I'm super excited to be sharing my favourite room in my house with you today. Not only is it something I started talking about almost a year ago, or shared the before pictures for six months ago, but it is also something I can finally check off of my to-do list.

Let's jump back to the beginning, for those who are only joining this long drawn-out process now.




As part of my 2014 goals, I aimed to put the finishing touches on an almost-finished room in my house---the Guest Room (recently renicknamed the Reading Room). This room is not only my home library, it is also my primary guest room and play room for my munchkins.





Here you see the before shots, in all its honest, messy, boring glory. The room was basically the drop-zone for mismatched furniture, and also used to serve as my home office. Despite the lack of space, I crammed in a few bookshelves and even a small cabinet filled with board games. If you look closely at the couch, you can see the million pieces involved in a plastic grocery store for the kids.

ATTENTION AUNTIES EVERYWHERE: Play-stores are one of the messiest toys you can ever have on hand for your munchkins. I advise against them. The auntie points are NOT worth the twenty minute cleanup, or the annoyance of finding fake plastic potatoes and bananas under the couch.

This room sat in an almost-but-not-quite-finished state for over a year.  I didn't know what direction to take it in... until I grabbed a couple pillows from Thunderpeep and suddenly it all came easy.

Here is the official After shot, in all it's cozy glory.








Isn't it pretty?! I love my reading room! There's so many owls, and gnomes, and books! Everything good in life, minus coffee. Although there's a coffee scented candle.

The room is now a relaxing space for occasional guests, and a fun space for the munchkins. And let's face it--as the primary user of this space, I am pumped to be so in love with it.










 There were a few major changes, including painting, replacing my futon (with another futon, of course. I swear by those things.) and making some pipe shelves. To summarize, here is what I did:

• Added: Paint to the trim and doors.
• Replaced: Mismatched bookshelves with DIY pipe shelves.
• Replaced: Ugly plastic blinds with a throw blanket as a window covering.
• Replaced: All of the hodgepodge furniture with a cozy sectional futon and my sweet vintage yellow leather chair that was tucked away in the basement.
• Replaced: The pink office floor lamp with a cutesy tripod floor lamp. Yay!
• Removed: Bright and colourful floor mats.
• Added: Gnomes! Toadstools! And DIY quote art!
• Added: Life! Plants are kinda sorta staying alive in here. They're pretty, anyhow.
• Added: Fuzzy throws, new pillows, and a faux-sheepskin rug