We meant to include a few photos of the office when it’s converted into a guest bedroom in this morning’s post, but we ended up with too many pictures to fit. So here’s a follow-up with extra photos and notes about the small adjustments we use when the room needs to serve as a full-time guest bedroom for family and friends.
Below is the full-size sofa bed pulled out and dressed for visitors using linens we already had from the previous full-size bed. The pillows are from Pottery Barn and the quilt came from Bed Bath & Beyond.
To create a simple headboard, we prop the larger sofa cushions behind the folded-out bed. The two smaller couch cushions that are removed to open the bed get tucked underneath so they’re out of sight. We stash files and paperwork in the open desktop cubby or the file boxes underneath the desk while guests stay, and we move one laptop into the den. We still keep a small desk in the corner for occasional use.
One laptop can be slipped into the desk’s lower cubby to clear the tabletop and make the sleeping area feel less like a workspace. This tiny change helps the room read as a comfortable bedroom rather than an office cubicle.
It’s natural to wonder how much spare space exists in a compact 10 by 10.5-foot room that must accommodate a slim two-person desk and a fold-out full-size bed. The honest answer: not much. We would prefer more than a foot of clearance between the bed and the desk, but our guests report it’s easy enough to move through when needed. The important thing for us was ensuring the bed can fully extend without hitting the desk—using a shallow desk rather than a standard-depth one made that possible.
We always provide a small nightstand surface so guests have a place to remove jewelry, charge phones, or set a glass of water. A bookcase shelf at nightstand height works perfectly. We adjust it before guests arrive—standing books upright to leave space for a coaster and glass, placing a phone within reach, and switching the frame photo to a picture of the guest or ourselves when there’s time.
When the room isn’t set up for visitors, that same shelf houses books and accessories. But during stays, the bedding lives on the bed and the shelf becomes a convenient luggage spot, leaving more hanging space in the closet and preventing clothes from wrinkling.
We like to leave out local maps and magazines so out-of-town visitors can explore Richmond and learn about the area. We also choose a couple of other magazines tailored to guests’ interests—light-reading titles such as a gardening glossy, a parenting magazine, or celebrity news—to make them feel welcome. (We’ll share a tutorial soon for the two patterned boxes on the top shelf you might notice in the photos.)
Before guests arrive we erase the daily to-do list from the mirror and write a brief welcome message with a dry-erase marker to make the room feel more inviting.
This room serves three functions—office, guest bedroom, and playroom—and we’re pleased with how all three coexist. The rug provides a generous play space for Clara to spread out, and the magnetic wallflowers and the flash-card clothesline above the sofa keep her entertained. A safety note: twine, wire, or ribbon can be a strangulation hazard—keep hanging items out of small children’s reach and supervise play.
A dedicated bookcase holds toys, books, blocks, and blankets, which helps contain clutter. The inexpensive ottoman from Target also helps keep the room tidy and functional.
We’re thrilled we managed to combine three distinct roles into one small room where we spend the majority of our time. If you’d like to see the room as it appears most days when used as an office, check out the big reveal post for the complete tour. Do you have guest bedroom tips or toy-storage strategies? We’d love to hear how you make visitors comfortable and how you reduce kid clutter—we’re always learning.
Also, we posted a decorative clothespin tutorial on BabyCenter—check it out for another simple project to personalize a guest room or play area.
Psst—If you want to follow the whole office/guest bedroom/playroom makeover, see the series of posts that cover the initial concept, sleeper sofa search, DIY desk build, lighting project, bookcase hack, file storage, toy storage solutions, art decisions, cord control, postcard art wall, magnetic wallflower paint, closet overhaul, and the final reveal.