Not feeling like a kids room, you have lots of options to pep it up if you want. Make sure the dresser is attached to the wall. Not sure if the window will be a safety issue, will a kid be able to pull themselves up to the window? At your change area, you will need easy access to supplies, will you be able to open the dresser drawer with one hand? It is nice to have something for baby to look at over the change area, to be frank, the boat pic is kind of bland. What are your goals? Why does this room have to be the guest area?

think about makes you happy and what you want to share with your kid

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/662131776/national-park-art-set-of-3-prints?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_ca_en_ca_catchall_Low+Traffic+CL3+Brand&utm_custom1=cc61b4ca-bfd0-468b-a68e-e79f53777e32&utm_content=go_1714048063_65877170526_333549467966_pla-300874283693_c__662131776enca

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/648673157/the-amber-fox-nursery-art-childrens-wall?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_ca_en_ca_ps-d-art_and_collectibles-prints-giclee&utm_custom1=cc61b4ca-bfd0-468b-a68e-e79f53777e32&utm_content=go_1774410681_72999917510_343069481183_pla-354814757658_c__648673157enca&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIktqUzbbP5QIVVeWGCh2XSg_GEAkYDSABEgL7KfD_BwE

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/502022614/nursery-prints-set-of-3-woodland-animal?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_ca_en_ca_b-art_and_collectibles-other&utm_custom1=cc61b4ca-bfd0-468b-a68e-e79f53777e32&utm_content=go_319626765_19422808485_75223792125_pla-116591723129_c__502022614enca&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIktqUzbbP5QIVVeWGCh2XSg_GEAkYFCABEgI9sPD_BwE

The location of the bed is a problem if you actually have guests using it. It is head banging accident waiting to happen.

Where's the nursery?

We don’t have a crib yet because baby will be sleeping in our bedroom for first 6 -12 months. Plan is to move guest bed out then and buy a Murphy bed for living room. So for now it’s just being used for nursing baby in the rocking chair, dressing and changing him. Good point though. It doesn’t look like a nursery, that’s the problem :(

I was thinking the same thing, but looks like baby isn’t sleeping here.

Make a child's room. Don't worry about the guest. Get the crib now, and use it as soon as the child can sleep through the night. Which will not take very long . A guest, if bound to stay with you can sleep on a sofa in the living room. Must say I wouldn't sleep in the living room, anywhere : ) but I don't want to sleep in a nursery either .Or a pre teens room. You no longer HAVE a guest room.

Funny thing, my son used his crib until he was 3/4, he did not want to leave it but he was getting too big for it. Other kids on the other hand, find devious ways to break out of their crib from the youngest ages possible, like a prison break. Having an extra bed isn’t so bad, you may want to lay down with them and snuggle. Shopping for a crib now would be good tho, you never know what curveballs are going to get thrown at you once baby is born, I did not leave the house after my son came home from the nicu for 3 or 4 months unless I was going to a doctor appt. Needless to say, not much got done, and I was caught fully unprepared as he came over a month early. Thank goodness for the community who donated stuff to us, and I had managed to score a great crib at a good price, even tho it did not get used much at first.

How often will you have guests between now and taking out the bed? Does budget allow you to go ahead and do this now? That would be my preference.

DD2 is expecting #2 mid-December. She is also going to have baby sleeping in the master for maybe six months, but plans on getting her used to the crib during naps, so transitioning is easier.

We are going to have a similar setup in our newly purchased 2 BR condo, and we will be buying a white IKEA Hemnes daybed. I plan on getting a custom Bemz cover and fun pillows, that way the 95% of the time we don’t have guests it will look nursery-appropriate. We have a crib in the master too, so when guests are over baby can move there for the night. It pulls out to “almost King” size, has storage drawers and I actually found the thin latex mattress surprisingly comfortable - way more so than an air mattress!
I think giving guests their own room is way nicer than the living room couch, and if sleeping in a space with baby decor assaults their senses they can always pay the $300/night that hotels go for where we are. :)

Is that really the only spot for the bed? Maybe there's a better arrangement that could make this guest room/nursery viable?

would love to see other pictures of the room and a rough sketch of the layout [doors closet window etc].

But, first thought is move bed under wall. Some cute pillows to coordinate with the colors of gray and navy. Dresser on left next to bed with a cute silver lamp with white shade. Move the chair with a cute pillow to opposite corner. Cute prints for the wall [thinking photos of animals like llama, giraffe, etc. so cute but also not baby-ish].

Where is the crib?

Turn the space into a nursery and forget the bed if you get guests in the next few months put them up in a hotel there is no way IMO to combine these two uses in that space .

Is it possible that the bed is for someone who is coming in to help?

Yes, we do want to keep a guest bed for a year until we can afford a Murphy bed. I've seen pics online of people who make nursery/guest bed combos but maybe I picked the wrong colors/furniture for that goal.

It's not about colours, it's about layout. Can you share a room layout with us, with measurements, door and window openings? Furniture sizes would help as well. What size is the current bed?

