Instagram iconInstagram icon
Facebook iconFacebook icon
pinterest iconpinterest icon
YouTube iconYouTube icon
Tiktok iconTiktok icon
LTK iconLTK icon

Our Warm + Cozy Guest Bedroom Refresh

Easy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

This post is in partnership with Leesa.

I guess you could say that our home, room by room, has been seeing a lot change – large (see exhibit A: our upside down living room) and small (see exhibit B: our home studio). It started as more of a feeling, a need for a lightening up, a need for items with more purpose, comfort and calm. For more than 5 years, we’ve been slowly turning our house into our favorite place to be, and while our initial designs have served us well, this change has felt great. We’ve been pulling items out of our cupboards and closets, removing decor without filling the void and feeling more at peace with every step in our new direction. A fall cleaning, perhaps? Preparing for the winter? Whatever it is, we like it.

Today, we’re excited to share with you our most recent room refresh, the guest room! Last week, we showed you that we took the walls from a soft mint green to a dark, warm gray. The guest room was once our ‘safe space’; it was where we took refuge during the first wave of demolition, as it was the only room that was spared from dust and grime. It was also one of the first rooms we completed so that our friends and family would have a proper place to stay during visits. We pulled the room together using thrifted treasures, the cutest vintage desk and bold wallpaper, but over the years, it felt less and like us and more of an afterthought – especially as the rest of our home began to take shape. We knew that with a few simple tweaks – starting with the wall color, my goodness! – we could completely transform the space and turn it into the coziest spot in the house. Ready to see how it turned out?

Easy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

We teamed up with Leesa for this makeover, a brand that we love to stand behind. Not only have they designed our all-time favorite mattress (we have one in our master here and the Tree House master and the sleeping loft!), but they’re a company that believes we all need a place to rest our heads, our hearts. Since the beginning, they’ve been donating one mattress for every ten sold to those in need. In the last three years, Leesa has donated more than 30,000(!) mattresses to those seeking refuge from homelessness, domestic risk and human trafficking. We all need our sanctuary.

We are still madly in love with our Leesa after close to three years (you can read our 1 year review here), but recently, Leesa has launched their all-new mattress, born from a self-challenge to make their beloved mattress the very best it can be. We found that hard to believe, since we actually yearn for our own bed when we’re away, but they promised us improved cooling, support and pressure relief – with the latter being music to my ears, especially to this side sleeper.

Easy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall CharcoalEasy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

Our mattress still sleeps as beautifully as it always has since day one. We’ve invited friends to lay on our mattress when they’ve asked us if we’re still happy with ours (to which we emphatically reply, yes!), and they’ve immediately purchased a Leesa for themselves. We’re a bit jealous that the improved Leesa is in our guest room (ha!), but it makes us that much more excited for our friends and family to have this space to recharge, reset and refuel for those Chicago-packed days ahead.

Scott and I both prefer a more firm mattress, and while the Leesa feels soft to the touch, we’ve both realized since owning our many Leesas that it’s not necessarily about firm or soft. Our mattress is supportive whether I’m on my side or whether Scott is on his stomach. Even after a handful of years, there are no lumps and bumps, and the new Leesa promises to do the same and more, incorporating a new foam layer that responds to pressure for ultimate support and long lasting durability. (Learn all about it right here!)

Easy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

We dressed up our mattress using the same white bedding we had before, but we did swap out the ornate headboard for this upholstered one, and we attached it to a platform bed frame. Our Leesa sits right on top of the frame with no box spring, helping to make this small room feel more open! Above, we hung a custom print by She She, after realizing that the black and white graphic fit beautifully into our tone-on-tone theme.

Easy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall CharcoalEasy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

A pair of brass sconces, velvet bolsters and two teeny, tiny floating end tables (shelves?) complete the look! For convenience (and let’s be honest, cuteness), we included this mustard extension cord because there is an extreme lack of outlets in this room. The wall color is color matched to Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal, tinted to 90% strength and mixed to Sherwin Williams Infinity paint with an eggshell finish. The color is a gorgeous shape shifter, appearing warm through most of the day, but also showing off a hint of green from time to time, too.

Easy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

One of the outlets in the room is under the window, so we ran an extension cord from that outlet to behind the bed, hiding the cord with these covers and painting them the same color as the wall. The ivory rug is the same rug we used in our Tree House guest room! We received so many compliments on it from our guests, that we couldn’t resist.

Easy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

Keeping with the theme of interesting electrical choices (welcome to our 130-year-old house!), the only light switch for the room is halfway down the wall. In our first makeover, we hung this vintage ceramic bear plaque right above the switch for fun, and we still love it so much.

Easy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall CharcoalEasy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

The other side of the room stayed exactly the same, with only some minor lightening up of the shelves.Even still, we are all heart eyes over the color of our shelves against the wall color! This fresh combination makes them feel brand new again.

