Inviting guests to spend the night can be great fun, but it can also be stressful to worry about everyone’s comfort. Whether you are the type to play host all year-round, or who only has people stay for the holidays, the following tips will help you spruce up your guest space into a relaxing retreat your friends and family will love.
Guest Bedroom Decorating Ideas
When decorating your guest bedroom, strongly consider adding soft seating where someone can relax without having to sit in bed, a bench for storage or to take one’s shoes off, and a mirror. At the very least, a wall mirror is necessary for combing hair and putting on makeup, particularly if there is likely to be a rush for the bathroom in the morning. A floor length mirror is even better, as your guests can look over their entire outfit before going out. Finally, consider the windows. Early morning light may be pleasant for some individuals, but can make it hard to sleep for others. Pairing attractive blackout curtains with a sheer allows your guests to control how much light they receive so that everyone wakes well-rested.
Guest Bedroom Paint Colors
Source: Modern Bedroom Decorating Project in Chicago by Design Inside
For a truly luxurious guest experience, a little bit of decoration can go a long way. Consider first the color pallet; calm and muted tones will feel serene and spa-like, but that doesn’t mean you can only use shades of grey and beige. In fact, adding some color will help a guest room become more inviting. Blues, greens, and yellows can be soothing choices, and for a truly high-end look, consider a tone-on-tone approach. A bedroom all in shades of green, for example, makes for very beautiful and classic design. Whimsical additions such as table lamps, floating shelves, and complementary artwork go a long way to making a space feel finished.
Expand Your (Bedroom) Horizons
Having a designated guest room makes the process of accommodating guests much simpler, but if you are in the habit of inviting over more than what your guest room allows, there are a number of furniture solutions which can increase your flexibility. The pull-out sofa is one classic example and can make a highly functional addition to a living room, family room, or den. Typical pull-out sofas will sleep two adults comfortably.
Another alternative is the daybed, great for an office space or a bedroom not quite large enough to fit a second standard mattress. Several furniture retailers now offer pull-out accent chairs as well; check out stores such as West Elm and Crate & Barrel for chairs-and-a-half which pull out into a twin bed. If your guest room is large enough, one of these chairs in the corner can give a young child the opportunity to sleep in the same room as their parents.
Add a Personal Touch For Your Guests
It’s the details which make a guest’s experience truly special. Fresh-cut flowers are easily obtained at the local grocery store—try out Trader Joe’s or Mariano’s for some readily available options—and when arranged in a vase, they make a thoughtful addition to any nightstand. A second nightstand must-have is a clock. Even if everyone seems to have a cellphone these days, there’s something classic about the charm of an analog alarm clock, and it’s good to be able to check the time before an early morning flight or breakfast engagement. Just make sure that it doesn’t tick too loudly and keep your guests up!
It never hurts to give the guest bathroom some attention; a travel-sized toiletry set can ease the stress of arriving at one’s destination only to realize that you forgot your toothbrush. Another smart touch is to lay out extra blankets. These can be kept in a storage trunk or bench, used as a display in a basket, or laid over the end of the bed, but your guests who get cold easily will appreciate being able to bulk up the bedding if need be. Breathable cotton and linen are ideal for the warmer months, while the cozy softness of flannel is the perfect choice for the wintertime.
For the Unexpected Guest
Sometimes you just have to break out the air mattress for your unexpected guests. But how to choose between all those options, options, options? First, consider size. How much floor space do you realistically have to set up a mattress? If you have the space for it, the National Sleep Foundation suggests upgrading to the next-larger size (e.g. queen to king), as the level of inflation can make a mattress feel smaller. Look for something that is easy to inflate. A motorized air pump may be at a higher price point than something manually inflated, but it will save you stress to know you can set up in five—rather than thirty—minutes. Also, air mattresses should be supportive (a coil count of +30 on a queen is a good measure), and check whether a product offers a warranty, both for the mattress and for the pump.
Finally, the addition of quality bedding can help elevate an air mattress from “just okay” to outstanding. If you can, position air mattresses near an outlet and/or light switch for your guests. In the case of longer stays, a stool, bench, or small table for a nightstand will be appreciated, while a folding screen is both decorative and offers your guests privacy even in more public parts of the house.
Bonus Tip
If you need an air mattress, we really love this SoundAsleep air mattress. The AreoBed Queen sized air mattress from Costco is also great if you need to grab one from a brick and mortar store.
Need Additional Design Help Decorating Your Home?
Decorating your home can be an overwhelming task, especially if you live in your home and are already busy with the normal stresses of work, life, and family.
Fear not! We are here to help! We offer interior design services for those who need a little design help to those that need a lot of design assistance with designing and furnishing their home. If you don’t live in the Chicago or Milwaukee area, we offer online interior design services allowing us to help you with your design problems anywhere in the world.