Organized Interiors Blog

Dual Purpose Guest Room Ideas With Wall Beds

How often does your guest room sit empty?

Accommodating overnight visitors isn’t always easy if you don’t have a dedicated room for guests.

But it seems wasteful and unrealistic to have a space available 52 weeks of the year when that room may only get used for a few weeks.

That’s pretty good real estate to sit empty most of the time, real estate that should be working harder to give you more living space.

While foldaway sofas and futon couches are a good solution, they still take up quite a bit of floor space. This doesn’t leave much room for other activities.

A smart alternative is a wall bed, but not just a box on the wall that a bed folds out from. Wall beds are much more sophisticated and stylish than ever. They can provide you with attractive storage and organizational solutions.

Here are six ways to get extra use out of a room after guests leave by installing a wall bed.

Home office & guest room

With professionally designed, custom-made cabinetry a wall bed disappears into clever storage and desk solutions for your room.

Don’t just think about a home office with all the storage and filing space you need, add that guest wall bed.

It disappears into the wall while you’re working and you can get great use out of the room most of the year.

Library & guest room

With a custom wall bed, you can add vertical storage like open bookshelves above the closed bed to the ceiling and on the sides to create your own library.

You may even want to add a rolling library ladder or a custom bar behind closed doors for a sophisticated touch.

Yoga/meditation & guest room

A wall bed fits discreetly into cabinetry customized to the wall space leaving the rest of the floor space available for exercise, meditation and yoga.

Any activity that requires only a little floor space can work. When not occupied by guests it may be that quiet space you need for a work out or mental getaway.

Family room & guest room

The family room can perform double duty when you have overnight guests. The cabinet your TV is resting in also houses the guest bed.

The sofa gets to be just a sofa when a convenient bed is there when you need it and tucked away when you don’t.

Play room & guest room

Many people just don’t have an extra bedroom for guests and the main family space is your only alternative. That’s a space that is already working hard if that’s where children play.

With custom drawers, doors and open shelving designed for the room you can combine all your playroom storage with that hidden guest bed.

The best part is the technology behind today’s wall bed means easy and safe access and operation, in case you’re worried about child safety around a wall bed system.

Dining room & guest room

If you live in a condo where space is at a premium, you sometimes have to get creative. Why not make your dining room an instant guest room?

Just slide your dining room table a few feet and pull down a hidden wall bed to accommodate overnight guests!

Clean pillows and sheets can be stored within the wall bed cabinetry making everything super easy to host your friends at a moments notice.

Which room is right for you?

Almost any room in your home can have a dual purpose with the custom options available for wall beds.

Contact one of the professional design consultants at Organized Interiors to find out how you can get more out of your guest room.

5 Must-Haves For Your Laundry Room

The laundry room is a highly functional space.

It’s where you wash, dry, fold, sort and iron clothes, among other things.

Designing a space that helps you perform these tasks as efficiently as possible is essential for those trying to streamline laundry tasks and make them more manageable.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of must-haves for the laundry room. These five additions are beneficial in any laundry room, large or small.

1. Hanging rod

A hanging rod allows you to dry individual clothes efficiently right in your laundry room. You can easily hang up clothes right from the washing machine, or hang freshly laundered shirts while folding the rest of the load.

2. Pullout drying rack

Like a hanging rod, a drying rack makes it easy for you to air-dry clothes without having to leave the room. No more having to drape wet sweaters and pants over furniture to dry. Lay out delicate clothing or sweaters for wrinkle-free drying.

3. Hidden laundry bins

Rather than keeping laundry bins in your room, install hampers in the laundry room. Tuck-away hampers allow you to sort dirty clothes by colour right away so that you don’t have to later. By having bins behind closed doors, you can prevent odours from stinking up your space.

4. Pullout ironing board

No more bending, wrestling and trying to maneuver around an oversized ironing board. The pullout feature means you can tuck away the ironing board when not in use and it’s handy to have right in the laundry room.

5. Clear containers

Clear jars and containers are great for storing cleaning supplies like laundry detergent. Clear containers tell you when you’re running low on product and make it easy for you to find what you’re looking for and add a designer touch to your laundry room.

Laundry doesn’t have to feel like a chore. For more ideas on designing an efficient laundry room, schedule a free in-home design consultation with us.

5 Makeover Tips For Your Mudroom

The mudroom is a hard-working transition space in our homes that takes us from the outdoors to indoors and vice versa.

It’s time to tune up the space that weathers all the storms.

Is there room for all your coats, outerwear, or jackets?

If you’re running out of hanging hooks in your mudroom it may be time to cull the herd of off-season coats. Before you do, check the pockets and look for signs of damage or wear.