Easy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall CharcoalEasy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall CharcoalEasy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall CharcoalEasy updates you can make to your bedroom right now! A quick bedroom refresh via Yellow Brick Home | walls are Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal

Our only regret is that we couldn’t finish this room in time for my parents while they were here! But we recently received some of the very best news that one of my best friends is moving from LA to Chicago next month, and word on the streets is that we have a new and improved, warm and cozy guest room in waiting for her transition.

Room Sources:

Leesa mattress | headboard | platform bed frame | plug-in sconces | white bedding | mustard extension cord | alarm clockart print | floating desk + shelves | stoolblack globe | wallpaper | rug

Add a comment...

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

  • Emma P11.9.18 - 4:37 PM

    I love this room it is so moody and cozy.ReplyCancel

  • Laurel11.9.18 - 7:23 PM

    Looks absolutely gorgeous! So pretty and sophisticated. Your guests are lucky ducks!ReplyCancel

  • Jessica11.9.18 - 8:24 PM

    Do you have a source for the fan, or something similar? I have been looking for a similar fan for our bedroom night stand forever!ReplyCancel

    • Kim11.10.18 - 11:11 AM

      The fan in the guest room is vintage, but we have and love this retro style fan in our master bedroom. Can’t recommend it enough! (It’s also MUCH safer, haha.)ReplyCancel

  • Kelly11.10.18 - 4:13 AM

    Did you write about the shelves and the cute “desk” shelf before,looking for info on it in particular and the bedside shelves.ReplyCancel

  • Rebecca11.10.18 - 10:53 AM

    Love the change. I’m glad that you kept the school desk. I always loved what you did with that.ReplyCancel

  • Marti11.11.18 - 5:05 PM

    I liked the previous room, but you’re so right: this refresh looks so much more pulled together! Sophisticated and cozy. And that’s some masterful cord routing!

    Congrats on the friend moving TO Chicago! In our experience, the reverse happens more often – we’re always psyched when there’s new arrivals.ReplyCancel

    • Kim11.12.18 - 8:41 AM

      Thank you! We’ve been trying to convince her to move here from LA for years, and she finally took the bait! She’ll be doing it in the middle of winter, but she’s a midwestern girl at heart, so she’ll be juuuust fine. :DReplyCancel

  • Alli11.11.18 - 8:15 PM

    I am so interested in what you did with the outlet to bring power behind the bed, you hid it so well! What did you use? Thank you!ReplyCancel

    • Kim11.12.18 - 8:39 AM

      We used this style of cable cover and installed them above the baseboard. Then we painted them the same color as the wall, all the way up until the outlet cover. It took a bit of patience to do it right, but it was worth it. The covers worked SO well!ReplyCancel

      • Alli11.17.18 - 10:19 PM

        Thank you so much. I have two rooms that need this project.

        Ps. I rarely comment but I love, love, love your blog. Cheering you on from the Chicagoland suburbs.ReplyCancel

        • Kim11.18.18 - 10:42 AM

          We appreciate this so much, thank you, Alli!ReplyCancel

  • Renee11.12.18 - 8:03 PM

    I’m sad to see the headboard go. It was beautiful. The room now also looks cozy, but the other one was unique.ReplyCancel

  • Laurel Oberst11.12.18 - 9:36 PM

    Love the way it looks now! You’re absolutely right, the cozy factor has been waay upped! So perfect for guests during long winters!ReplyCancel

  • Elizabeth11.25.18 - 3:31 PM

    Beautiful transformation! The dark gray is so cozy and I love the upholstered headboard. I also love the warm metal sconces against the dark walls and stark white beading. Great job.ReplyCancel

  • Steph11.3.19 - 6:44 PM

    I love the dark walls! I wonder if I could take the plunge for a dark bedroom.  Do you always choose an eggshell finish for your walls and a semi-gloss for trim and doors? ReplyCancel

  • Angela9.15.20 - 5:36 PM

    So cute. Do you have plans for your floating bedside shelves?ReplyCancel

Let's be Pen Pals

Our Pen Pals have direct access to first looks, a peek behind-the-scenes, and exclusive interviews showcasing members of the #YBHDIY community. We can’t wait to connect with you!

Kim and Scott

We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

Join us as we renovate and nurture vintage homes across Chicago + SW Michigan!

Instagram iconInstagram icon
Facebook iconFacebook icon
pinterest iconpinterest icon
YouTube iconYouTube icon
Tiktok iconTiktok icon
LTK iconLTK icon

LEt's be Pen Pals

Subscribe for first looks, behind-the-scenes, and exclusive community content

/* footer flodesk form */

This site uses affiliate links. We will always disclose sponsored posts in the text and by using the ‘sponsored' tag.

© 2024 Yellow Brick Home. | All Rights Reserved. | PRIVACY POLICY