How To Design A Multipurpose Office Guest Room – The Reveal!

A Stylish Multipurpose Office Guest Room

My office makeover is close enough to completion to finally be able to share this room with you! This room has gone through several passes over the years, from child’s bedroom to a studio space and and more. Now, I feel that it’s a grown up haven for my working days and for our guests. I have tips that you can takeaway if you are in the thoughts of creating your own multipurpose office guest room as well!

Warning, this is a lengthy post with lots of photos and details, so I hope you’re okay with that. After keeping the office/guest room radio silent on the blog for last several weeks, I’m ready to share! The room is so close to being finished, but the way that things are these days I’m still waiting on a couple of pieces. I have blinds on order to replace the white wood ones that you see and a dramatic custom ottoman that excites me!

Flooring Issues

To be perfectly honest, I probably would have just lived with the way that my office has been for several years now. That is, had my husband not starting to notice that the floors we had installed just 2 years ago were starting to pop up. 😫 I sort of noticed it too, but the floors in his office were worse and in some places it was becoming a bit hazardous. So I contacted the company that we worked with on them originally and they were nothing but gracious and professional in taking care of the issue!

It turns out that it was an issue with original subcontracted installers not putting down a moisture barrier first. There was nothing wrong with the flooring itself and unfortunately just a water issue. We live in southern Florida and basically this part of the peninsula sits on coral rock with a high water table under the homes down here. In fact, if you dig down not too deep in our garden you hit rock and water. So…on to round two with the floors.

Essentials First

Once we selected this GORGEOUS light oak laminate wood flooring (I’ll link all sources for this room that I can below) I felt better about justifying a total office makeover. This room is where I work on my blog almost every day and it frankly wasn’t as useful or comfortable as I knew it could be. Not only does it serve as my office, but a guest room mostly for my daughter and her husband when they visit from the west coast. We made it work with this nice queen size inflatable bed that’s raised so you’re not sleeping on the floor. We also had these sheets that cover the box spring and frame. Our family enjoyed this set up so much that I sent one to my daughter when she recently moved into her new home! We will be visiting them soon and utilizing that set up.

The Splurge Star

I had been saving my budget for an alternative that I could utilize daily for extra seating. This Crypton velvet queen size sofa bed was a splurge for me, but it’s a jaw dropping piece and worth every penny! I saved up for this one and dreamed about it for months! Now I have an additional grown-up place to sit if I don’t feel like working at my desk! My mom always told me to buy the most durable and comfortable furniture for sitting and on (and sleeping) that you can afford and fill in with the rest. Smart! I recommend this high/low decorating approach as well and you’ll see what else I did to accomplish this.

Recently I shared my mood board here, but things have changed some as they always do when first putting a plan in place. I have a full tutorial if you’d like to try your hand at creating your own mood-board using the free version of Canva here!

What Changed

The blue silk drapes would have cast too much blue into the room and would not have been practical for guests. I found these Plush Velvet Room Darkening Drapery Panels on Amazon (great quality & price!) instead. Instead of the white cabinet I’d been eyeing (which went out of stock) I moved my Ethan Allen dresser into the room. It holds linens for the bed, so a perfect stashing place. And the wallpaper panel…I ordered samples galore and haven’t really been thrilled. I do plan on using something similar in an upcoming project though, so stay tuned for that!

Tips that will help you create a multipurpose office guest room

• START WITH A SKETCH –  It can be scribble-scrabble on a yellow note pad with a a ruler and pencil. I do this…often, and keep a notebook filled with ideas! Alternately you can utilize a program like Sketchup or turn to a company like MODSY to create a design for you. I have worked with them in the past a couple of times and you can see my husband’s office design in this post. We are working on it, but he’s slow to change. Aren’t they all?
• GET INSPIRATION ON-LINE – I have lots of decorating advice and articles that could help you, so head to this DECORATING CATEGORY. Check some of your other favorite design bloggers or interior designers. I keep a lot of coffee table books that I refer to when I need some additional inspiration. And of course there is the world of Instagram, where great designers tend to hang out and showcase their work.
• CREATE A PINTEREST BOARD – Such a great way to file away your ideas, as opposed to the days of magazine article clipping of times gone by.

