idea of using them in an unconventional way.  So I decided to make a duvet cover out of them.  I purchased 2 full size white flat sheets from Walmart.  I used one for the top of the duvet and one for the underside. 

 

 

 

First, I layed the hankies out on the "top" sheet, playing with the mix of colors and the way the hankies worked with each other.  I wanted the red and blue to be evenly spread around the duvet.  I also had favorite hankies that I wanted to be in the center, so as to be noticed.  After they were arranged, I began measuring and placing them evenly on the sheet. 

 

 

 After pinning them in place, I began stitching them in place using a simple straight stitch, being careful not to lose any pins or shift the unsewn hankies from their position.

Once I had all the hankies sewn on the top sheet, I sewed the 2 sheets together, right sides together, on three sides.  I kept the bottom of the duvet open and attached buttons and made button hole closures for that end.  After pressing it out, I was ready to insert the down comforter (also purchased from a thrift store) and put it on the bed.

I added some vintage embroidered pillow cases and made some simple shams out of left over pink rosette fabric I had on hand.  I made a lumbar pillow out of a scrap of Kath Kidston fabric I had on hand, and the bed was complete.

 

 

I used an old dry sink I already had for the night stand.  I just put a fresh coat of white paint on it, and it was good to go.  I positioned a couple left over hankies for a "dresser scarf".

 

Now, for added storage.  I really had my heart set on putting open storage of some sort in the room to display folded towels, washcloths, toiletries, etc.  I didn't have one I wasn't using, so I began my search.  I looked in antique stores and thrift stores.  I found one in a local thrift store for $89.

 

 

It wasn't exactly the look I was going for, but I was hopeful that paint would do a miracle on this 70's left over. 

 

A bit of white paint, a little distressing, new knobs purchased 50% off at Hobby Lobby, and it was a functional storage piece.  I painted the back of the cabinet yellow, so the items inside would stand out a bit more.

 

The last element for the room was a place for guests to sit.  A little chair where they could read, or relax at the end of the day.  Or just to sit in while they put their shoes on. 

 

 

Guess what else I found on the side of the road?  I kid you not!  Ugly... YES!!!  But I painted the legs a light Robin's egg blue and using left over fabric from a previous project, I slip covered the sad little cast away.

 

 

The yellow rug was left behind by my daughter.  I thought it added a bit of whimsy and texture to the space.  It tied the yellow that I used in the hutch into the space as well. 

 

The shears on the windows were clearance finds from Target.  I got them for less then $2 a panel.

 

The mattress was the biggest ticket item in the room.  If not for that, I would have completed the room for less than $200.