Blissful Guest Room/Office Combo: Before & After Design Photos
One of the things I was most excited about in our new home was that I would finally have a home office! No more working at the kitchen table or on the couch. But I quickly realized we would need to turn my dream office into an office and guest room combination, or our visitors would have no place to sleep! After visiting the HGTV® Dream Home 2020 with the HGTV HOME® by Sherwin-Williams 2020 Color Collection of the Year, I was inspired to create my blissful guest room/office combo! Read on for design ideas and amazing before and after photos.
This post is sponsored by HGTV HOME® by Sherwin-Williams, but all opinions are my own.
Color Inspo – HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams Simply Blissful Color Collection
Y’all know from my previous home decor posts that I love neutrals. White and cream and beige are just so clean and easy! I’ve really wanted to step outside of my comfort zone and incorporate more color… but I just didn’t know how.
Seeing the HGTV Dream Home 2020 was like my eyes were suddenly exposed to a whole new level of home decor ideas. The HOME by Sherwin-Williams Simply Blissful Color Collection incorporates a combination of both bold, saturated tones with muted hues to create a palette that works together to create a luxurious look throughout the home.
The entire collection is gorgeous, and I was immediately drawn to the warmth with the jewel tones.
The best part for me is the 10 colors can be mixed and matched to create a designer-inspired look. That’s perfect for this mom who is afraid of taking risks with fashion, much less with paint and furniture choices!
With the guesswork out of the way, I used my favorite colors from the HOME by Sherwin-Williams Simply Blissful Color Collection to design my new office/guest room space.
Designing a Relaxing and Inviting Space
My goal for the new guest room/office combo was to create a space that would keep my mind clear while I work, as well as make our guests feel welcome.
Nothing too busy or distracting. Nothing too dull. Nothing that would make future guests want to run to the nearest hotel.
Before visiting the HGTV Dream Home 2020, I knew I wanted to incorporate pink in my office. I’ve been drawn to more feminine, romantic colors lately, and they just feel good when I see them.
When I saw the HOME by Sherwin-Williams Simply Blissful Color Collection and the 2020 Color of the Year, Romance (HGSW2067), I knew it was the perfect color! Romance seems to draw me in and make me feel happy, so I chose it for a focal wall. To balance out the pink and add a bit of neutral, I decided to use Vanillin (HGSW4038) for the remaining walls.
Knowing the other shades in the Color Collection would be complementary to the paint colors I chose, I picked a couple other shades for my furniture and decor. Gristmill Greige (HGSW2485) was the perfect choice for a sleeper sofa, and the deep tones of Blue Endeavour (HGSW1451) would be incorporated through throw pillows and decor.
Guest Room/Office Makeover: Before Photos
I knew this makeover would be a shocking transformation, and I wanted to document every step! These before photos show just what a mess my office was. Because I was focusing on other areas of our home (don’t all moms do that?), my own personal space had been neglected.
Which was exactly the reason why I needed to create a relaxing space for my office! A sanctuary I can enjoy daily, and one my guests can love when they visit.
My office had become a dumping ground for things to keep away from the toddlers, books and boxes that we didn’t have space for, and other… well… stuff.
While before photos aren’t very exciting, they are helpful in a couple of ways. They let me see the amount of progress from beginning to end, and they remind me to make sure I have my own “blissful” space so I can be a more relaxed and happier mom.
Makeover In Progress
The HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams Color Collections are exclusively available at Lowe’s, so we went there for all of our paint and supplies. I was in my happy place! Painting is one of those tasks that is relaxing for me, so I’m always excited for a DIY painting project. With the worry of coordinating colors out of the way, I could focus on looking forward to the end result!
We bought our HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams INFINITY interior paint and primer and the Purdy brushes, rollers, and tools we needed for the project. The paint technician at Lowe’s was super helpful and recommended this Purdy set since it had everything I needed. I was thankful for that, otherwise I would’ve been stuck in the paintbrush aisle for hours!
I moved everything out of the room the day before, ensuring we would be ready to go early the next morning. After dropping the littles off at school, I got to work. Window open, music on, and sleeves rolled up – the paint party got started!
It only took about 8 hours from start to finish, which was perfect for this DIY guest room/office makeover. I would have finished even sooner if I hadn’t been interrupted 50 times during the day – but that’s mom life, right?
The paint only took one coat, which really sped things up! At first, I was a little worried that I may need to apply two coats. After seeing the first wall dry with perfect coverage, I knew my project would be smooth sailing.
We waited a day for the paint to fully dry (I was being overly cautious), then started setting up the room.