A guest room/office combo is not just about the function of putting a desk and bed together in a room. It is also about creating a stylish place to hang out and ergonomic for the work day as well. Even if you don’t “work”, a desk is a place to pay bills, be online and out of the main fray of the home.

So do you need your office to also function as your guest room as well? I hope that my multipurpose office guest room ideas help you to create your own cozy yet work-friendly space!

Before –

These shots were from my working craft studio and so old that they were on a floppy disk! To avoid excessive eye strain I sized them down into a collage. No judging…this was from an era about 20 years ago and was actually published in a magazine!

More Recently – French Country Modern Office Design

Working with a very strict budget I transformed the working studio into my office, when I began the serious work of full-time blogging. The look is French style and lots of white, indeed. Lately I find myself yearning for more color in my life, as well as more comfortable surroundings. I still utilize this antique French desk, the silk covered French chair and the antique crystal chandelier from France. The vintage mannequin was sold and the vintage wall cabinet is now in my husband’s office for some collectible storage.

The white Moroccan screens are currently in the living room in a corner with pillow forms hiding behind. The settee is in our primary bedroom (I’m thinking of giving it a colorful makeover!). I haven’t moved the stunning LaBarge mirror as it still works well in this multipurpose office guest room. All vintage pieces scored for next to nothing and reworked, and the gifted mirror! I sold the rug and ottoman on Facebook Marketplace and gave my other daughter the floor lamp. If you are interested in my tips for navigating Facebook Marketplace with confidence, check out this post.

A variety of collectibles, of which many I still have. Time to downsize this stuff and clean out the closet in this room!

THE REVEAL!

This is the view from the doorway. It’s a typical bedroom sized room so not very large. You can see the beautiful engineered oak laminate wood flooring and how it brings light into this room! In addition to the sofa bed with it’s seafoam/robin’s egg color, I wanted to bring in some more green and of course the blues that I’ve always loved.

The rug is from a company that is new to me and it’s called Tumble. Above is the rug that I purchased and it’s machine washable, necessary with all the pets here! It think that it ties the blue into the room well.

A variety of quirky collectibles, books and the things on this shelf will surely rotate in and out. For a truly collected look, do this over time and travels (not from Target:-). 

This is an old Florida home with coral rock on the facade, a few awning shutters and real wood sliding closet doors. Some of these things used to bother me but I’ve come to accept the quality and vintage charm that they bring. Individuality embraced!

I love my French desk and it’s always going to be a keeper. Excuse the wrinkles on the velvet drapes…I need to give them a shot of my Downy Spray (you seriously NEED to try that stuff!).

Defining Your Style

I’m not really what style to call this multipurpose office guest room honestly, other than my eclectic style! My daughter said it looked Grandmillennial Tropical, if that’s even a thing? It incorporates all of the styles that I love and tells a story of this home and what I enjoy. That’s what your home should be, not caving too deeply into trends. I like pretty rooms, so that about sums it up.

The Principles Of Pretty Rooms – Create spaces that entice and enchant people, making them feel good, comfortable, and at home as soon as they enter. – Phoebe Howard 

Multipurpose Office Guest Room Color Cues

Some of my favorite colors are in this original painting, gifted to me by the talented Melissa Lyons art. She actually has a line in Target I believe and creates a lot of coastal art pieces from her studio in Beaufort, S.C.

SHOP YOUR HOME!

I always recommend several ways to save money when designing or remodeling a room.