Take the coats to the cleaners for cleaning and repairs before storing (elsewhere) until needed when the seasons change.

Give the boot to older, out of season footwear

In every family for every pair of feet there is at least one pair of shoes. Clean and store out of season footwear until the cold weather returns. Empty paper towel rolls inserted into boots help them retain their shape.

A bin with a lid may be helpful if they are stored in a dusty environment, otherwise keep the bin open and store in cool dry place.

What about what’s under the footwear?

From salt to mud to water and sand, whatever your footwear goes through so does your floor. That hard-working floor mat you’ve used all winter needs a shake out and placed into storage or discarded.

Think about replacing it with a colourful floor mat designed for indoor and outdoor use. There are great styles and sizes to choose from. It’s a great way to inexpensively dress the space.

Hats, gloves and scarves take up space

If you don’t need it, clean it and store it somewhere else. Keep your open storage available for this season’s use. In fact, think about what you really need close at hand.

Umbrellas should be stored standing in a waterproof container, handles up; hats can be stored on open shelves or on hooks, but try to edit the selection to only what you wear daily.

Use bins and baskets to keep everything neatly contained.

Are your walls taking a beating?

With all the activities and abuse a mudroom sustains you may want to bring in some reinforcements. Consider having your mudroom outfitted with a professional touch.

Organized Interiors specializes in finishes that are low maintenance, custom-sized to your space and for your families’ needs.

Contact one of the design consultants at Organized Interiors to find out how you can transform the entryway to your home.

Maximize Your Bedroom Storage Space With A Bed Surround

If the storage space in your bedroom is limited, a bed surround is a fantastic way to maximize your storage space.

In the drawing below, Organized Interiors design consultant, Mike Seguin, designed a custom bed surround that incorporates five oversized drawers into the base of the bed.

A sleek headboard contains a hidden pillow box. On either side of the bed, two night stands with double drawers contain electrical access for reading lights.

Mike’s client lives in a luxurious condo and wanted something with a modern style, clean lines, and minimalistic looking, yet functional. The choice of a textured melamine board (Monaco) complements the décor of the condo.

Pictured below is a photo of the bed surround in the Organized Interiors manufacturing facility, ready for delivery and installation.

If your storage space is at a premium, a bed surround is a great solution.

There are dozens of finishes to choose from to match your personal taste. Visit our showroom and talk to one of our design consultants to learn more.

How To Organize Your Guest Room

Some people say the more storage you offer overnight guests the longer they’ll stay.

Good to know if you’re expecting a visit from your least favourite cousin. But good or bad, what can make or break a guest’s visit comes down to simple organization.

If you already have a designated guest room with a bed that’s a great start. If you are using a spare room, den/office, or space in your basement, here are some tips to make or break it.

Hang-ups

Is there a closet or place to hang up your coat?

Break: there’s a coat rack by the door, wall hooks and/or a spare chair in the corner. This says, “We like you, but this is temporary and sorry we don’t have any hangers”.

Make: the space includes a closet behind doors with a couple of feet of rod space and a shelf. This is all most guests need to hang up crushed, travel-packed clothes.

Make them never leave: a custom walk-in closet!

Drawers

Is there a dresser or place to tuck away folded clothing?

Break: remember that chair?

Make: a clean, empty multi-drawer dresser or built-in drawer system in a closet is very handy and allows guests to settle in and feel at home.

Make them never leave: a closet organizer, complete with multiple storage options including hanging rods, pull out rods, tie racks, jewelry drawer and tilt out laundry hamper.

Bedside storage

Is there a place for reading material, an alarm clock, and a lamp?

Break: there’s a high stack of old magazines that can balance stuff beside the futon.

Make: a table or set of drawers with a roomy top surface is a great convenience for guests at bedtime. A bedside lamp prevents stumbling to an overhead light switch in an unfamiliar space.

Make them never leave: a bedroom storage system complete with open shelves, drawers and built in lighting with a wall bed that tucks away during the day.

Bathroom storage

Is there room for visiting toiletries?

Break: that’s what the top of toilet tanks are for, right?

Make: temporarily clear off some of the shared counter space and clean out a drawer. Or install some custom cabinets overhead, designed to your space.

Make them never leave: an ensuite guest bathroom with fluffy towels and extra toilet paper rolls handy to avoid guests needing to ask for them.

Any room can be a great guest room as long as there is a bed and proper storage.

Organized Interiors can help make the storage space you already have more efficient and beautiful or custom build for whatever your organization needs are.

We just can’t guarantee your guests will leave.