FlGargoyle, thanks for the VRBO link. I will check it out. We have that house in Massachusetts, of course, which some might consider a nice place to get away and in New England not far from Boston. Many residents work in the city, in fact. But our experience loaning it out to a couple was less than ideal, so we are very reluctant to take a chance on something bad happening. But we did stay in a glorious 3 story home about a block off the beach in Virginia Beach. They had a whole book for us to take heed of, and in order to get our deposit back, everything had to go back in the proper spot, according to photos of every drawer in the kitchen identifying each item, and the linen closet, and the beach chairs and boogie boards and such. Very smart they were about running such a rental space. Whether that is common way that rentals keep track of possessions in VaBeach, I do not know. But it made it easy for the home to be ready for the next set of vacationers--who were lined up at the office waiting for the keys when we dropped our keys off at the end of our week. BTW, the kitchen was on the TOP floor. So was the living room with a huge TV and stereo. In short, all the expensive appliances were above flood level. The ground floor was constructed in what we call "breakaway walls," so that only the ground floor might be damaged by hurricane surges. No carpet, just cement floors, and they were painted like beach sand, with crabs and shells and seaoats and green sea water all around the two bedrooms and a bath down there. It was a lovely home, fully equipped, and had a gorgeous outdoor shower which I fell in love with.

Thanks for pointing out Carrie B's kitchen, mgmum, that was very helpful. Anglophilia, the street is on the left side on all diagrams, it's a fairly quiet street with some foot traffic. The unit is basically the entire length of the building, 100' butting into the yard of the building on the other side. The yard is small, 14' x 14', but enough for a table and chairs. The problem with locating the living space at either end is that the widest point of the apartment is in the middle, with the ends narrower.

kkhaven, do you have other furniture in the room(s)? I ask because 10' x 11.5' is plenty of room for a full size bed or a queen size bed. Maybe you should post your guest rooms here to see what furniture configuration would work best for each room. Has to be much less expensive than converting a 3 bedroom to a 2 bedroom. BTW, I agree with the consensus here - changing to a two bedroom from a 3 bedroom would drop your homes value tremendously.

I would go with white. My reasoning: it's a blank slate. However, function matters most, and this is purely opinion. Wallpaper -- yes, even if it's just behind your shoes. It's a small detail, but it'll make the space special. Towards what colors do you gravitate in your clothes? Choose something pretty in those tones. Again, purely opinion. And if your closet is typical, I'd only do one wall /the wall you see as you enter. If you don't want to do wallpaper, have ever tried stenciling? Very easy and cheap -- but time consuming. Yes to a sparkly light fixture. Consider your layout. What you don't want is one central overhead /a layout that'll make your head cast a shadow on the clothes. I'd also choose: - A nice rug -- either fluffy sheepskin or bright colors - A stool, maybe a fold-up style (because I am very short) - At least one valet rod so you can pull out an outfit - A mirror somewhere, if at all possible - Fancy pulls, if you have any drawers - Matching hangers in a pretty color If space allows: - A hook for "gonna wear again items" like jeans or a nightgown - A basket for dirty clothes And while you're at it, do a good clearing-out /toss things you aren't using or that don't fit. Nothing's elegant about an overstuffed closet.