When we put our house on the market we received advice about how to stage to sell. I wasn’t so much interested in whether or not that vase was too stylish for the coffee table, but more what are the big red flags with the masses. One thing was consistent: we were told emphatically to not have two baby rooms. That made sense as the idea of having two babies at two different stages is horrifying to most people. I get it. I’m well aware that my daily life looks like a backpack full of wrestling cats, and I’m the sucker wearing it, trying to order a cup of hot coffee at a quiet hipster coffee shop. I’m constantly embarrassed of my situation as well as feel like a bad ass that I’m in public despite my situation. We didn’t want our potential buyers to see that as their life. So we turned Elliot’s room into a guest room (Charlie’s room is a bit more ‘baby’ because of the animal wallpaper).
As a reminder, here is what her room looked like before the move. It was my favorite room in our old house:
I will forever remember this room as the one that I snuggled up with infant Elliot and nursed her and cuddled her for hours and hours. This is where we bonded. This is where we had our alone time. I barely remember that time because, well she has grown up so fast, but this room makes me cry because I know that the time was so good. Â I will forever be nostalgic of it.
But, it couldn’t stay a baby room so we turned it into a guest room to show future buyers what they could do with the space. I know that you’ll say it was more beautiful as Elliot’s room and you are right. But I think this is a great affordable and easy way to furnish a guest room (to sell or not), so that’s what we did.
Because the wallpaper is a statement piece we kept all the furniture neutral. This was not my time to bring in a tie-dye headboard or some crazy Persian rug. We kept it calm, used neutrals, wood and some black to make sure it felt grounded.
I accented with light pink because, well, even though no baby girl is involved in this space anymore this room longed for a pastel named pink as it paired perfectly with the green in the wallpaper.
We borrowed the tables from 1000xbetter (a local staging company that let us pick from some of their items), but I believe that they bought them from Living Spaces. The rug is Target and simple and white like the original although we brought that one to the new house.
We used symmetry to our favor to make sure that it looked balanced, pulled together and cohesive. If you want a space to look “designed” then symmetry is your friend especially when you have a more graphic element (like the wallpaper) in the room.
We hung the Jane Denton pieces on the wall opposite the bed because they looked so great in here and we didn’t need them in the bedroom anymore. I LOVE them so much in here.
I know that the nursery was gorgeous (in my humble opinion) but I think it transitioned really nicely into this guest room. Stay tuned for a few more style to sell posts (I know that we are late with these but it’s because we have are producing videos with Curbed that had a particular publishing schedule). And here is one of those videos for your viewing pleasure.
https://www.facebook.com/emilyhendersondesign/videos/1306550886061504/
And if you are into the look, here are all the sources for the room:
1. Forest Wallpaper | 2. Headboard | 3. Nightstand | 4. Wooden Mobile | 5. Rug | 6. Innit Chair | 7. White Quilt | 8. Blush Lace Pillow | 9. Blush Linen Bed Set | 10. Bud Vase | 11. Green Throw | 12. Pink Geo Throw | 13. Green and Cream Pillow | 14. Table Lamp | 15. Curtains | 16. Pink X | 17. Pink O | 18. Wood and White Woven Chair | 19. Gold Side Table
And finally, here’s a quick Style School to show you how we styled this room to feel calm, even with that bold wallpaper:
***After Photos by Tessa Neustadt
For more reveals from Emily’s Glendale Home: How To Add Style To A Neutral Living Room | Full House Tour | Family Room & Kitchen Styled to Sell | Charlie’s Room Styled to Sell | Living Room Styled to Sell | New Master Bedroom Styled to Sell | Office | Guest Bathroom | Master Bedroom | Elliot’s Blush & Green Nursery | Master Bathroom | Charlie’s Circus Themed Nursery | New Guest Bedroom Bed | Good Housekeeping House Tour | Guest Bedroom | Closet
My daughter’s room is also my favorite room in the house! You’ve made it look beautiful as a guest room, too.
Could you please tell where the ceiling fan is from?
Looks great! And I just LOVE that wallpaper…I hope the new owners keep it!
I adore how you transitioned the nursery to a more grown-up space – despite the sentimental attachment to it (insert sad emoji). I’m curious where you found such a long hospital track for the curtains…looking for something similar for our master bedroom.
Hi Emily and Style Staff! Can you please share how you hung art on the wallpaper? As in, did you make holes in the wallpaper or use some kind of sticky to hang the art and not damage the walls? This is what I struggle with, since I love wallpaper, but know I would want to switch the art up on the walls when the vibe needs to change. Maybe you could do a post on this?
Thanks for all the work you all put in to these posts. They are dynamite!
