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April 2008 - Wil Herold
One of my favorite challenges is creating a room that can pull double duty, or even better, converting it from one use to another. Perhaps it's the kid in me that still thinks Transformers are pretty cool.
Many of us face the dilemma of having a room that needs to serve more than one purpose. For example, many parents today have shared custody of children and so have two homes on the smaller side. This can result in needing one room to function as a child's bedroom as well as a guest room. The challenge is creating a room that appeals to and works for both the child and houseguest.
The best solution to any problem is to keep things really simple. Start with a basic scheme and it will make transitions easy. We often tend to bring borders and primary colors into children's rooms; however, borders are a pain to remove later and don't lend themselves to good use in a guest room. Instead, think of using bold, saturated colors, such as a deep magenta for a girl's room or a rich azure blue for a boy's room. A cool lime green would work well for either. Remember, it's just paint and can be changed if you change the room's furnishings later. As for sleeping options, twin beds work best for a guest room and children will also appreciate them for when they have friends sleep over.
The best guest rooms have a sense of whimsy and this also works well with a child's room. One technique I like to use is chalkboard paint on the room's feature wall (the wall where the headboards would be placed). Or, in lieu of a headboard, you could use an overhead projector or a stencil and some high-gloss white paint to add a silhouette outline of a headboard. Try using a baroque or rococo design for real effect. You can find stencils on the Internet or take a trip to the library and see what you discover.
Remember, any picture can be transferred and used as long as it's for personal use. This technique saves money and the black and white contrast will look sharp in the room. Another advantage with a chalkboard is the added fun element for children, and you can also leave welcome messages for guests.
As far as bedding for children, choose something bright and wild that complements the main color of the room and for guests, something simple in black and white. Use trunks or small chests at the foot of the beds to store linens that aren't being used. You can find these storage options for very reasonable prices at a home furnishings store or visit a second-hand store for good finds that you can easily update with white or black melamine paint.
Another essential piece for a transitional room is an item that can store accents or other pieces for when you want to switch up the look of the room. I like the Ikea Expedit units because they come in a variety of sizes and, when fitted with wicker baskets, can easily store toys, guest towels, a water jug and such. I prefer the white color option because it's very clean-looking and contrasts nicely against a bold color. However, the black and brown options work just as well.
For lighting, simple stainless steel bedside lamps and track lighting are great. Home Hardware, Home Depot and other similar retailers always have something in this vein.
So the goal for transitioning from a children's room to a guest room should be that you just have to switch bedding, clean up the chalkboard and pull out fresh towels, all of which are clean and stored within easy reach. Remember, don't over-think this; keep it easy and uncomplicated and this room will look and work great.
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