Designing a Wonderful Guest Bedroom

It's that time of year when you have the opportunity to make somebody's life feel wonderful, even if just for a few days. When hosting friends or family during during a vacation or over the holidays, there are some considerations you might want to keep in mind while designing the guest room. Guest bedrooms are interesting because they get less traction than other spaces in the house, especially if they are dedicated guest rooms, and as such, they do offer an opportunity to approach the design a little differently. In this blog post, I'd like to share my thoughts on some ways to think about how to design dedicated guest rooms.

BOLD DESIGN.

Take it as an opportunity to go bold or with a design you fear might be overwhelming if you lived in it every day. This doesn't mean excessive. It just means a little bolder. Because it's usually used as a temporary space, you can design it in the with the same mindset you can design a powder room or with the same mindset designers approach a boutique hotel space. Being transient spaces, these are all perfect for more bold fun and lively design. Since you won't be in there a huge percentage of the time, they can take a slightly stronger scheme. That's the fun part.... The challenging aspect of designing this type of space is that whatever you do, you probably want to think of a very universal design, something that will please many. What if your young nephew or niece is visiting? What if it's a friend from abroad? Or your parents? Create a space that will make guests enjoy being in their room and feel that they are privileged to be in such a space. So how do you create a bolder space that can please many?

1. Choose a design that is very simple and traditional but lively in colors or that has a large--or even oversized--pattern.

   

   Traditional motifs with bright colors

   

   Simple classic design in a color-drenched room

2. Choose a combination of colors that will bring joy and fun, even if it is something you wouldn't want to live in every day. Something different for your guests to enjoy in small bursts.

   

   Over-sized pattern in a unique color scheme

   

   Almost austere design with deep, contemporary color scheme

3. Choose design elements for your guest bedroom that are universally appealing: animals fit the bill. A cool tiger print, but not in the traditional safari colors; dogs are also great because they're so universally loved; and prints that inspire some sort of fantasy, or whimsical designs.

   

   Animals on headboard

Animals in the decor

And what do you do if your guest room doubles as a home office? I'd say, navigate the design in a similar way to the above and try to create a layout which allows you to be in this fresh environment with the desk hopefully facing away from the strongest design elements. This way, you will be in the space without tiring of it.

LIGHTING & STORAGE.

Make sure your guests have decent lighting, especially at the bedside. Feeling like they have good lighting as they sit in bed to end their day, is a huge sign of care, and maybe even more so is making sure they have quick and easy access to a light switch so they can find their way to a bathroom or closet if they need to get up in the middle if the night. Remember, it's not their home and it is possible that they feel disoriented, especially the first night.

Good lighting near the bed is a must!

PLAYFUL DETAILS

You can add fun, and inexpensive decor to make the space inviting and amusing for your guests.

Whimsical decor to complete the design

CARE.

A little card with some information that will help a guest feel at ease can be easy and very appreciated. It can include information like the wifi password, where to find towels or extra tissue for the bathroom and other items they may have forgotten, Even though this is not interior design strictly speaking, it is part of your hosting design, and will convey that thoughtfulness and care for your guests we're addressing here. A little treat on the nightstand on the first night can be a great idea too!

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