How I Created a Beach House Guest Room Using Heirloom Furniture

Are you ready for an over night beach escape at our house? I wish I could say that we actually live on the beach, but the best I can do is show you how I created a beach house guest room using heirloom furniture that was left to me by my dear mother who passed in 2022. My mom absolutely adored the beach, ocean, and shells so I knew using her cherished furniture to create a beautiful serene “Beach House” guest room would be so healing not only for me, but for our our family when they spend the night. So, this one is dedicated to my beautiful, beach loving mom…

Before I get to the story and makeover photos, I would like to invite you back every 2nd Wednesday of the month so you can catch all of the thrifty makeovers from the “Thrift Store Decor Team”. You can get to all of the amazing transformations by following the links at the end of this post.

How I Created a Beach House Guest Room Using Heirloom Furniture

We have two guest rooms in our home that are primarily used for our grown kiddos when they visit (and my sister when she likes to stay over). My mom always told me that she wanted our son, Bo, to end up with her 1930’s “Art Deco Waterfall” set, however he doesn’t have the room for it as of yet in his apartment. So, lucky me decided to use this opportunity to utilize the furniture for a “Beach House Guest room” which also doubles as Bo’s bedroom when he sleeps over 😊 . I just know my mom would be so happy about this. On a side note, next door to the “Beach House” is the second guest room called “The French Quarters” and that is reserved for our daughter and I can’t wait to show you that soon. For now, let’s stick to the beach because it’s was a long winter up here in Michigan and the beach is calling. Here’s the “BEFORE” photo about 2 years ago before we moved in…

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So, as you can see from the photo above I pretty much had a blank slate. So, to get my ocean waves vibing 😊 I searched on line for “beach bedroom ideas” and decided on a very serene white back drop to help my mom’s gorgeous “waterfall wood” bed, vanity, and dresser shine on their own. The window in this room is quite large (and has the beautiful sunset every night), but I wanted that entire wall to blend into a white mist almost like a clean ocean breeze would make you feel. Do you feel it???

I envisioned opening the window on a cool summer day/night and letting the breeze off of the large natural field behind our home give life to the sheer white panels (and taking a nap in here!). I purchased these white sheer curtains and used them across the entire wall (notice how they go all the way up to ceiling and from wall to wall it makes such a difference). I also ordered this custom Bamboo blind that is 98% blackout and although it wasn’t inexpensive, I was quite impressed with it’s fine craftsmanship and ability to keep the room dark in the early morning. Last, but certainly not least, my favorite guy painted the room in a pure white for me.

The wicker peacock chair shown below in the left corner was also my mom’s from the 80’s (Pier One), and the beautiful crochet beige afghan was created by my maternal grandmother for my mom & dad’s bed back in the 80’s so I was bringing my mom and grandmother together in here on the bedroom set that was originally my “Aunt Julie’s” in the 1930’s. I should mention I was named after my Aunt Julie who was my grandmother’s sister.

Here’s how it looks now after I decorated and styled everything with a few special pieces (even thrifted!), and completed a few furniture repairs that are mentioned below…gosh I know my mom would just cry tears of joy if she could just see her favorite bed and sleep over for one night in her beautiful beach house…

My husband and I searched high and low for a thrift store beach painting (and had fun looking), but we came up short and settled for this pretty ocean painting from HomeGoods to finish off the bedroom. I was actually quite happy with how it all blends with the colors of the blankets I used on the bed. I tried to create the same look of first sand with my grandmother’s afghan, then the frothy white you see from ocean waves, and then of course the blue from the ocean. If you look close you tell from the photo that the vintage knobs on the vanity and dresser literally match my mom’s big real shell from the 70’s that you see on the ground (oh, and the picnic basket is from the thrift store, too. It’s a fun place to put overnight supplies for guests like water, towels, snacks, etc.)

1930’s Art Deco Waterfall Bed, Vanity, and Dresser

Repairs for the Beach House

Below you will see the vanity BEFORE photo, and the piano stool is something we had in our home since I was little, boy did I twirl on that as a kid.

The vanity with the big round mirror has always been my favorite part of the bedroom set. My mom didn’t begin using the set until her older years, but I know I would have sure enjoyed to nose around in those drawers as a little girl if she had used it earlier. I look back now and regret not helping my mom replace the mirror that had become very old and foggy (desilvering it is called by the way). My husband and I went for the gusto one night while getting the room ready and removed the old mirror just by removing small nails and wood in the back. I then measured the mirror part and was able to find the exact (standard) measurement for around $200. It was worth ever single penny because now my son, his children, and beyond will be able to see themselves through my mom’s eternal view.

As for the rest of the furniture, we didn’t have to do much except replace the bedrails which you will not believe, but you can find them on Amazon here. The new matched bedrails matched and made such a difference in making the bed very sturdy. The final piece of the beachy puzzle is my mom’s tall dresser which I am ashamed to say I forgot to polish (my mom loved to dust & polish furniture), but it still looks so beautiful. The glass dolphin on the dresser was purchased while we were on our beach vacation which the full story of where we love to go on a beach vacation is posted below.

Here’s a private photo of Jojo herself…my beautiful mom on her bed with a danish & flowers I sent her a few weeks before the good Lord called her home.

I miss you Mom, I’ll meet you at the beach house, ok?

I feel the beach brings peace to folks, so my goal in this room (besides pleasing my mom) was to make whom ever rests here to “Ease Your Mind” and have faith that everything will work out, because as my husband always says, “It always does.”

Thank you for visiting the “Beach House Guest Room” today, now I invite you to visit my talented friends below and see what they have transformed…that’s what I will be doing all week visiting them with you because I haven’t seen their projects yet, either!