Mainly Maren: Room Inspiration: Home Office and Guest Room

When most little girls were playing in their multi-story, pink plastic, Barbie houses, I was busy doing something else. With an antique cigar box filled with half-used pencils and a cleared bedroom floor, I spent endless hours of my childhood designing floor plans for Barbie. Very little of my time was actually used role playing with Barbie but instead setting up her house.

Somewhere in my childhood closet is an American Girl doll box filled with sheets of notebook paper with drawn out floor plans. Pencil erasing, rule straight lines, and labeled rooms marked the visions I dreamed up for the perfect home.

Source

There was a even a time I brought my favorite floor plan to show my uncle, the architect, to get his advice. I'm not even sure if I was in middle school at that point...

I went through a phase in college when I thought about changing my major. After a disappointing visit to the advisor's office, I learned switching to architecture would pile on additional years that just weren't in my family's already over-stretched budget. Now, I am thankful that God put me where He did and I wouldn't change the path I have gone down.

So when it comes to living out a childhood dream, my home is my blank canvas, a place I can explore endless possibilities in design. I call it "real-life" doll house and I. Love. It.

My latest project has been planning a combined space for a guest room and home office for Mainly Maren. I want the space to inspire the look of the blog using my favorite colors green apple and turquoise.

Take a look at the two inspiration boards I created:

Vintage Chic

When I created the look of this space, I was incorporating our very colorful Pottery Barn duvet. Except...after 3 years of use, I noticed the colors on the duvet have faded from multiple washes. I am still not ready to part with this duvet but I do not think I want it to be the center of the design.

In addition, I wasn't really feeling the black and white touches. It is very chic and stylish right now but it just isn't me. Husband took one look at the photo and said "You aren't a black and white person. You don't even wear those colors." Good point.

Vintage Shabby

So I hit the drawing board again. I decided that maybe my black iron headboard just needs a fresh coat of spray paint. That is when I saw this gorgeous bed on Apartment Therapy. I like the neutral bedding that doesn't fight with the wall decor.

The inspiration for the window treatments is actually a shower curtain from Anthropologie. I have seen several DIY versions circling around the internet. I love the ombre look with both of my favorite colors! The desk pictured is very similar to my childhood writing desk. Now to find the perfect chair...

Before Husband and I moved, we had a Texas A&M room and a Texas Tech room. The space I am going to use for the guest room/home office is the former Tech room. Here is what it looked like before:

This headboard was my grandparent's for decades. It has been white, hunter green, black and soon to be turquoise! The bedding here is from Target and TJMaxx.

I hate that this photo is out of focus. We sold this side table in a garage sale right before our move. The baskets from Wal-Mart were filled with children's books. On the top were encyclopedias T-E-C-H, a camera lamp (gifted to my brother), a vintage school bell (from my aunt and uncle!), and scrapbooks/yearbook from my college days. On the wall were mine and my grandmother's sorority paddle, photos from college, my diploma, a graduation sketch from my cousin, and a signed print from one of the veterans who claims to be in the famous V-J Day in Times Square photograph.

Not much to see here, except the window without curtains. The dollhouse on the floor is a metal one from the 60s. I can't believe little kids used to play with sharp cornered dollhouses! My plan is to use this dollhouse as a mail sorter.

I cannot wait for this space to be completely dedicated to Mainly Maren! Since I enjoy doing most of my crafts out in the open living spaces, I decided against a "craft room". A space dedicated to blogging is much more practical for me.

In our other spare bedroom we will combine our A&M and Tech decor into a "United House" home office. Although, if you ask Husband just make sure you use the term "Man Cave".