The bedroom that belonged to all 3 of my kids at one time or another has gotten a makeover. My goal was to create a welcoming retreat for our guests on a budget. After graduating from high school, my son enrolled in our local college with a plan to transfer to a university after his first year. He wasn’t ready to leave the nest, and we were happy to have him at home for another year. That one year turned into four years. (It took him a little while to find his passion).

So when he left for the University of North Texas last fall, I was thrilled for a number of reasons. My boy found something he loved and was excited, he was only going to be 45 minutes away, and after 25 years of parenthood, I was finally going to get to add a guest bedroom to our home!!!

I started purchasing items for the room over the summer and could not wait to get started! Of course, I wanted to kill my son when I went up to the room and saw the disaster he left behind, but that’s another story!

Once the room was emptied, I enlisted my 15-year-old son to help me paint. I was not prepared for what happened when we dipped our paint rollers into the trays of paint.

When my son started painting the walls, I was overcome with emotion. I broke down in tears, and sat on the bedroom floor crying (slightly hysterically, which is pretty out of character). My poor Max thought his mother had lost her mind.

Yes, I was excited to get my guest bedroom. But throughout our sixteen years in this home, each of my kids had inhabited this room. It started as my daughter’s room when we moved into the house. She was only 9 years old. The room remained hers for 10 years, and went through many transformations as she grew up.

When she left for college, it became Max’s room. At that time, it was painted purple with black stripes and purple just happened to be his favorite color, so he begged for the room. With a few modifications, it was the perfect room for my 9-year-old Maxy.

Several years later, when my husband and I were out of town, my sons decided to switch bedrooms and my older son took over the purple room. Since I knew he should be going off to college soon, I told him he was stuck with the purple walls. He was not thrilled, but he lived with them.

This room holds so many memories! Memories of a little girl that loved to write stories and poems in her room, and grew into a beautiful, independent, young woman with a passion for journalism.

Memories of a 9 year old boy, finally getting his own room where he spent hours building unique creations out of Legos, and grew into a teenager who loves architecture.

And memories of a young man, finding himself and his passion. Just as this room has gone through many transformations, so have the kids that have occupied it! Oh if these walls could talk…

As Max painted over the purple walls with the soft blue paint I picked out, I couldn’t help thinking, in just a few years, he will be leaving, too. For 25 years, most of my adult life, I have been taking care of my babies. I was gaining a guest bedroom, but losing my babies!

Pulling myself together wasn’t easy, but needed to happen before my teen called 911. This empty nest transition thing is so bittersweet, and nothing has prepared me for the emotions that come with it!

As I mentioned earlier, I started purchasing things for the room over the summer. The first thing I found were two tablecloths on clearance from Target. Most of the rooms in my house have shades of blue and grey, and I wanted this room to tie in with those. I knew these tablecloths would make perfect window panels.

Anytime I’m decorating a room, I usually start with some colors in my head, and find one thing that I love. Then everything else starts to take shape. I picked these tablecloths because they matched the colors I had in my head, I loved the pattern and, of course, I couldn’t beat the clearance price!

 

After almost 26 years of marriage, my husband and I decided it was time to upgrade to a king bed. We had been  sleeping in a queen for far too long. I knew my old bedroom furniture and bedding would move into the new guest room, so the next thing I needed were some throw pillows.

I found a silver beaded one at Home Goods and a blue floral one, which  complemented the tablecloths perfectly, at Target. Luckily, Target still had the tablecloths, so I was able to hold the pillow up to the  tablecloth and see how they would look together. Perfect!!! (I get a zing of excitement when things start coming together.)

I also found a beautiful picture with feathers in the same colors, but since I hadn’t gotten the furniture in the room yet, I decided not to purchase it. I wasn’t quite sure where it would fit.

Once the room was painted and the old bed was sold, we were able to move in the furniture from our master bedroom. We took the bed, my dresser and one night stand, and added it to a dresser that was already in the new guestroom.

 

The next thing to do was to accessorize, which is my favorite part of making over a room. I love when I find just the right pieces that pull the whole room together. This space has become one of my favorite rooms in the house. (Of course I say that every time I redo a room!) I can’t wait to show you how everything came together in Part II of the makeover!

Here is a sneak peek: