You might be trying to hard with color. and in fact boxing the room in and giving it a darker feel.

Creams, light sage greens, grays and blues can work.

Also I see, a wall light, a pendant light and two lamps....bit over kill in that corner. One new nice wall sconce and one desk or table lamp would be fine.

Paint the desk to match the chair.

That mirror is much too high for anyone to use, and its not reflecting anything there. maybe put it over the desk so it could be used for makeup or hair.

Thank you very much, RL Relocation LLC. I agree, I am probably trying too hard to find a color that pops, when something more demure would have the affect I want (light and happy and calm). I like the idea of sage (we've used grays and blues in other rooms). I think sage would go well with both the cedar ceiling and the oatmeal carpet.

Thank you for the input on the lighting. The wall sconce is defunct and we just haven't done anything about that because I was still deciding on the room's layout. The hanging lantern is not a light, but rather just decoration brought home from travels (which had no other home). But I am thinking of replacing all lighting with a pair of plug-in wall sconces that can be used by guests for reading, etc.

I totally agree on the mirror. Useless there and not even pretty in the first place. I'd like to replace that dresser for something less hulky. In fact, I'm thinking of replacing the make-shift bedside tables with a pair of 3-drawer 30" dressers, which can serve as nightstands as well as dressers for guests, and then putting some shelving in the alcove where the current dresser is. The room is quite small so you already feel cramped, and the dresser sticking out several inches doesn't help.

Also considering painting the bi-fold closet doors white. I'm sure they would look nice being sanded and stained lighter, but that is a lot more work that white paint...hmm.

Hi Flo,

Thank you very much for your advice! I appreciate it. As for the alcove, I was thinking of putting some nice built-in shelves there of some sort. Guests need somewhere to put their suitcases and shoes and toiletries etc because the room is so small. It always ends up on the floor and then there is nowhere to walk.

As for shades, I should have gotten roman blinds, but instead I already purchased some cellular shades to match the other small bedrooms. They are clean and white and look nice, although not as nice as roman shades would.

Thank you for the bedding ideas. I have been waiting to take that step until I figure out wall color and other elements.

https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca/colour-overview/find-your-colour/colour/2025-60/lemon-glow?color=2025-60&source=%2Fen-ca%2Fcolour-overview%2Ffind-your-colour%2Fcolour-families%2Fyel%2Fyellow

https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca/colour-overview/find-your-colour/colour/2027-50/hibiscus?color=2027-50&source=%2Fen-ca%2Fcolour-overview%2Ffind-your-colour%2Fcolour-families%2Fgre%2Fgreen

https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca/colour-overview/find-your-colour/colour/401/sour-apple?color=401&source=%2Fen-ca%2Fcolour-overview%2Ffind-your-colour%2Fcolour-families%2Fgre%2Fgreen

https://www.amazon.ca/Fennco-Styles-Bright-Brushstroke-Cotton/dp/B07253SRPT?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duc12-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B07253SRPT

https://www.amazon.com/Trina-Turk-Queen-Duvet-Chartreuse/dp/B00DZ0MJ3I

Prime the walls in white. You'll need a couple or three coats. That wiil give you a clean palette to start afresh. Try putting up the new cellular shades, then consider matching their shade of white or cream.

Do you have overhead lighting?

Guests appreciate luggage racks enormously because their stuff doesn't end up on the floor or on top of the bed. Buy two foldable ones.

The chest of drawers may fit in the closet. If that's so, put a large luggage rack in the alcove.

Have you considered a colorful, striking wallpaper? There are lots that aren't stodgy.

Looks like you are trying to do a wainscotting in there. Paint the whole wall the same color, and no wainscotting. I like the turquoise color you have, but, you also need some pattern in draperies and bedding, and some nice decor on the walls. The cedar is beautiful, and the furniture is fine. Please dont paint the closet doors, they are beautiful and go well with the room and your furniture. I do like the chest, not so much your bedside tables (desk) and not so much the mirror. You can make it a really nice room for your guests, with not a lot of money.

Flo,

Thanks again for the tips. They are all great. I hadn't thought of the height of the shelf matching the bed. I like the idea of suitcase stands. As for a small table in the bathroom, we live in an old 70s house and the bathroom is 5' x 8', so there's no room! But we do clear a shelf for guests. The house is big enough but the rooms are all quite small and there is very little built-in / functional storage, which has been an issue (and an expensive one to remedy).

J Williams,

Thank you for the paint color ideas. I never would have leaned to that color-way of acidic yellow, but it's bright and light so I'll give it a try with a test swatch and see how it looks.

Apple pie,

Thanks for your ideas. In terms of overhead lighting, there is only one can light! I wish I could have a lighting expert come and spruce up the whole house, because the lighting is not sufficient anywhere. But for now I'm looking for affordable solutions, so I may just try to find a couple of plug-in wall sconces that give off a good soft glow for beside the bed.

