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38 Guest Bedroom Ideas to Create a Cozy and Welcoming Space
They might not want to leave!
As the holidays near, it’s not only time to start planning out a delectable feast starring your favorite turkey or ham, but it’s also time to think through how to thoughtfully welcome guests into your home. If you have family or friends coming to stay this season, here’s your excuse to spruce up your extra bedroom for their stay. To help inspire you, we’ve rounded up our best guest bedroom ideas.
Whether you have a small space or a large one and are on a limited budget or a sizable one, these pictures are sure to give you lots of bedroom decor ideas. After selecting just the right guest bed frame and mattress, you can start brainstorming your wall design and even how to create an office setup that can be used when guests aren’t staying with you.
The good news is that even a simple addition of cheery bedding or a fresh coat of paint goes a long way to freshen up a guest room’s look and make it feel welcoming and relaxed for whoever stays in it. Below you’ll also find small space decorating ideas, including how to best tuck guests away into cozy sleeping quarters or a converted attic. By the time you finish with your guest room, you might be choosing the guest bed over your own!
For even more bedroom decorating ideas:
Add in Subtle Festive Flair
Bring extra cheer to your holiday guests with a touch of seasonal decor in their bedroom. Here, a cluster of brass bells tied with a scarlet ribbon adds a subtle ring to the holiday hanging on a classic poster bed. You might also add a fresh greenery wreath or a small tree to the space.
Get the Look:
Poster Bed: “Colestin” Bed by Rejuvenation
RELATED: Farmhouse Christmas Decorating Ideas for the Merriest Country Home
Pile on the Blankets
Winter nights can get chilly, and there’s nothing worse than not having enough covers to keep you warm at night. Throw an extra throw blanket loosely on your guest bed and place another on a chair or other surface for guests to make sure they stay warm and cozy in your guest room overnight.
RELATED: See More of This Connecticut Home That Is ‘Mad for Plaid’ at Christmastime
Set Out a Bedside Lamp
If you don’t sleep in a room yourself, it's easy to focus on making it look pretty, but don’t forget the practical elements you’d want in a room to sleep overnight. Case in point: A bedside lamp is essential (because who wants to get up from bed to turn off a light switch after reading in bed?). The blue-ish gray paint on the walls in this room has a calming effect as well, and the metallic wreath with a red ribbon adds a festive accent.
RELATED: Tour More of this Tennessee Home All Decked Out for Christmas
Go Matchy-Matchy
If you’re trying to fit as many guests as you can for the holidays, which is the case at Country Living Editor-in-Chief Rachel Barrett’s Mississippi farmhouse, give your twin beds a pulled-together feel with matching bedding. Change up the boudoir pillows on each bed for a personalized touch.
Get the Look:
Gingham Pillows: “Gingham” Petite Pillow by Heather Taylor Home
Floral Pillows: “Bloomsbury” Boudoir Pillow by Biscuit Home
RELATED: Take A Look Inside More of This Mississippi Farmhouse—You’ll Never Believe the Befores!
Use Pops of Green
No matter the season, we love seeing all the pops of green—a totally on-trend hue—in this calm and collected guest room, but it’s especially festive around the holidays. Fun patterns and a mix of textures play nicely with the more traditional bed frame and art work.
Get the Look:
Velvet Pillow: Fringed Signature Velvet Pillow in Sage by Ballard Designs
Skirted Nightstand Fabric: Filigree Flower in Gilt by Soane Britain
RELATED: 50 Rooms and Decorating Ideas That Prove Green Is the Prettiest Color
Drench Your Room in White
If your guest room is small or has a low ceiling, go for white! Drenching the walls, ceiling, and floors in the single light color provides a cohesive visual background and allows for more colorful decor and layers that bring the space together without overpowering.
RELATED: The Best White Paint Colors For Every Room in the House
Go Wild with Wallpaper
This guest bedroom’s botanical wallpaper fits right into the cottage’s mountain setting. Homeowner Amy Whyte layered in patterned linens in a burnt-orange-and-denim color palette to give the space that “perfectly put together” feel.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: “Wychwood” by Andrew Martin
RELATED: Tour More of this Virginia Mountain Cottage That is Straight Out of a Storybook
Layer on Colorful Quilts
In a calm and quiet guest room, layer on colorful pieced quilts in a similar colorway to add a farmhouse feel. This is also a great way to create a cohesive palette in a room with multiple beds.
