Photo by Roy Inmann
By JACLYN JOSLIN
Special to The Star
Do you have a guest room that rarely gets used? Or would you like a spare room to be functional for you on a day-to-day basis and accomodate guests when necessary? Many of us only have guests once or twice a year and having a room that is not functional for other purposes for the majority of the time seems like wasted space to me.
Here is another good question to answer: do you use your guest room as storage space for things that you don’t know where else to put? Before moving into my small apartment, I had a guest room that held junk. Honestly, when I went to move I uncovered things I had not looked at in years in the guest bedroom closet. I had to ask myself: what purpose are these things serving me? If I am not using them, not even looking at them for years at a time, it is hard to justify holding on to them.
Now I am a big proponent of editing and an even bigger proponent of not collecting junk. Too many of us hold on to things that were either given to us, or at one time were useful to us, but no longer fit our lifestyle. It is OK to let these items go, in fact it is a good thing. The items could be useful to another person and it is important to not let things stagnate in your life.
I like to move my accessories around every few months. I will take everything off my bookshelves to dust and be sure to not study the arrangement too closely before dismanteling. Then when I go to put it back on the shelf, I purposely try to put items back in a different spot. If pieces end up not fitting back in, I will look for a place elsewhere and if it still has no home, I know I need to evaluate keeping the piece or putting the item back into circulation.
The pictured room is a perfect example of having a beautiful space that is functional and comfortable for guests or for everyday use by the homeowners. There is no clutter, only well selected pieces that serve a purpose, have a timeless appeal to them and most importantly, the homeowners love them!
In this particular home, the owners already had one complete guest room, but there was still another small spare room. It could have been outfitted with another bed that would have taken up most of the floor space, or we could make the room a bit more useful for their everyday living. We chose the latter by putting in a chair and a half with a twin sleeper. A pair of Moroccan poufs in front are great for kicking your feet up on while sitting in the chair reading, and are easily moved to pull the sleeper out.
The room also sports a wood-and-iron side table with a few minimal accessories. That way it is not bare, but also leaves guests a spot to place belongings or a drink. The pharmacy floor lamp is perfect for sitting in the chair reading, or when the bed is pulled out. The small dresser that fills the semi-awkward niche is kept empty so that guests have a spot to put belongings when visiting. This is important! Resist the urge to fill dressers up with clothes that you will never wear or other junk that you do not need. Pillows and bedding for the sleeper are kept in a small closet. Along the other wall there is a bookshelf for holding a few accessories and books, making this room a quiet reading retreat when company is not in town.
I find that most people underestimate the energy that inanimate objects hold. It is easy to operate out of guilt or laziness and think that you should hold on to something because it was a gift or because it is just plain easier to let things sit and not think about the purpose it is serving you. By clearing out your extra rooms or any portion of your home (basement, attic, closets, etc.) and only keeping the functional and decorative items that you love, you will be amazed at the space you create in your life for other good to come in.
Reach Jaclyn Joslin, interior designer and owner of Urban Dwellings Design in the River Market, 412 Delaware St., at info@urbandwellingsdesign.com.
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