I think you are close, you just need some whimsical somethings, you have picked very dark furniture, and painted the walls grey which are not synonymous with a child’s room, but you just need to add a little bit of something sweet, fun, colourful, plus the things you will actually need for this to Function and you will be there. Have you collected any of the baby stuff yet? Toys, books, clothes, bedding... that might help you make some style choices.

At some point you need a pullout sofa for a guest. It isn't practical to do a murphy bed in most cases. Frankly, when you're tight on space, a simple Aero bed, and jiggle your furniture in the living room. Unless VERY close family, I can't conjure up a guest who really wants to be squashed into a room for baby or teen. A year goes by in a single blink of an eye. You will need a dedicated room for the child and while nursing a bed in the master is convenient. Comes the time very soon, when your own rest and relationship, is just as important : ).

I already have a ton of houseplants but I totally want this guy, lol.

Folkmanis puppets are pretty awesome.

Ikea

Pottery barn.

How often to you host guests now? Will grands be visiting from out of town after the little one is born? Once you start a family, you have to reconsider a lot of things you took for granted before. I too think a high quality sleeper sofa in the living room would serve you well. You might find yourselves sleeping there and giving up your bedroom for older guests. If the nursery will be the child's room throughout its youth, you may as well give it up now and have fun with it.

Post more pictures. Stand in each corner taking a picture of the opposite corner so we see the space as a whole. It would also help to have a rough sketch of the room with dimensions showing locations of doors windows and closets. You will get the best suggestions if you give more information

We had a full size bed, small bedside table, crib and changing table in DD1's nursery. It can be done. I think your bed needs to. be moved to another wall, but until we see the entire room, we can't help much more.

The only thing that looks like it would be used in a nursery is the changing pad. Add some bright, interesting art, put a bed skirt on the bed, and consider adding the crib. Infants need a safe place to sleep when you are not in the room with them. Babies also need a lot of stuff. You’ll need some shelves or storage of some type for that stuff.

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions! Based on your comments I’ve started looking into getting a Murphy bed for our downstairs office so I can move the guest bed out and fit a crib into the room even though it won’t be used for 6 months. It’s not a nursery without a crib apparently!

I loved having a bed in our baby’s room! My husband or I would sleep in there if they were sick. (That was of course when they were too old to be in a bassinet & moves into a crib) I would keep them in my room for as long as possible. That is the most convienant especially if you are planning to nurse. What you are missing is some wall decor. Be careful not to hang anything over the crib because they can either pull it down when they are bigger or if it falls down into the crib it could be a choking hazard or injury!

I disagree that a crib in lieu of bed is necessary right away and it's not what's "off" about the room. But we really need to see more pictures to get a sense of your options. Preferably in daylight so we can see the true colours of your walls/chair/rug!

Swapping the positions of the chair and bed would make a wonderful difference. The head of the bed under that low angled wall looks disastrous. There would be dead space behind the chair if moved there, so a better use of the space might be storage for toys & books and a soft little area on the floor for tummy time etc. Again, we need to know the rest of the room in order to suggest another spot for the chair.

There is nothing wrong with the paint. Plenty of neutral grey nurseries look cozy and inviting. The blandness is coming from the lack of decor which can be easily solved!

• The boat picture you have already doesn't suit a child's room imo. Maybe in a lighter frame? There are lots of prints on Etsy (like the one below) where you buy the file to download and print it yourself. Doesn't need to be overly cutesy or childish.

• Animal heads like J Williams posted are another fun wall decor choice. I've also seen pompoms or pennants hung along the wall on a string.
• A nice round mirror will increase the light in the room. Plus you and baby can interact with it when they're old enough to recognize their reflection!
• Flowy curtains and a large plant like Jan Moyer posted (until baby is able to mess around with them of course!)
• Shelves styled with toys/books/pictures/etc

• Curvy lamp on the nightstand (silver and/or white as pp suggested). Nothing wrong with the nightstand either btw. I'd keep it.

For bedding/room colours in general: Keep the navy comforter but replace all the browns and taupes with soft blues and whites. The pillowcase with the animal print is cute for a kids room but wouldn't be my choice for a guest bed. I'd put a more colourful pillow on the recliner as well, another soft blue to tie into the bedding. The reddish purple pillows on the floor by the chair do not seem to fit with the other colours present.

Maybe add a headboard, and if possible, rearrange the furniture- not sure what the room looks like but guessing options are limited. Make the bed with some white sheets. Looks all mix-and-matched right now (imho). I'm a fan of a throw at the foot of the bed, and turning the bedding down half way. A lamp on the nightstand (like a salt lamp with a dimmer). Maybe a plug in sconce near the dresser/changing table, a basket with your changing supplies, and a couple things hung on the wall. Just my two cents!

A roman shade or simple tailored valance -- maybe navy or royal blue gingham or buffalo check -- would look nice and add some color to the room. As others have said, replace the brown and taupe items (pillows etc) with ones with color. Blues, greens, yellow. A throw folded across the top of the chair would help. Is there a floor lamp behind the chair? If not, I'd look for one.

I don't think it matters right now whether you're dealing with a bed or a crib, or both. What matters are the colors and textures, and decorative items, you select for the room.