House Tour-Pool House (the before)

Welcome to my Pool House! This is a small little building that is attached to the pool area. I actually took these pictures many, many weeks ago. Currently, you can't walk in it. See that white cabinet right there? That was in the twins' nursery that you saw last week! Removing that began the mess that is now my Pool House as everything in it got set on the couch. That was the plan though! First, I'll show you how it was and then tell you what I am up to . . . There is a bathroom that I will show you with the 'after' of this redo. This space has worked great for what I have needed it for. That would be to hold spare drinks, be the bathroom where wet bathing suits land (should be on a hook but it always seems to be the floor) and allow my parents a quiet place to sleep when they stay here! I didn't show you the fridge because it's boring and ugly but it is behind the door when you walk in to the left. It is full size and is fabulous for extra drinks and more freezer storage. We live FAR from a grocery store so this is a necessity. The couch is a sofa bed and though it is fine, it is not the most comfortable thing. The storage was minimal but worked for the room.

So why am I changing it? My home is very open and flows from room to room and anyone that lives this way knows the only problem--no storage! No closets! I LOVE my house but I need a place for STUFF! What stuff? Sewing, crafting, gift giving, client items I am holding, insane amount of kitchen books and magazines I keep for work inspirations, projects I am working on, decor items and I'm sure other things I'm not thinking of. Even silly stuff like I am hosting bunko and have bought stuff--I have no where to STASH it! I will have several 'project/event' bins and that would become a project until the event is over! My scrapbooking area in the house is perfect and is staying as it. The other craft items are crowding it so they will go away and allow me to scrapbook inside and go to the pool house for everything else. I am nervous about how much space a bed will take up but my parents do need a more comfortable place to sleep when they visit so a queen size bed will fit in as well. I'm quite excited to get it done!

As far as the style of the new room, I am getting rid of any basic 'country' blue but am sticking with the yellow, softer green and more teal blue tones, like the pictures about. LOTS of white will be coming in with some natural tones and rot iron but my 'rule' is no black, dark brown or any red! I LOVE black and red and it is everywhere so I want this room to have a different feel than the rest of my home. I was born in Cape Cod and am trying hard to evoke that feeling without having anything say 'beach', since I don't live on the beach! Do you know how hard that is? Seems everything cute in these tones says "beach"! We'll see if I pull it off! When I walk in, I want to feel relaxed and calm yet inspired and happy.

Here's a fun grouping over the couch that I need to find a home for. Every year in high school, my friends and I had our portrait taken. Then in 2007, the 12 of us that have stayed insanely close and vacation together every year had a 'redo' taken in Atlanta! So 5 pictures that we all LOVE to look at must stay! Many of them have slept in this room and they are all coming here for a long weekend in July and some will stay here so these must work into the space somehow! The name plates are hard to read but it has the year each was taken, 1986-1990 and then 2007.
I hope I get done with this room soon, though I'm guessing it won't be until April at the rate things are going! I've been VERY busy with work and will show you what I've been up to soon!