My blissful space was finally coming together!
Guest Room/Office Furniture Layout and Design
My office space is smaller than the typical bedroom, so arranging furniture correctly was essential. We had to be mindful about what pieces we chose for this multipurpose guest room: I need adequate space for work, but guests also need space to rest and relax.
Because my desk is more of a long drawing table, we kept it against one long wall. Beside it, we placed one tall ladder bookshelf to provide both storage and decor. To balance out the space, we chose to place the sleeper sofa on the wall opposite from my desk.
This wall is also the focal wall that I painted in the gorgeous Romance (HGSW2067) color, and I want that wall to attract more attention from our guests. The colors of the wall and the sofa provide the perfect amount of contrast and harmony to really create an interesting space.
Based on my before photos, we can all agree I needed an effective storage solution for all of my various office supplies. I wanted to stick with white furniture to match my desk and bookshelf, so I opted for a tall white sideboard to organize my materials. It also had gold knobs, which coordinated with the gold legs of my desk and the various gold decor I already owned!
Taking the Guesswork and Stress out of Guest Room/Office Combo Decor
When it comes to furniture shopping, I can usually decide what I want just based on function and room size. However, coordinating colors and styles isn’t my strong suit! With the paint and large furniture purchases out of the way, I turned to the Simply Blissful Color Collection for accessory and decor inspo.
I knew I wanted to add Blue Endeavour (HGSW1451) to add a deeper color that would contrast with the lighter colored walls and white furniture. I chose a large dark blue throw pillow to place on the sleeper sofa, and added my favorite cozy dark blue blanket.
Then I also added in a couple of lighter colors – a lumbar pillow in Finian Blue (HGSW2384) and an accent pillow in Coral Reef (HGSW1074) – to add a little more excitement to the mix. With this color palette, it’s just so easy to coordinate the colors in any combination! It also makes it much easier to shop when I know exactly what colors will work together.
To create the illusion of a larger space, I hung a low-profile mirror above the sleeper sofa. The gold trim was also a perfect match for my other gold accents! Over the sideboard, I opted to create a collage of frames and other decor that would both be interesting to our guests and inspiring to me as I work.
I always think guest rooms need a lamp, so guests can have the option of dimming lights for comfort. A small white table in the corner was the perfect spot to place a gold and white lamp, plus some greenery to add a naturally calming feel. I added in a few other pieces of greenery around the room, pulling inspiration from Island Time (HGSW2312).
And for one major change – we updated the overhead lighting. After seeing some of the stunning lighting options at HGTV Dream Home 2020, I realized how much a statement piece could change the space. We removed the original builder’s lighting and replaced it with a globe chandelier with natural tied rope inspired by Gristmill Greige (HGSW2485).
With a few additional pink and gold items around the room, plus the thoughtful addition of the wifi password, our guest room/office combo (and my personal sanctuary) was complete!
Guest Room/Office Combo: After Photos
I am so excited to share these after photos with y’all! Never have I been so happy with a space in my home. It feels like a professional designer created this – but instead I did it myself! I think the photos say it all.
This guest room/office combo is more amazing than I ever dreamed it could be. The soothing colors come together to create a space that feels so luxurious and tranquil. My home office has officially become my favorite room in my home!
Even my 10 year old son walked into my office last night and said, “Mom, WOW. I just realized how amazing this room looks. Like WOW. You really did a great job!” I don’t think I could’ve gotten a compliment any better than that!
I can’t tell y’all enough how thankful I am for the HOME by Sherwin-Williams Simply Blissful Color Collection. It just made it so easy to come up with decorating ideas for the multipurpose guest room! And now – knowing how easy it is to coordinate the paint colors and decor to truly create a space I LOVE – I actually have the confidence to do this again!!
See our multipurpose guest room that we created after this one!
After completing this DIY guest room/office makeover, I am inspired to continue incorporating more of the HOME by Sherwin-Williams Simply Blissful Color Collection throughout my home. I want to turn my home into a haven with coordinating paint and decor, knowing it will be beautiful! What about you – have you been inspired to create your own blissful space? Leave a comment below and tell me what in your home brings you bliss!
Check out this timelapse video of my remodel!
Click here to see more of my home decor ideas and home projects!
MEET AMANDA
Amanda is a mom of 4 living a mostly crunchy lifestyle outside of Atlanta, GA with her husband, 2 dogs, and a cat. As a former special education teacher who also has her personal training certification — Amanda really enjoys teaching others how to do things!
When she’s not working, Amanda enjoys DIY projects, exercising, photography, hiking, and long walks through Target.
