Our New "Garage" Bedroom

Our garage "guest suite".

In renovating our two-car garage, which never housed a car, into a guest suite or WOman cave, we turned what was Dan's workshop into a bath and bedroom. 

Queen size bed.  Bedspread colors greens and browns determined the color scheme for suite.

The tall cabinets that store items we rarely need to access serve as the headboard for the queen size bed.  The bed was one in Patrick's place that he was no longer using, and the bedspread was one I had on hand.  The colors in the bedspread were used as the color scheme for the entire suite. 

Screen that hides water heater made of stockade fence pickets.

In order to hide the hot water heater, Steve built a screen from stockade fencing washing it with a thin coat of wall paint to let the grain of the wood show through.

Garage door track exposed in room.

Gear clock fits right in with the "industrial" look of the place.

Since the very front of this side of the garage serves as a tool shed, the tracks of the garage door are exposed giving an industrial feel to the room.  To continue the industrial theme, I found this wonderful gear clock that is perfect for the space over the HVAC unit. 

Shelves added where Dan's tools once hung.

Shelves perfect for displaying baskets, pottery and books.

The wall that formerly housed many of Dan's tools, was converted into shelves for books, pottery and other collectibles. 

Clothes hamper and basket of towels handily within reach of the bathroom.

At the entrance to the bathroom door, a basket on top of the clothes hamper contains towels and bath mats. 

This wall canvas has the perfect lime green and rust browns to complement the color scheme.

Not only did I find the towels for the bathroom at Big Lots, I also found this wall canvas (for $12.00) that carries out our color scheme perfectly. 

IKEA lamp with shade sprayed black. 

The lamp is from IKEA.  It had a gray shade, but Steve sprayed this black and it fits nicely into the room.

We are expecting two couples for a visit this coming weekend.  One couple will be housed in the guest suite.  I hope they like it. 

Our New "Garage" Bathroom

Small bathroom.

We have turned our two-car garage into a "guest suite" or possibly a place for a full-time caretaker when the need arises.  Our "garage" was never used to park cars.  Dan had his workshop in one half, and we had storage (mainly for my pottery collection) in the other side.  The bathroom was built at the back of what had been Dan's workshop.  It is quite small (4' x 10') but quite adequate. 

Because of the size of the room we chose "small" fixtures that the space could accommodate.  We opted for a shower kit that was installed in one corner. 

Corner shower kit.

The sink and medicine cabinet are the smallest we could find. 

Small vanity and medicine cabinet.

Mirror and lights over the vanity.

The toilet is regular size, but at Wayfair online I found a tiny little cabinet to use beside the toilet that is perfect for storing toilet tissue and other bathroom necessities.


Small cabinet from Wayfair.  (Photo from their website.)



The tiny cabinet from Wayfair is perfect for this spot beside the toilet. (I am going to add brushed nickel knobs to match the vanity and medicine cabinet, and to make it look a little more upscale.)

Because of a bedspread I had on hand, I chose lime green and tangerine for the color scheme for the suite.  In looking for towels I had not found what I wanted, but I was in Big Lots looking for something else and accidentally found just the color green that I wanted in two bath towels. These were on sale for $3.00 each---a great find. Coincidentally, the towels have a little chain stitch very much like the chain stitch on the bedspread. 

Lime green towels and brown ones to blend with the wall paint.



Chain stitching on the towels.

In order to find matching hand towels and wash cloths I had to check every Big Lots in the area, but I managed to find both.  In the same style, were brown ones that blended well with the wall color. 

The floor is solid bamboo used throughout the guest suite.

We love the beautiful solid bamboo flooring.

To add a little whimsy, we mounted a painting of a crocodile above the shower.  Although I once was an avid collector of crocs and gators, I have pretty much given up that hobby.  But at the Hickory Pottery and Antique Show the other week, I couldn't resist this little guy in a booth next to mine and thought it would be perfect for the bathroom.  And it is.


Le gator above the shower. 

Although the bathroom is quite small, because we chose small fixtures, it really seems spacious and not crowded at all.  There is a pocket door that separates the bathroom from the bedroom.  I will show what we did for the bedroom in another blog.

"The coolest wrinkled musicians this side of the Stones" *

 

The California Raisins.

In decluttering the attic I found this "collection" of California Raisins.  These must have been give-aways from some fast foodery, but I don't remember.  Anyway I do remember the singing commercials on TV.  If you remember these it dates you, because it would have been the middle to late 1980s.  

 

This takes me back a bit.  But so do the Rolling Stones.  They are coming to Raleigh on July 1 as part of their Zip Code Tour.  I won't be going, but my son Patrick will.  I went with Patrick to see them about ten years ago when they were at the Duke Stadium. 

Wrinkled yes, but still able to play, sing, and dance around the stage.