1. Previously mentioned stalking of Facebook Marketplace
2. Thrift shops
3. Consignment shops
4. Antique Stores
5. Vintage Fairs
6. Yard Sales
7. SHOP YOUR OWN HOME

The robin’s egg blue chest is a contemporary Ethan Allen score from Facebook Marketplace locally. It was a steal at $100, and I purchased a few other things from the seller (who was moving). The first piece of furniture that I ever purchased when we moved into our home was from Ethan Allen. I had noticed a few years ago that they were starting to go off the rails with a modern vibe, but have come back down to earth and doing more traditional pieces (thankfully) once again. I feel like when everyone starts to look like everyone else then design looses so much.

The LaBarge mirror was free from a client, the antique French lamp was $10 at a yard sale and the McCoy pottery vase…I’m a long time collector! I’ve been making an effort to embrace and use more of the greenery from my garden these days. It’s tropical and free and just makes sense.

If you follow me on Instagram then you’ve probably seen the wild peacocks that graze our neighborhood. Bonus points…free feather drops when molting!

Looking straight on into the room and leaving enough space to pull out the bed (which is VERY comfy!). The velvet room darkening curtains will come in handy for guests, but I leave them open otherwise. As we are in Miami, there is an awning shutter outside the window that you get a glimpse of. It has a scalloped edge and I find it quite charming. Room color is Benjamin Moore White Dove in a flat finish.

ROOM SOURCES Below:

Plush Velvet Curtain Panel
Gold Drapery Rod
Green Pom Pom Velvet Pillows (Comes As A Pair)
Best Affordable Pillow Forms (always size up 2″ for a designer look)
My Favorite Lightweight Throw (I have 4 in different colors)
Colorful GrandMillennial Pillow
Large Pale Mist Ginger Jar

I so enjoy this view of the side yard with the tropical flora and fauna!

The shelves were a great deal and bring to mind the Chinoiserie look that I love. Previously I had an IKEA Billy Shelf that I have a DIY French style makeover on for you here. I wanted to flank the desk with THIS PAIR under $150 each!) of visually lighter gold and glass shelves, so that Ikea bookcase was donated to a friend.

The shelves are accessorized with pieces that I’ve collected over a number of years! This will change as I attempt to clean out the storage closet in here soon. I know that I have some additional items I’d prefer to showcase when I can find them! A mix and mingle of old and new, lots of texture in this multipurpose office guest room where I am sitting right now!

This little scalloped rattan table was so affordable compared to anything that I’ve seen out there! It’s lightweight and makes the perfect spot for a drink and some lady palm clipped from my garden. Versatile pieces like this are key to any multipurpose room.

Details Make A Difference

As they say, it’s all in the details and on the dresser I used a vintage drapery tieback that has faded to peach. Can you see how the colors all are tying in here?

More Details

Are you still with me? I told you that this was going to be a long post! Here are a few more details to inspire with things I collect. The vintage wax flowers have been with me for a long time and there are more in the box that they are propped on top of.

To add more light to a multipurpose office guest room, consider hanging a small chandelier. This antique French one (gifted from a friend!) is swaged rather than hardwired and on a dimmer for guests to enjoy the ambience.

My unofficial portrait caricature from the Design Blogger’s Tour (even though my preferred wine is white!). I do have a few small framed family photos in here, tucked on a quiet part of the shelves.

Another view showing the doorway area and this mirror from Ballard Designs that I’ve had for ages. Unfortunately they no longer carry this French reproduction mirror, but they do have some beauties to look for!

TIP – When Designing A Multipurpose Office Guest Room

Always include a full length mirror if possible. I can’t tell you how many AirB&Bs and other places that I’ve stayed in that fail to include one!
I’ve tucked my bulletin board strategically behind the door to the room. You can’t see it when the door is open, which will be 95% of the time.

In conclusion, make it yours and add what you love! When you feel that you are finished then step back and edit (I still need to do this here).

TIP – Take some shots with your smartphone and that gives you a better idea of placement. I worked hard on this room and this post – whew! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!

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