With the holiday season approaching, guest bedrooms are on many of our clients’ minds. When friends and family come to stay, it’s important to give them a warm, welcoming space to enjoy. We just set up our guest bedroom look book with our favorite guest bedroom and hostessing finds.
Here’s our guide to decorating a guest bedroom in your home:
What size bed for a guest bedroom?
This is one of the most-asked questions when it comes to guest bedroom decorating. We like to start with, “Who’s staying with you?” and “How big is the room?”
If you’re using a larger space like an attic or lower level and you anticipate having kids come to stay, a bunk room is always a beloved choice. Building a built-in bunk room can get pricey, so if you’re on a smaller budget, coordinating bunk beds that aren’t built in work just as well.
image via Style Me Pretty
If you have a smaller room but still anticipate grandchildren or other youngsters visiting, we love the double twin bed look. An easy way to save space in tight quarters is to just put one large nightstand in the middle. Another idea for a smaller grandkid or nieces/nephews guest room is a trundle bed, where an extra twin mattress rolls out on the bottom. It’s great for sleepovers!
pic via ThousWell
If you’re doing multiple beds in one room, we recommend keeping the bedding the same on all of them. Our Pine Cone Hill collection is a great place to start.
If you’ll mostly be hosting adults and/or couples, you’ll want to choose a larger bed. If you know that two people will be sharing the space, we recommend going with nothing smaller than a queen size bed if the room will fit it - it’s a nicer, more luxurious size for your guests than a full.
We like our Corsican line of iron-wrought beds. They come in a range of styles and the colors can be customized, too. The iron design gives an airy feel and makes the space appear bigger.
What furniture goes in a guest bedroom?
Again, this depends on the size of your room. We like to include nightstands, a dresser, and if the space fits, a comfy reading chair.
Here are some more of our favorite guest bedroom decorating ideas:
Always include a mirror - full size, if possible. Here are some of our favorite mirrors.
A TV is a nice touch - hang it over the dresser and make sure to leave the remote on the nightstand.
We like to layer lighting: the ideal is a few regular overhead lights, a pretty chandelier, and sconces above the bed OR lamps on the nightstand.
Photo via Jan Woodhouse
One of those suitcase stands you find in a hotel is a nice touch, so your guests don’t have to put the suitcase on the bed or the floor to unpack.
Since a guest bedroom isn’t used every day, it’s a great place to add a fun element like wallpaper too. Wallpaper the whole room, or stick with an accent wall.
Everyone’s preference is different, so we like to layer the window treatments, too. The ideal is shades, pretty sheers, and curtains to finish the look. Those who enjoy the morning sunlight can sleep with just the sheers closed, while those who need total darkness can adjust to their liking.
Don’t forget to warm the space up with a rug. Shop our Dash and Albert rug collection here.
Small Guest Bedroom Ideas
If your space is teeny tiny, you can still make it cozy. Our small bedroom guest decorating ideas:
You can skip larger nightstands and just go with pedestal tables instead - guests likely won’t need to store things in their nightstand like they would in their usual bedroom.
If the room is too tight, skip a dresser and get a platform bed with drawers underneath.
Try adding floating shelves to the wall for things like toiletries and candles.
Don’t skip the mirror - it’ll make the room appear larger.
Office/Guest Bedroom Ideas
Sometimes, a guest bedroom has to be used as a dual space. In these situations, we recommend furniture that does double duty.
Stick with a daybed - it looks more like a sofa than a bed, and you can add pretty throw pillows to pretty up the space.
via Apartment Therapy
Replace the nightstand with a desk - when guests come to stay, you can clean your paperwork and office supplies off and replace them with framed photos and candles.
Get an enclosed bookcase that can contain clutter (and hide it away) when your guests arrive.
How to Prepare a Guest Bedroom
When your guests are arriving, we like to set up a guest bedroom like you’d set up a fancy hotel. Here are our ideas for special little touches that help make it feel like home:
Leave freshly laundered and folded towels somewhere in the room. If there’s an ensuite bath, add a new bar of soap [link] and make sure the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles are full. If they’ll be sharing a bathroom with other family members, think about getting robes and adding them in the closet. Don’t forget hangers for the closet, too!
via Sunny Circle
Add a fresh candle - don’t forget the lighter or matches. Here are some of our favorite candles.
Add a small basket and include mini water bottles, small snacks, and travel-sized essentials like toothpaste in case they get thirsty in the middle of the night or forgot something at home.
Put some interesting books or new magazines on the nightstand for your guests to enjoy.
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