Before and After: A “Blue Boring Room” Becomes a Sleek and Stylish Hybrid Office and Guest Bedroom
Hybrid spaces come in many forms, but one of the most common room combos we see at Apartment Therapy is the guest bedroom-slash-home office. (See this one with luxe green built-ins or this one with a cool handmade Murphy bed for inspiration for inspiration, and then check out these eight tips for setting a dual-purpose bedroom up for success.)
While the multi-functionality of Lyndsey Wardman’s (@myhomeismyhappy) office-slash-spare bedroom were working well for her and her husband, the blue walls were not. It was “a blue boring room that did not flow in our home,” Lyndsey explains. She also wanted it to look a bit tidier, too. “The office was needed for both of us to use for work, so it needs to be Zoom-friendly,” Lyndsey says.
And what better Zoom background than a mural?! Lyndsey added a bold, abstract-yet-organic wallpaper mural to the wall behind the bed in the room for something that better suited her style than the blue.
Her friend helped her install the Photowall background, which she adhered with paste and which was made easier with numbered panels. On the other once-blue walls, Lyndsey used Farrow & Ball’s Hardwick White, which is actually more of a tan than a white, for a more calming palette. (She bought a new rug and bedding in this palette, too, for some added texture and pattern in the room.)
One of Lyndsey’s favorite parts of her redo is how well her paint choice and peel-and-stick mural go together; she recommends looking at samples of the two together before applying either to the walls to make sure you’ve landed on the right choices. Her other mural advice? “Make sure you measure the wall correctly so that the mural fits perfectly.”
Lyndsey moved the artwork and shelf that were on the wall before to other walls in the room, painted her square-shaped shelving black, and she changed the direction of the bed for a change of scenery and better flow — proving you don’t have to buy all new furniture and decor for a refreshed feel. Sometimes you just need a change in perspective.
“The whole process took three days,” Lyndsey says — and her project total was
£450, or about $511.
“I love how it feels now,” Lyndsey says of the after. “It’s so much warmer and has a contemporary feel. It’s also still a lovely room for guests to stay in, too.” Another stylish hybrid setup FTW!
Inspired? Submit your own project here.