Wednesday 18 January 2017

Guest Room Decorating Tips

If you are like me, you love to entertain. It is always nice when a friend or family member feels comfortable enough to want to stay for the weekend. We have regular house guests and when they stay I always want them to feel comfortable and welcome.

We are very lucky because our house has three big bedrooms, one of which is our master bedroom, one is the nursery and the final (and biggest) room is Bert's 'big boy bedroom'. This room is large enough to fit a double bed, and a single bed (that Bert uses). So it is a multi-functioning bedroom: day to day for Bert to use, but also big enough for two guests when they come to stay. Our Nursery room is much the same, housing the cot for Connie but also a kingsize bed for guests. 


In Bert's 'big boy bedroom' there is plenty of storage space too, so it is ideal for putting people up for a couple of nights, and Bert is quite happy to have a "sleepover" when our close friends and family come to stay.

Laying out and decorating a guest room can be tricky. In our case, we needed to take into account the fact that it is Bert’s bedroom most of the time. I'm sure a lot of you are in a similar situation.

Most people’s guest, or spare, room has to double up as an office or playroom too. It is a good use of space, but does mean that you do have to plan the room layout carefully. To help you to plan a multi-purpose guest room I have put together a few helpful tips.

Good storage is essential


Perhaps the most important part of the planning is making sure that you build in enough storage space. Ideally, you want to provide your guests with a bit of separate wardrobe/chest of drawers space. It does not have to be very big, just enough room for them to hang up a couple of dresses, store their coats etc.

It is also a good idea to leave a couple of drawers, or a shelf free, somewhere for them to store they underwear and tops. They will also need space beside the bed for a glass of water and their phone. I ensure there are plug sockets free near to the bed for their chargers etc.

A good approach is to invest in some under the bed storage containers - that way you can put the clothes/toys/clutter out of the way into those boxes when guests come to stay, allowing for maximum space for your guests to use.

Decorate a multi-purpose room

If you can, try to decorate your guest room in a neutral way. This does not mean that the decor has to be boring. We like colour, so while the walls and flooring of our guest room are quite neutral, we have bought brightly coloured quilt sets to jazz it up a little! Good quality bedding sets are not expensive, and they come in a huge choice of styles, so finding something that works for when you have guests is not hard.

Bert's 'Big Boy Bedroom' dinosaur/hulk themed

Bert's part of the bedroom is (of course!) Dinosaur themed, we has a Dinosaur bedding set and we've added some simple wall stickers and an Incredible Hulk canvas (painted by my talented best friend, Carmi) near his bed to make his part of the room much more interesting. We've hung bunting, stuck posters on the wall and stored his toys within easy reach so he can use the space next to his bed as a playroom too. 

The guest section of the bedroom

The guest section is a little more neutral and less childlike -  we've jazzed the space up with colourful bedding, floral bunting, a large hanging paper star, a quirky teapot bedside lamp, a few canvases, some ball lights and a statement bed frame. There is also under bed storage, a bedside drawer unit and stacked picnic hampers used as a bedside unit for popping your drink/phone at night time.

A comfortable bed

Naturally, you want your guests to be able to relax and have a good night’s rest, which means you have to provide them with a comfortable bed. If you have to buy a sofa bed, be sure to invest in one with a sprung base. Should you have enough space for a proper bed like us, then do buy a good one, and try to find one that allows you to either slide a few storage boxes underneath or has drawers. As I said earlier, this space can then be used to store your belongings, while you have guests. This option provides your guests with a less cluttered room to enjoy.

If you have more guest bedroom decorating ideas, I would love to hear about them, so please leave a comment below.

Bye for now...

Mrs B 

xxx