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Dear Jane,

I am struggling on how to create a home office/guestroom in the space I have. I need the room to function well as an office because I have my own home-based business, but I want it to look great for guests. My thoughts are to create a wall bed, desk and shelves, but I don't know the first place to start. Can you help?

Sincerely,

Melissa

Dear Melissa, Your dilemma is a common one: how do you make one room serve two purposes? With guests visiting only a few times a year, a spare bedroom is rarely used for anything other than storage. But it doesn't have to be that way!

Amy, a Jane-in-training, had the very same problem. She too worked from home and regularly entertained guests. Jennifer envisioned that glamorous, old-Hollywood look for the room, but more importantly, she didn't want her guests to feel like they were sleeping in an office!

To kick off this soon-to-be dual-functioning room, we removed her closet and converted it into a chic work station, complete with lights, shelves and storage space. The space could be hidden by long floor-to-ceiling curtains when guests were staying with Jennifer, and pulled back when she was at work.

Since we removed Jennifer's closet altogether, we built a new one! Constructed in a day, this mini-closet holds enough clothes for a guest to hang their hats for a couple of days. Hopefully you don't host guests who stay much longer than that! You could also purchase a large armoire or rolling storage unit.

To give the room that old Hollywood appeal and make it cozy, we painted the walls a dark metallic grey, then added plush wall panels made of a thin piece of wood wrapped with foam and a luxurious yellow flocked chenille fabric. Not only do these fancy-up the room, but the panels add softness and absorb sound.

Finally, we mounted mirrors on the wall to keep the space looking roomy. We purchased six full-length mirrors for under $10 a piece, painted the frame white, and arranged them clustered together on the wall.

Jennifer did have a day bed which helped cut down on space allocated to furniture, and doubles as a great couch. A wall-bed is a good idea too if you want something completely up off the floor. But make sure you have enough room to pull the bed down w

The overall result? Adual-purpose room that's both glamorous & workable!

Thanks for your question and good luck!

Hugs 'n hammers, Jane