A small table on the window wall would be nice. I realize it would have to be tiny, but some place to put a glass/glasses or charge a phone etc. if there are two people there.

A tv across from the bed would be nice. (not sure what that black thing is)

It seems like if you put the dresser on the wall that has the stool and 4 little prints that you'd have room for a small chair (maybe a rocker?) in the corner and maybe a small footstool or poof. Does it fit? If so you can add another tiny table between the chair and bed so both sides of the bed have a place to set something.

Lamps. You need good lighting in a guest room, IMO. One lamp on each side of the bed. The blue lamp is lovely, but I'm guessing the blue glass limits the amount of light it produces.

The stool is too low to work as a replacement for a chair. I think you should be able to find a chair that would work.

Darling room. If you raise the curtains up and off the sides of the window, it will make the window seem larger.

Unless you really need the dresser for storage, then two end tables with lamps on either side of the bed will better serve guests. No one that stays over for a few nights uses the drawers of a dresser. I put my dresser in the guest closet (I store my wrapping center & extra blankets/pillows in the drawers) and added a bench to the guest room. That is where they put their bags and stuff, it works great.

How about this chair--it doesn't look like it takes much more space than the stool and it has your colors and whimsey.

Cute Little Rocker

The wall opposite the foot of the bed is entirely taken up by a bifold closet door and a console/television. It seems like the consensus is that I need bedside tables with lamps. I can work on that this weekend.

mrykbee, I love the cute little rocker!

auntthelma, the dresser isn't on the door wall because there's a thermostat smack in the middle of that wall. It needs to be moved. It's only for heat, so we could block it off for the time being and worry about it next fall.

graywings123, I didn't think about the height of the stool. Thanks for pointing that out.

Rawketgrl, I really like your suggestion of putting the dresser in the closet. I measured and it will fit. My mother-in-law inherited the bed and dresser from an aunt and then gave it to us. I'll have to ask my husband what he thinks about putting it in the closet.

When I figure out what to do with the dresser, I'll know what size bedside tables I can get and then I'll work on lamps. If anyone has any more suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks!

I do think the curtains would have been nicer in a cream color, but as they're new I imagine they need to stay. I do get a bit of a vibe of a child's room with the art over the bed and the small, very colorful pillows. Some botanical prints over the bed (and by the way, the art should be a little lower down over the bed) would give a cheerful but more adult look to the room. Yellow and pink flowers would be nice, but no more blue.

It's nice to see a room with color and personality. I would definitely consider placing the dresser on the door wall. That would leave you room for small nightstands, even two small, round skirted tables would help. You could add swing arm lamps to save table top space. It would also give you room to center the bed a bit more.

I think your picture frames would be better painted black so they stand out against the wall color a bit better. If you move the dresser, you could stack two of them on either side of the window.

This is a small thing, but I would refold the throw in thirds the long way so it drapes down onto the sides of the bed a bit.

I would keep an eye out for a small scale antique wood arm chair that you could paint and/or reupholster for the corner.

Since that's your thermostat on the wall, you could just ditch the mirror if you want to put the dresser on that wall. Store it behind the dresser, under the bed, or in the closet. You can hang a mirror on the back of the door for your guests to check their clothes, and leave a pretty hand-held make up mirror on the dresser (like Grandmas! LOL) with some guest toiletries (toothbrush, comb, tissues, books, sleep mask, water, mints, etc.). (Make a little tray or welcome basket or something.)

A handy man could move the thermostat. It’s an easy fix.

Ingrid, I am a retired children's librarian and I was drawn to the colorful pillows because they reminded me of the illustrations in the old picture books from the sixties. That was very perceptive of you to get a child's vibe from that. I totally agree-no more blue! I love the idea of botanical prints and have been looking online for something with yellow and pink or red. When we get the furniture arranged, I'll hang the art over the bed lower as you suggest.

katinparadise, I like the idea to paint the blue frames black. And thanks for the folding advice for the throw. I'm actually wondering if a different throw would look better. Would a different color look better? Red, darkish yellow? I never realized that blues are so hard to match.

mrykbee, I'm still eying that cute little rocker you showed me yesterday and I love the welcome basket idea. I had the same thought about taking the mirror off during the winter months when we need to use the thermostat.

auntthelma, I agree that moving the thermostat would be the best solution. I just painted this room myself last month and got my husband to get rid of the old intercom grill. I don't know why we didn't think about moving the thermostat at the same time. The good thing is, we're both pretty handy and I have leftover paint, so hopefully we can get ourselves in gear and just move it. I do not understand why they put it where it is. The heater is on the opposite wall! But I do love the baseboard heaters with each room having its own control.

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. My 91-year-old dad often visits us for weeks on end and I think he'll get a kick out of the new, fancy surroundings.

I don't mind the blue throw. Just being weird about the way it's folded ;). I forgot to mention that your applique work is just lovely by the way!

Hi, I know I'm coming in late and you have some great input above. I just wanted to weigh in and say that putting the dresser in the closet is a great idea. You could take off the closet doors and it will make a nice spot for guests to set their luggage even if they don't unpack. Then you will have room to center the bed and use two nightstands with a lamp on each.

It is a very sweet little room and like everyone else I love that it is colourful and personal. The bird art is so delightful. And your applique work is fantastic. Would you mind showing a close-up? (I'm a fabric junkie, I can't deny it.)

Coming in late but I think the dresser would work on the entry door wall....then combine the small prints with the large prints in an asymmetrical manner so all together they make a bigger impact over the bed. Play with them on the floor for arrangement options. Bring in two small mismatched end tables and set the blue lamp on one and find another similar height lamp for the other side of the bed.....the room is so cute!

Lindsey and Susan, thank you! Here's a couple of pictures of my applique. I had actually abandoned this project at one point in time. My daughter found it on my ironing board and talked me into finishing it. (It gave me a lot of trouble).

Glad your daughter talked you into finishing it. So fun, colorful and whimsical!

Well worth the effort!

I would only do one bedside table and I would try to do a chair. Here are some things to try to include in a guest room....

1.Extra fluffy towels, blankets and pillows

2. Wastebasket.

3. Clock

4. Space for clothes

5. Door hooks (over-the-door or door-mounted ones)

6. Iron

If you have a limited area, you can get an over-the-door board
or a tabletop ironing board that can rest on the bed, floor or low
dresser.

7. Tissues

8. Basic toiletries

9. Full-length mirror

10.Hair dryer

I also like.....

a bedside table

A comfortable chair with a table and a lamp (if space allows)

A luggage rack

A local visitor’s guide and personal suggestions.

Special amenities. Leave a basket with an assortment of updated magazines, healthy snacks and fresh baked cookies. Other items to include are power bars, crackers and bottled waters. A small television, neatly tucked in the corner or inside a cabinet, is a nice touch when a guest enjoys watching their favorite cooking show or sitcom. For tech-savvy guests, place your WiFi password someplace visible, or in a pretty frame on the bedside table where they won’t miss it.