The chest of drawers will fit in the closet, and I have thought of doing so. There would still be a few feet on the side for hanging clothes as well. It was a nice dresser for our last house, but just looks to bulky and heavy for this small room with little light.

Thanks!

Cat KY,

Thank you for your input! Yes, you're right, I was thinking of a wainscoting-by-paint, in part because I wanted to use a bolder, richer color but not overwhelm or darken the whole room. But I think I agree that it may not look as nice as I think.

I also agree on the bedside tables. We have had to re-purpose older furniture for now, so they are simply hand-me-downs that I was trying to make work for the time being. But if I can find some affordable bed-side tables that can also serve as small dressers, 30" wide or so, I will get some.

As for the closet door, I hear you. I am a HUGE fan of natural wood. But for context, our entire house is full of it. The upstairs bedrooms are the only rooms with any drywall; the rest of the house is cedar-paneled on the walls AND ceilings. And these doors simply look super old and dingy, but not in a beautiful, naturally-aged way. As I said, if I could take the time to sand and refinish them for a re-fresh, I'm sure they would look much better, but I have two small kids and I work, so it's hard to find that time. Just to show you, in my daughter's room I did paint the closet doors white. Her room was/is even darker than this one and it needed something to lighten it up. I think it turned out really nice, still showing the features of the wood doors, with the new wood trim, and still-cedar ceilings. Most of all, it really did help to brighten her room.

Apple pie,

I forgot to say, while I do LOVE a nice wallpaper, for environmental reasons, as well as financial, I am not inclined to use it. We had to scrap some really old nasty wall paper off the bathrooms when we bought this house and it was not fun. But I have seen some removable wallpapers around, that could be a different story...

Hi partim,

Yes, I like the idea of a greyed-out sage! I'll look at Benjamin Moore...

Thank you for thinking through the arrangement of the room. I have messed with that myself, moving the bed around etc. We did have version of what you suggest going at one point. However, the door and closet placement on your drawings are the reverse in actuality. So, the wall that the bed would sit against, to the left, is next to the closet but also on the same wall as the side window, which causes an awkward "centering" of the bed on the wall. The bed can't block the window, because it's a low corner window, and it can't be centered on the wall between the window and closet, because then it would be too close and the closet door wouldn't open. As well, the bed can't go on the opposing wall, with the door entry next to it, because there's not enough space for the door to open inward with a queen size bed there. It's a bit frustrating to figure out! I can't seem to find an arrangement that looks good and provides some useful open space.

The high window (on the wall directly ahead) is in fact centered, even though my pictures may not give that impression, and so could accommodate a centered bed with matching tables/small dressers on each side...

I like your open closet idea. It would open up the room and is often more functional. I thought about an open closet or a curtained closet with a built in dresser, for a more finished look. But, three issues: then there would be no hanging space, and there is very little storage in the house (no hall closet), so we have to keep extra linens, blankets, towels, etc in this room, and a closet is a nice way to tuck them away. As well, it turns out the the bathroom behind the closet has plumbing accessed through this closet, which I can't seal up...

I am a big fan of walls hooks, so perhaps if I move the dresser into one side the closet, and put a luggage rack or shelf/shelves in the alcove, I could also line the alcove with hooks.

Thank you again. I so appreciate the time and input.

I would go with white and then pop in some color with the bedding, a rug and lampshades. This is clean, crisp and inviting.

White is an option but our room doesn't receive nearly as much natural light as the room you shared, so I don't think the white would have the same effect. The times I've used white to brighten up a small, dark room, it looked sterile instead of warm. But, I think a light-colored neutral could have a similar effect? And yes, with some strong pops of color elsewhere.

I think you should prime it and let the primer white help you see it differently. You will be able to decide about white vs. color then, and the color will not be muddied by lack of primer over the current colors.

When you get the small dressers as nightstands, how about a table/desk in alcove to serve as a vanity? rolling stool that fits underneath when not in use. mirror on wall over it.

That's a great idea, hbeing. Thank you!

I decided on a neutral color called "Sheep's Wool" by Benjamin Moore. In the process of painting now. I"ll share pictures when it's more pulled together. We have to add new trim, window shades, etc.

To give yourself the flexibility to put the dresser into an open closet, paint the interior of the closet too. A piece of plywood painted the wall color could be stood in front of the open plumbing to hide it, allowing you to remove the closet doors.

As far as storing bedding, towels etc in the guest closet, look into under-bed storage solutions to help manage this. Or put your excess in bins stored on a high shelf in the closet. The dresser itself could also be used for storage, since your guests are unlikely to be using more than one drawer, if at all.