Hallway to Reading Nook Transformation

The small guest cottage had a dark narrow hallway- on one side a whole wall of original built in cabinets and drawers (again, maximizing their space and eliminating the need for a lot of furniture) and on the other….4 closet bays enclosed with plastic sliding doors, 2 of which had been used to house cats apparently. After a lot of sanitizing and removal of the ceiling throughout the house, we set to work transforming this space into something that could multitask and be better utilized along the right and was a much more welcoming transition from the front of the house to the back. If this were a space for long term residing, I might have kept all 4 bays as closets. But since we planned to use the space as a guest house, and there was high demand during this time for extra work from home space, I redesigned it so the 2 outside bays remained storage closets, using vintage doors on barn tracks to slide, and turned the 2 inner bays into a reading nook with a built in bench that could convert to a small desk for extra workspace. As an added bonus, it also became a fun extra sleeping space for some very tiny kiddos once in a while. The materials were leftover paint from the bathroom which helped tie the two spaces together; leftover slats that had turned out too dark for the kitchen but I wanted to use them and felt the space needed some texture and warmth; thrifted books; and the cushions made from old padding and some vintage fabric. My seamstress friend sewed them together using a bunch of vintage zippers in her collection. The grids created by the built in drawers made me think of retro hunting plaids which was my inspiration for the space- from the cushions to the throw blankets and the wood design installed on the wall. I am nothing if not quirky and love a bit of whimsy, so when I came across the pheasant pillows, even though they were not second hand- I had to. A new light fixture helped drastically brighten the space and create a welcoming transition towards the natural light in the bathroom.

To enjoy the transformation, click and swipe through.