Home Design

DIY Guest Room Remodel With Maria Bosak

After Guest Bedroom
PHOTOS BY MORGAN SCHLEIF

The thought process and design strategy for the latest room reveal was simple: make a guest bedroom for a man. A room where men don’t have to remove 16 pillows before they climb into bed, and if they forget to use a coaster, nobody is upset. We finished the final bedroom in the house (well, minus the one being sacrificed for a butler’s pantry), and can’t wait for you to see it now. This room is designed with my husband Tate in mind.

Maria Bosak

Men vs. Women

The previous guest bedroom was done with the ladies in mind. It is white, frilly and has a chandelier. You should feel like a princess when you spend a night in this room.

Girl's Guest Bedroom

Making Room for the Men

The guys’ guest bedroom is truly just a place to drop your boots, until just before sunrise when you head out to go sit in the deer blind. The other reason this room is designed and decorated as such is because Tate wanted it that way. Tate lives in this house too (contrary to how he feels some days) and I wanted it to reflect his taste, style and hobbies.

Before Guest Bedroom

Full Disclosure

Renovating a house with your spouse can be tough. You need to merge two personalities and styles into one home. I’m lucky that Tate is so laid back that most of the time he lets me just roll with my ideas. But I understand this isn’t always the case with husbands. So, I encourage you to be thoughtful of their wishes and lose a fight once in a while so they can feel comfortable in their home, too. Unless, of course, he wants to put one of those ugly European deer mounts in your bedroom. Those things are just terrible, and kind of scary. Stand strong. There is always a nice place in the garage for it. Just kidding… Actually, I’m not.

Before Guest Bedroom

Design Details

We removed the racetrack/popcorn ceiling and replaced it with reclaimed wood to not only update it but give it a rustic feel. The carpet was removed and replaced with laminate flooring so guests don’t need to fret over removing shoes. We removed the wall paper, painted the walls, trim and windows, swapped out all the outlets and switches to white and removed the closet doors to open up that space for a desk.

Desk Guest Bedroom

The Little Details

Joanna Gaines once asked me (Yes, I totally just name dropped and it felt good), “What is your favorite part of the process?” I answered, “The hunt.” I always thought going out and finding the pieces was the most fun, but lately, I’m discovering that the actual decorating of each room really gives me joy. I like placing those little details in a room that bring it to life. For me, in this room, it is my grandfather’s diamond willow walking stick. He made these and sold them at craft shows when I was a child. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned that my older brother once brought one to show-and-tell as a child, and another boy had broken it over his knee. My brother was devastated. So, a few years back when my Uncle Stan said he had two and he would love to give them to me, I couldn’t wait to give my brother one for Christmas. The other is now placed in this room. I smile each time I see it.

Guest Bedroom

John Wayne

Tate also got to place some of his favorite things in this room. The John Wayne sign was a Junk Market purchase he made a few years back. It makes him laugh every time he reads it. The metal fish hanging by the light switch was part of his décor choice in our very first fixer-upper, a lake cabin we renovated together the year before we were married. The framed pheasant print was one of the first gifts I ever bought Tate when we were dating. And our dog Jules, well, she is always our favorite room accessory no matter what room we are in.
All in all, the process of renovating our home has been very enjoyable, although I will admit that it is taking much longer than I would like. But we are trying to do it on a budget and pay as we go instead of taking out a loan, so a few more months won’t hurt anything. I’ve learned so much along the way. I can now drive down the street and identify on the fly the difference between glider versus casement windows and split stone versus rock on any house.

After Guest Bedroom

What is Next?

Not only did Tate get to have a say in this month’s room, next month we reveal a room designed completely by Tate: the men’s bathroom. That’s right, Tate tested his hand at design and I must admit he did a very fine job. I might have given a few nudges along the way in certain directions, but all in all, the room was designed by him and I can’t wait for you to see it.

For More Information:

For full details on the contractors used in this room along with where to get all the pieces, check out Maria’s blog at ILoveEcoChic.com and be sure to follow her on Instagram (@mariabosak) for sneak peeks along the way.
Eco Chic Boutique
Eco Chic Boutique 4955 17th Ave. S, Fargo
701-356-6600
iloveecochic.com

 

To Top