RELATED: Farmhouse Decorating Ideas for Every Room in Your House
Add a Guest-Friendly Luggage Rack
There’s nothing worse than walking into a guest room and having no place for your things! Provide a functional (and stylish!) luggage rack, like these folding camp stools, to help guests keep their weekend clutter under control.
Get the Look:
Luggage Racks: For similar, Solid Wood Luggage Rack from Amazon
RELATED: Tour More of One of the Prettiest Country Farmhouses We’ve Ever Seen
Pretty It Up with Paint
Want to take plain-Jane bunk beds to the next level? Take a page out of this Missouri summer cabin’s playbook and paint them a fun shade! Here, a moody blue-gray sets a slightly nautical tone.
Get the Look:
Bunk Bed Paint Color: Submarine Gray by Behr
Floor Paint Color: Cypress Vine by Behr
RELATED: Need to Sleep a Crowd? Try These Nostalgic Bunk Room Ideas
Choose Statement Bedding
In this cozy, creamy West Virginia bedroom, statement bedding steals the show. Mix and match patterns—staying within a similar color range—for the ultimate designed-but-not-designed look.
RELATED: Tour More of This Tiny West Virginia Cottage That Brims with Big Personality
Lean Into Architectural Quirks
If your guest room doesn’t have a conventional layout, lean into the unusual space! Here, a tucked-in cubby becomes the perfect guest perch thanks to scalloped wood trim and cozy bedding. Don’t forget to bring in a small bedside table or stool.
Upcycle a Trunk
In this nicely neutral guest room, an antique trunk topped with a pharmacy-style reading lamp acts as a bedside table for both beds. Rely on fun vintage items such as this to bring an added layer of personality to your space.
Go Pretty & Primitive
Texas designer Claire Zinnecker masterfully balances pretty and primitive throughout her circa-1898 Texas farmhouse. In the guest room, we love the way the rustic walls look with the feminine bedding. Plus, the antique double wedding ring quilt was sewn by her grandmother!
Add a Loveseat
Whether for man’s best friend or just another sitting option, adding a small couch or loveseat to a guest bedroom will make for a homey touch.
RELATED: Tour More of This Tiny Restored Farmhouse That is Packed with Pattern and Patina
Embrace Summer Tones
Consider this guest bedroom a lesson in breezy decor. A bamboo headboard and antique quilt are complemented by turquoise furniture and cabbageware plates artfully hung on the wall.
Get the Look:
Cabbageware Plates: Cabbage Dinner Plates by Bordallo Pinhero
RELATED: See More of This Breezy, Dreamy Beach House That Used to Be a Rundown Shack
Bring in a Bench
Need to maximize storage or sitting space in a small bedroom? Add a bench at the end of the bed! Rustic wood ones are the perfect complement to wrought iron beds.
Roll in a Clothing Rack
For a room without a closet (or closets that are already full!), bring in a freestanding clothing rack to provide your guests a convenient place to hang their clothes.
Get the Look:
Bed: “Dorley Farmhouse” Bed from Home Depot
Add All-American Accents
In a tiny coastal Washington home, a patriotic theme rings through this guest bedroom, from the flags on the wall to the various red-and-blue patterns below.
RELATED: Tour More of This Tiny Puget Sound Home That Was Made for Lazy Summers
Choose a Dresser Over a Side Table
Using a dresser as a side table offers visitors more storage and space for their belongings. Installing a wall-mounted sconce, as opposed to using a table lamp, also frees up space on top for books and catchall trays.
RELATED: See How Tennessee Couple Transformed a Rickety Hayloft Into This Airy Modern Home
Anna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she covers design and decorating trends, home features, and gift guides. She also produces home features and styles content for the print magazine. When she isn’t working, can often be found digging around antique shops for the perfect find. Follow her adventures on Instagram!
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