Many of us who are lucky enough to have a spare room in our home are often faced with the same dilemma: How to decorate it! The reason this can be so tough is because these rooms can serve a multitude of functions: From guest room, office or play room to junk room, overflow storage, exercise or hobby room.
BEFORE : Guest-Game-Where-Furniture-Comes-To-Die-Room
Yup. Me too. This (pictured above) is a room that is supposed to be a Game Room for my kids and Guest Bedroom for when they have either a friend sleepover or I have out of town guests come visit. When we had the house built I didn’t put too much thought into the room except to paint it out a very white-blue color: I wanted something light and bright since the room is located in the basement. Other than that, the room is a mis-mash of furniture and accessories that didn’t work in other parts of the house.
Over a year ago it stopped becoming the Game Room because the old television we had in there broke and so the kids moved their gaming stuff to the big screen TV in our family room. At first I didn’t really mind, but these last few months my teenage sons and their friends have been steadily taking over, to a point where I realized my daughter, husband and I were barely ever using our family room. It was time to reclaim our space and put the defunct Guest/Game Room to work again!
AFTER: Guest/Game Room
I blogged recently about some really inspiring chalkboard walls and my secret love of graffiti inspired home decor. I decided this would be a great room to merge these two together! I know what you’re thinking, that a room like this may not appeal to my er … um … older overnight guests. But honestly, my kids and their friends will be using this room 95% of the time, so I think it’s more important for it to be fun hangout spot than to appeal to my old pals. Plus, even though I personally wouldn’t want this look for my master bedroom, I would be totally fine staying here as a guest. No guest room is ever perfect but I don’t think guests can complain too much when they have their very own bedroom with a door that locks, a walk-in closet and a full bathroom!
For more details on the DIY graffiti dresser click here!
THE LOWDOWN: I spent about $100 !
- $50 used dresser
- $20 can of black chalk board paint
- $5 brush, roller and paint tray from the dollar store
- FREE: almost new TV (from a family friend)
- $1 chalk
- $5 house plant
- $20 three cans of spray paint (I already had some cans of paint)
- STUFF I ALREADY HAD: clock, sofa-bed, funky handmade bowl to store chalk, throw pillows, blankets, vintage Goodform chair and X-Box.
I love how the TV seems to disappear into the black chalkboard wall (when it’s off). Plants are my must-have home accessory, they add life, texture and softness for very little money. For more details about the solid wood dresser I scored for $50 and how I went about ‘graffiti-ing’ it click here. The leatherette bench-sofa turns into a double bed in a instant and has storage underneath to hide sheets, blankets and pillows!.
Check back soon for more DIY deets!
*This room was featured by Country Living Magazine in their ‘10 Ways To Turn An Empty Nest Into A Fulfilling Space‘ article / May 2014.
Julie
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Julie Loves Home 
Where did you get the leatherette sofa sleeper used in the game room? I want something like that for my basement makeover.
I bought it Value Village Furniture about 7 years ago. But most furniture stores carry some version nowadays…. even Walmart (check online)!
WOW!!!!!! Fantastic job. When can you come and do a makeover at my house?
Sure!! ;-)