Why My Husband’s Office at the Beach House Is Now a Bedroom
Why My Husband’s Office at the Beach House Is Now a Bedroom might sound a little dramatic, but honestly, it is a great idea.
Transforming this rarely used office into a fifth bedroom may have been one of the smartest changes we have ever made to our beach house. What started as a simple idea quickly turned into a full-room makeover. But now we have a beautiful new guest room with its own bathroom, more space for family and grandkids, and a setup that works so much better for the way we actually live in this home.
Sorry, Dave, But We Needed Another Bedroom
I guess you could say I stole my husband’s office.
And honestly? That’s ok.
For years, Dave had a wonderful office upstairs at the beach house. It was a beautiful room with great light, an adjacent full bathroom, and enough space for a sofa bed, desk, and storage. But the truth is, the office was just not being used very often.
Meanwhile, every time our family visited, we found ourselves wishing we had one more bedroom.
One more room for grandkids.
One more room for guests.
One more place where everyone could stay comfortably together.
And suddenly it became obvious.
Why did we still have an office when what we really needed was a fifth bedroom?
So over Memorial Day weekend, we completely transformed Dave’s office into a bedroom, and I cannot believe how much better this works for our family.
Why We Needed Another Bedroom
One of the best things about our beach house is that it has become the gathering place for our family.
The boys come.
The grandkids come.
Friends visit.
Weekends fill up quickly.
And while I absolutely love having a full house, sleeping arrangements had become a little creative.
You know the kind.
Someone ends up on a sofa bed.
Someone shares a room.
Someone volunteers to sleep “anywhere.”
Which is exactly why the office started bothering me.
Every time I walked past it, I thought:
“This could be such a great bedroom.”
Especially because it already had an adjacent full bathroom.
Honestly, the room practically wanted to become a bedroom.
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The Big Switch
Once we decided to make the change, everything happened quickly.
We moved Dave’s office into our bedroom, which actually worked surprisingly well. We had a large blank wall that wasn’t being used, and it turned out to be the perfect spot for his desk setup.
And the funny thing?
The new office area actually has a better view than the old office.
I do not think Dave was too disappointed once he realized that part.
The transition itself was fairly easy except for one thing.
The sofa bed.
The Sofa Bed Disaster
Can we talk about how unbelievably heavy sofa beds are?
Because apparently nobody warns you about this.
The office had a sleeper sofa, and I thought getting rid of it would be simple. I listed it for free, thinking someone would want it immediately.
Nope.
Turns out “free sofa bed” becomes a lot less appealing when the words “must move from the second floor” are involved.
Eight people wanted the sofa bed. But not one person wanted to move it.
I honestly could not believe it.
We tried everything to move it ourselves and quickly realized there was absolutely no chance it would happen.
Eventually, I hired two guys to carry the sofa bed downstairs and move it to the front porch. Only then did someone finally come pick it up.
The entire experience made me swear I would never buy another sleeper sofa.
Ever.
Creating the Perfect Guest Room
Once the room was empty, the fun part began.
I wanted this bedroom to feel cozy, calm, and welcoming. I did not want it to feel like a former office with a bed shoved into it. I wanted it to feel intentional and beautiful.
The first thing I ordered was the bed from Living Spaces.
We actually own the same bed in our Pasadena house, which made the decision easy because we already knew how much we loved it. It is simple, comfortable, and works perfectly in a coastal bedroom.
After that, the Amazon orders started arriving daily.
And I mean daily.
I ordered:
- a Nectar mattress
- a box spring
- sheets
- a duvet
- a duvet cover
- pillows
- decorative pillows
- towels
- bedding essentials
- phone chargers and extension cords
- accessories
At one point, our front porch looked like an Amazon distribution center.
But honestly, Amazon makes projects like this so easy because everything arrives quickly, and you can completely pull a room together in just days.
Why We Love Nectar Mattresses
We already own a Nectar mattress in another home, so ordering another one was an easy decision.
When you frequently have guests, comfort matters.
A lot.
I never want anyone staying in our home to feel like they are sleeping in a “guest room bed.” I want them to feel comfortable, rested, and completely at home.
The Nectar mattresses have been incredibly comfortable for us, and I love that they are delivered in a box because maneuvering a traditional mattress upstairs at the beach house would have been another adventure I was not interested in having.
We opened it, let it expand, and it was ready surprisingly quickly.
Pulling the Room Together
Once the bed was assembled, the room started feeling completely different almost immediately.
It stopped looking like an office and suddenly looked warm, inviting, and peaceful.
The Frame TV was already there, and the vintage cabinet is from Round Top.
I layered soft bedding, added cozy pillows, fresh towels, and a few simple decorative touches to make the space feel finished without overdecorating.
One thing I have learned over the years is that guest rooms do not need much “stuff.”
They just need to feel thoughtful.
Fresh bedding.
Good pillows.
Soft lighting.
Extra blankets.
A place to set a suitcase.
A charging outlet nearby.
Those little things make guests feel welcome more than anything else.
I did want to mention that I ordered three gold glass frames that we delayed, so I wasn’t able to hang them in time for this blog post.
The Best Part About This Change
Without question, the best part of this room transformation is what it means for our family.
We now have a true fifth bedroom.
Which means:
- more space for grandkids
- more room for family holidays
- easier sleeping arrangements
- more opportunities to invite friends to stay
- less stress when the house is full
And honestly, that is exactly what this house is for.
The beach house has never been about perfectly styled rooms or keeping everything untouched.
It has always been about gathering.
Some of my favorite moments happen when the house is overflowing with people, towels are everywhere, and someone is always asking where the extra coffee mugs are.
Adding this bedroom simply makes the house function better for the life we are actually living.
A Room With a Future
One of the things I love most about this new bedroom is imagining all of the memories that will happen here.
Grandkids sleeping over.
Late night conversations.
Family weekends.
Friends visiting the beach.
Holiday mornings.
Rooms hold memories.
And I already know this room is going to become part of so many special moments for our family.
Honestly, I wish we had done this sooner.
Sometimes the Best Home Decisions Are the Practical Ones
As much as I love decorating and designing spaces, this project reminded me that sometimes the smartest home changes are not about trends or aesthetics.
They are about functionality.
The office looked nice before.
But the bedroom makes sense.
And when a home works better for your family, everything feels easier.
I think sometimes we hold onto rooms because of what we think they are “supposed” to be instead of asking ourselves what we actually need.
This room taught me that lesson.
Final Thoughts
So yes, I stole my husband’s office.
But I gained a bedroom that will be used constantly, making hosting easier, and allowing more people we love to stay together at the beach house.
And thankfully, Dave still has a pretty great office setup with an even better view.
I would call that a win for both of us.
Now, if only I could forget the experience of moving that sofa bed.
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It came out so lovely! The bed looks fantastic! Lucky family and guests!
Thank you! We are already enjoying the new bedroom this weekend. I have a girls weekend!