I use sticky strips. You can buy them
At the hardware store. They hold up to 9lbs and cime off with no damages.
My mom is the queen of wallpaper. Not in a modern way, but she is nonetheless an expert at hanging things with few marks left behind. She has always used the slimmest nails possible and put them as close to a dark spot or center of a flower, etc., in the pattern as she can. With this wallpaper, you’d never notice how small the hole left behind is. For very large pieces (mirrors, etc.), she would exactoknife a v-shaped slit, fold it back and put in the anchor. If you ever move it, you just fold the slit back up and reglue.
Oh that’s clever!
I swear by Command picture hanging strips for just about everything (except super large/heavy/expensive art). They are one of my all-time favorite inventions. I did a gallery wall in an hour (it would have taken FOREVER with a hammer and nails), and can be easily removed with no damage to the walls. Available at Target, Home Depot, Michaels, etc. etc.
I would love to know this as well – always wondering especially for heavy pieces potentially over a crib that you don’t want to fall on baby?
If it is something small or light then the commandstrips work great! However with a larger mirror or piece of art we will use a nail to make sure that it is hung safely. Although the tips above sound like great ideas that I should remember for our new place. xx
I hope you can answer this :):
If the closet was not there, would you have placed the bed in that location , even if it meant you could not use bedside tables because it wasn’t wide enough with the door?
My room is that layout. It feels like the bed should go where the closet is….so it’s facing out the window, but ???
The ideal way is to center the bed so you have 2 open spaces on each side. Easthetics aside, it’s a pain to make a bed everyday when you don’t have the open space on the opposite side. Not to mention 2 people getting into bed if you have a partner sharing the bed with you. Lol but if you don’t have the space- it really is your only option.
I am consistently blown away by Target! We live in NW Iowa (welcome, Emily!). Our nearest Target is an hour away and has a teeny tiny home decor department. Maybe this is a good thing. My husband might think so. This room is lovely, and that wallpaper…just gorgeous!
I love, love, love it as an adult room. I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t love the wallpaper for a baby’s room (just me – the room was certainly lovely overall), but as an adult space — WOW!
Beautiful! Can you share where the ceiling fan is from??
I think I remember someone asking this before, either when you first did Elliot’s room or in the guest room and then requests for a ceiling fan round-up followed. So I’m gonna be that person and please please can you guys do a ceiling fan round-up? Its not that I can’t find one. I’m just having a hard time finding pretty ones (and by pretty I mean simple without being completely cold and industrial and yet disappearing into my ceiling).
I also don’t expect you guys to get super detailed but does anyone have a resource for outdoor ceiling fans that don’t make my patio look like margaritaville??
I second the ceiling fan roundup! They are not particularly exciting items but the wrong one (and most of them are exactly that) can totally destroy a room in no time flat.
The ones in our old house were actually from wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com/Quorum-54-Trimark-3-Blade-Ceiling-Fan-QUF4573.html and were such great fans if you need a simple one. xx
It’s Haiku Home
https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/easiest-guest-room-makeover-ever
I’ve got it pinned to my “someday maybe” list 🙂
We put super simple Minka Air fans in 5 rooms of our house. They are affordable, quiet, unobtrusive and don’t scream CEILING FAN.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NQR1Z0S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The room is beautiful – nicely done! Also, as a parent, I love your description of life as a backpack full of wrestling cats. We only have one, but that feels appropriate for parenting in general. Thanks for the laugh!
I would be thrilled to be a guest in this room! It was such a lovely space for your little one, but it transitioned so beautifully to a grown up space. I wouldn’t have ever looked at it and thought that it used to be something else.
You only have two kids! (Said by a person who has “only” two and also experiences the wrestling cats thing daily) I get it…but then sometimes it goes so far that maybe I don’t? Is LA void of children? Are you really a total spectacle because of *gasp* two children. This shiz is tough, but pretty much the entirety of the world gets it and has been there/done it.
I’m a mom (of 3 under 5) who feels feel like I’m a spectacle. Maybe it’s because I’m around a bunch of “kids” (you know, the 20 and often 30-somethings who are still having a wild fun single life) at my IT job.
I’m just saying I often don’t feel like the majority of the world gets it and has been there/done it. (Even though, YES, they were babies at one time, themselves, I’d like to remind them!)
Good point. I just feel like at 30 with kids, I am in a healthy IDGAF mindset. Tis the gift of getting older. We are serving the young public. They can fear us, they can join us, they can side eye us, but it’s healthy for them to see people outside of their coolness bubbles.
THIS^^^^^
~Said the peri-menopausal woman at 49.
