We finally painted the guest room, and Burger is clearly delighted with the result.
No more overspray streaks from door painting creating an accidental “accent wall” above the bed—huzzah!
The paint color is Sparrow by Benjamin Moore. It’s a shade we’ve admired for some time (it was one of our whole-house color palette ideas last year), and the guest room felt like the ideal place to try it. That room gets abundant natural light from the large triple window on the back wall, so Sparrow reads beautifully there.
Because Sparrow is on the deeper side, we started with a tinted primer. I did the cutting-in and John handled the rolling, as usual. We painted the ceiling first in Simply White (the same tone as the trim, but in a flat finish instead of semi-gloss). Sparrow leans toward a warm brown with soft gray undertones rather than a cool flat gray, which is apparent when you see it applied over the cooler-toned primer.
Once the painting was finished, the blank walls felt too plain, so we pulled frames and a mirror from our storage room to complement the new color. Several old Ikea frames went into a tidy grid above the chairs across from the bed.
Those frames previously hung over our sofa at the last house. They hold favorite Instagram photos mounted on linen-like mats to introduce a bit of texture and warmth to the wall.
To the left of the bed, we used another Ikea frame, hanging it from one of our picture-hanging knobs with a length of gold ribbon to tie in with the gold mirror above the bed.
Here’s a wider shot. The left wall looks a bit yellow in this photo because sunlight is filtering through the trees outside and casting a greenish glow; other photos show the color more accurately.
The gold mirror was a yard-sale find that previously lived in our old laundry room. We held it up over the bed and both agreed it complements the Sparrow paint beautifully. At first we considered flanking it with sconces or small shelves, but the mirror’s simplicity feels just right—clean and elegant without extra clutter.
We also swapped the luggage-tray side table for a sturdier nightstand with a drawer and an open cubby for books and magazines. We actually found two of these tables at a yard sale for $11 a few years ago. This one gives us concealed storage and allowed us to place a larger bedside lamp that’s more in scale with the bed than the tiny lamp that used to sit on the luggage rack.
The flowers on the nightstand are a leftover grocery-store bouquet from Clara’s party—alstroemeria, which tend to last surprisingly long and are great for quick styling.
We still have a few planned updates: adding crown molding, eventually converting the seating area into a sewing nook so the space is used more, and creating a more substantial, shaped headboard. Over time we’ll likely upgrade some of the current pieces—art, bedding, rug, or curtains—but for the cost of a gallon of primer and paint plus a few items from storage, the room’s new vibe feels like a big win.
Since the guest room sits at the top of the stairs, we both find ourselves saying “ooh!” whenever we head upstairs now. It’s surprising how you can get used to small eyesores—once they’re fixed, the difference feels like a fresh breath of air.
What did you do this weekend? We balanced projects with family time and spent a lot of time reflecting on the meaning of Memorial Day. Hope you had a meaningful and restful holiday.
MORE PAINT COLORS WE LOVE
For more paint inspiration, browse our favorite go-to colors through the home tour menu on our blog. We’ve also published detailed posts about a few standout shades:
- The 12 Best White Paint Colors
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Sherwin-Williams Pure White
- Sherwin-Williams Extra White
Psst — Want to know where something in our house came from? Just click the shop button on our site.