A while back I began transforming a guest room—also used by my daughter Courtney when she visited from college—into a cozier, more useful space.
You may remember how it looked partway through the project. The walls were painted (we used a lightened Studio Taupe to match our living room) and we were preparing for new carpet. That update ran quiet for a while, but I’m happy to share more progress now.
Most importantly, we added a set of new bookshelves that really changed the feel of the room. The space has evolved beyond what I showed last time, and I’ll go into greater detail in an upcoming post. I promise it won’t take as long this time.
In the past year a lot has changed: my daughter finished her interior design degree and now works full time and lives on her own. This room remains her place to stay when she returns, but it’s also a guest room and, most days, a quiet spot I use to relax. For simplicity I’ll call it “the guest room”—though I secretly claim it as mine!
I LOVE it.
One of my main goals for the room was to add bookshelves. We love books and I enjoy having open shelving around the house to display collections and accessories. Shelves are both decorative and practical, helping make the most of a small space.
Because our rooms are modest in size, I avoid crowding them with too much furniture. At the same time, I don’t want spaces to feel empty or lacking personality. Built-in bookcases would have been ideal, but for budget and time considerations we chose ready-to-assemble units that give the built-in look without the expense.
We ordered three matching bookcases from the Threshold line at Target. They arrived quickly and my husband assembled them. Positioned side by side they read as one continuous unit, creating a library-like wall without any modification needed.
We’re thrilled with how the shelves look and how much they add to the room. The biggest bonus: everything on the shelves was already in our home. I simply gathered books and accessories from other rooms and arranged them here. No new purchases required—just better organization and a dedicated home for things that had been scattered around.
The new shelving makes the room feel more finished and useful. It also gives us room to grow our collection. Being able to reclaim and organize items without building an addition feels like a small but meaningful victory.
I’ll share more photos and details from this makeover soon; this is quickly becoming one of my favorite rooms in the house.
Little by little our home is becoming more organized and functional, and we’re making the most of the space we have.
Note: I’ll also be sharing an update on our son’s room this week—lots of progress there too.
This post on our home library was created in partnership with a favorite retailer. The room and content reflect my own experience and style.
The retailer supports school library makeovers and educational initiatives that bring books and updated learning spaces to elementary schools. I appreciate companies that invest in early reading and community programs.
Programs like these provide new books, technology upgrades, and opportunities for students to take books home—efforts that can help foster a lifelong love of reading and support young learners.
Do you have a home library?
Click here for the Bookshelf Source