LA is totally a 1 (maybe 2) baby town. I have 3 kids, 4 and under + we just found out we’re having surprise twins. Needless to say, we are a walking side show. Random people are always making comments (mostly sweet) but I can see the fear in their eyes. 😉
Those wall wraps are gorgeous! And the perfect compromise for my boyfriend’s love of green and my need to have a neutral bedroom.
Emily, there is no reason to feel “constantly embarrassed of your situation”. You have a beautiful family and should be so proud!
Yeah, I know you exaggerate for the comedy, and you are a really entertaining writer, but there is this hint of mom-life-crisis with all the hipster references lately. Just be the classy kick ass entreprenuer and mom who knows herself and her style and her bod and doesn’t need to wistfully look at the 20 something hipsters dressed for a dumpster fire, who yes, may be side eyeing you – dressed classy with some plum organics smeared on the back of your shirt. How’s that for a run-on sentence?
You could just move to Middle Earth America where you ARE the cool girl at every age.
Another winning comment. I love the run-on!
RCG
It was a gorgeous nursery but also a fun guest room. I love the wallpaper in both spaces and the color palette!
I love love love that wallpaper – great transition from baby to guest room, love that you kept hints of the pale pink!
Mmmmmmm……..love both BEFORE and AFTER!!!!!!
I personally love this room as a nursery or a guest bedroom but in terms of styling to sale I feel like the wallpaper is too specific. As a professional home stager, I often advise my sellers in this current market, that it is important that their property appeal to the largest number of buyers. The best way to do that would be to remove the wallpaper and paint the walls with a neutral color.
I’m curious. did you consider removing the wallpaper at all?
http://www.sandrabestdecor.com
I love that side table!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Love this room! It’s not something that I would typically imagine, but it definitely works well. That’s why you’re the designer. 🙂
Love the new look! Can you explain the logistics of “staging to sell”? Do you buy all the new pieces and accessories in each room? What happens when the house sells? Do you then have to take back all the pieces and somehow use them or sell them? Or are they sold with the house?
Both rooms are simply gorgeous. I’m sure it’s mostly for writing, satirical purposes but I hope your really aren’t embarrassed by your “situation”. I know you love your kids desperately. I know it’s exhausting. I know it’s lonely at this stage. I have two that are very similar age to yours. I just wish we lived in a society that embraced family. I really do understand. I remember just a bit ago being at a grocery store where they had “baby shopping carts” as my three year old calls them. He loved following me, almost hitting everyone and swiping bagel chips into his cart. At one point he calling to me “Mom! My shoe! My shoe!” I turn to see that he had somehow lost his shoe in the aisle (how??). Yes we were, and are, a spectacle. But it’s better to remember how funny it was, and is. How we pass by so many people giving us endearing looks as they remember their own babies. I do need to remind myself of this sometimes, I don’t my kids to think they are a stress or burden. And they pick up on so much. So just as one mom to… Read more »
Can anyone tell me where the daubed in the ‘before’ picture is from?
Please don’t say vintage. Please don’t say vintage.
Xx
Sarah
Daybed! Not daubed!
If you go to the nursery reveal, it has sources listed. As I recall… it’s vintage. But Anthropologie and Serena & Lily have ones too.
https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/pari-rattan-daybed?category=SEARCHRESULTS&color=014
http://www.serenaandlily.com/avalon-daybed/99242.html#q=daybed&start=1
If you go to the nursery reveal, it has sources listed. As I recall… it’s vintage. But Anthropologie and Serena & Lily have ones too.
I think it’s a bit sad you feel the need to apologize or be embarrassed about your current state of having two little kids. Maybe you didn’t mean it to come across as such, but I think you need to quit worrying about what the hipsters and rather-have-dogs-than-kids crowd think of your situation. Own it mama. Those two darlings are your whole world and you adore them. Sure it gets crazy, but such is life! <3
Can you post the source for the white pillow on the bed?
What an ethereal space, especially when in the form of your daughter’s room. But why the curtains in lieu of closet doors? I’m not a big fan of that look.
Amazing Ideas! Very creative and unique too. Liked it all. Recently I read about some amazing bedroom interior ideas here: http://www.colorninterior.com. Might help others.
This room was gorgeous as Elliot’s room, but I love this staged version as well. It is so beautiful, and that wallpaper is amazing, the pink accents work so well, I guess that is why you get paid the big bucks!
It looks amazing! I love everything!
Hi Emily, Great style school. So simple, yet true. The wallpaper is the Bomb! Great job, thanks for sharing.
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I would love to know where the white bedskirt is from!
Wow
Your bedroom and child room great transition from baby to the guest room, love that you kept hints of the pale pink!
nice post.
Thank you for sharing with us.