Guest Room Office Combo – an indigo day

Do you have a spare bedroom you’re not sure what to do with it? Maybe you need an office, space for storage, or are hoping to host guests with ease. But maybe you’re not sure exactly how to execute a small space without filling it with tons of furniture that makes it feel cramped.

I’ve got the perfect solution for you. And it’s a home office guest room combo with smart furniture purchases. Here’s how I transformed a small spare room into an office I can use every day, but also a space I can host guests in comfortably on a real mattress!

Guest Room Office Combo

When I knew I was going to have an extra room in my NYC apartment, I knew I had to turn it into a guest room office combo. I have always wanted to be able to host people overnight. And NYC is really the perfect place to do so. Plus, this is such a rarity to have in the city that I wanted to hit the ground running on this project.

Since this room is used daily as an office, I didn’t want to skimp on the office part. I initially purchased a small white Amazon desk just to have something until I found the perfect piece of furniture. But I knew I wanted a larger desk that had ample space for my large desktop screen.

Then it was onto the bed option for the space. More ideas for that below, but my two thoughts were a Murphy bed or a daybed. With some painter’s tape, I mapped out my two options with rough measurements based on some options I found online. It was clear as soon as I taped out a daybed that the entire room would feel cramped instantly. It just took up way too much space for my liking.

I then turned to Murphy bed options. I was unable to do a classic vertical Murphy Bed due to the architecture of the space. And the wall I wanted to place it on. But I loved the horizontal style option that didn’t go as high up on the wall. And it folds out sideways (this is a daybed or horizontal Murphy bed style). This took up only 16 inches of floor space out from the wall. Allowing this room to mostly be used as an office with space to move around.

How To Turn A Small Room Into An Office and Guest Room Combo

Every space will be different based on the size, any limitations, and of course, how you mostly want to use it on a day to day basis. Here are the steps to turn a small extra space or room into an office and guest room combo.

Step One – Map Out Your Room

Before you start buying any furniture for your office and guest room combo, it is crucial to map out the space. Every room will be a little different and may not accommodate a large desk. But it may be able to accommodate a daybed. As you shop and explore products for your space, come back to mapping it out with tape to see exactly how the room will look and feel with the furniture.

This was crucial for me to see how big and bulky a daybed would be in this long and narrow room. It just didn’t make sense. But every space is different, and mapping out the options will help you see things more clearly.

Step Two – Choose A Bed Option

You have a few choices when adding a bed to your office guest room combo. The least real estate will be a Murphy bed as they only come out about 16 or so inches from the wall. There are also various styles of Murphy beds from classic wall Murphy Beds, to cabinet Murphy Beds. Plus ones with desks and cabinetry making it feel like a custom built-in.

Maybe you hate the look of a Murphy bed or want something you can enjoy every so often by sitting and relaxing in the office. So that may mean you opt for a sofa bed or a day bed. You can also find great trundle beds too. It’s a choice of how you want to see this multifunctional room used. Do you want to lounge between hosting guests in your office? Or is the space exclusively an office or a bedroom, and never really both?

Step Three – Choose A Desk Setup

It’s usually best to go for a smaller desk setup if you want to really maximize your small space. However, if this will be used as an office daily, you may want to get something you really want to enjoy every day. That’s what I did for this space. While my larger desk does take up more space, it is predominantly being used as an office. And so that is where I wanted to allow myself to take up more space.

It’s also key to keep in mind, if you are going with a Murphy bed, you don’t have to be as mindful of your desk and chair choice here. The Murphy bed will only be open when guests are sleeping. So as long as the bed can function and open with your office desk and chair not getting in the way, you’re good to go!

Step Four – Decorate

While yes, you should have the decor in mind from the get-go, once you have your desk and bed set up, you can start to really have some fun. Add curtains to the windows, a cute lamp on your desk, a fun light fixture in the room and maybe even a bookcase to decorate and also add some storage. Depending on how much the room will be used as either an office or guest bedroom, will determine how you really decorate the space.

If this is going to be a heavily used guest room, you may want to add a floor length mirror and a stool. Or a narrow clothing rack for a better guest experience. Maybe even some open shelves so guests can leave their toiletry bags, phone and so on in the space. If it’s mostly an office, you’ll maybe need some storage for filing items, printer and so on.

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Are Murphy Beds Worth It

After installing the Murphy bed and seeing how it truly takes up so little space, yet allows for a comfortable place for guests to sleep, I can confidently say Murphy beds are worth it. They are the perfect solution when you need small office ideas that function as guest bedrooms when you need it. Or maybe you also have another multifunctional space you need to optimize. Murphy beds are just a smart choice for small spaces.

Are Murphy Beds Comfortable?

The thing I love about the Murphy bed too is how comfortable they are. Instead of a crappy air mattress that you also need to find storage for along with the bedding, your guests can enjoy a real mattress. I say this with experience as I initially bought an air mattress for this apartment. But it took up so much space in a closet and it just wasn’t comfortable! Plus, I had to store the bedding in the close too. The Murphy bed is stored with the bedding and pillows folded up.

A Murphy bed doesn’t take up much real estate, making it a great small space solution. Plus, I wanted a REAL mattress. I went with the Leesa Original mattress for this Murphy bed as they do require certain heights to accommodate the fact that the mattress is being stored inside.

With only 10 inches to work with, it was challenging to find a quality mattress that fir the height requirement. I could’ve easily gone with a cheap $150 mattress on Amazon. I want my guests to have a great night sleep, and a real, high-quality mattress was key for me.

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