Guest bedroom decorating ideas (2023)

Gorgeous guest room tips for a home away from home

Whether you're renting out a room on Airbnb or have friends and family coming to visit over the festive period, make them feel welcome with a beautifully designed bedroom that they can call their own. From bold style statements to thoughtful little details, click or scroll on to get inspired by these brilliant guest bedroom ideas for anunforgettable stay...

Go big on glamour

For a show-stopping guest room create a luxurious scheme withrich floral patterns and sumptuous materials. This space contrastsrich blue walls and a navy headboard with softpink hues across the floor-length curtains and bedding for a glamorous feel. Vintage-themed art and a statement silk dressing gown hung on the wall complete the look.

Add in a day bed

Convertible furniture is a great way to make space stretch further in your home and a day bed is the ultimate multitasker. Functioning both as a cosy sofa and an extra sleeping spot when unexpected guests turn up, it can easily transform a snug or living space into an extra bedroom. A model with drawers in the base will provide the perfect spot forstoring spare bedding.

Stage like a five-star hotel

Create a warm welcome by filling your guest room with little extras they might find in a hotel. Hang a fluffy bathrobe beside a stylish leaning ladder for displaying guest towels. Pop a luggage rack at the foot of the bed and finish with a glass decanter of water and fresh flowers on the bedside table for the final five-star flourish.

Freshen up with flowers

Fresh flowers are a beautiful finishing touch for any guest room, but if the real thing is too much hassle, faux stems can bejust as convincing. It's a great option for a room that gets occasional use and saves throwing away the dead blooms after each visitor. Carry the look through your scheme with pretty floral bed linen in similar tones to your chosen blooms.

Turn up the texture

Sometimes texture is all that's needed to takea lacklustre guest room to the next level. Opt for retro rattan units and lampshades, and complement with wicker storage baskets and dried flowers. Balance out the look with luxurious blankets and an inviting mound of cosy cushions.

Create a luxe suite

If your guest room is lucky enough to have an ensuite bathroom, it's important to make sure it feels cohesive with the bedroom.Here, amodern streamlined finish and a brown and grey colour palette establish a visual connection between both spaces, creating the impression of a luxe, free-flowing hotel suite.If you have the space, why not pop in a clever walkthrough wardrobe too?

Embrace light tones

For a bright and beautiful guest bedroom, play at the lighter end of the colour palette. Here, bleached wood panelling is perfectly offset by textured cream bedding and soft grey cushions. Up the rustic feel by leaning branches wrapped in twinkling fairy lights in the corner of the room.

Fall for floor-length curtains

Draft-excluding window dressings are the ideal way to make your guest roomfeel cosy and welcomingall year round, plus they can add serious style points to your space. This black and white floor-length botanical print brings interest to an otherwise neutral scheme, while providing valuableextra insulation in the colder months.

Layer up the bed

A well-dressed bed with plenty of soft textures will help your guests get a good night's sleep. Go for animpressive upholstered bed framethen layer up withpillows and cushions in neutral tones for the ultimate hotel-style finish. An elegant bedside lamp will complete the cosy,elegantscheme.

Amp up the ambience

Don't forget about the smaller details when you come to dress your guest room. Afew safely positioned scented candles can help create a relaxing space that stimulates the senses, plus that flickering glow will be so inviting after nightfall. Mix in a couple of trailing house plants or vases of flowers for a beautiful botanical addition.

Transport to the tropics

A guest bedroom is agreat place to have fun with colour. Channel a tropical theme by combining teal leaf motifs across bed linen and artwork with contrasting soft pink walls and a statement rattan headboard.Frame the look with lush plants, they don't even have to be real!

Put comfortable first

A comfortable and stylish bed will last way beyond the latest trend and ensureyour guests slumber soundly. Choose a sumptuous fabric and finish that will match both cheery summer bed linen and woollen blankets when it's time for a seasonal update.

Deliver on desk space

Depending on how long your guests are staying,a place to work may bea welcome addition for visitors who may need to catch up on emails. Invest in a simple stylish desk that won't take up too much space and can also double as a dressing table. Zone a home office alcove by painting it a rich and inviting colour like this autumnal damsonshade.

Stock up on stylish storage

Guest roomscan never have enough storage. Choose matching furniture in the same wood tones for a smart, coordinatedfeel. Leave some drawers and hanging space empty to allow plenty of space for guests' essentials and storethose extra creature comforts such as blankets and pillows in a handy ottoman at the foot of the bed.

Pick pretty blinds

Window blinds make a nice alternative to curtains in smaller rooms as they offer a smart, streamlined finish. Choose a black-out fabric so guests aren't woken by the light in the morningand opt for acolourful pattern to inject a playful feel. This geodesign is subtle,pretty and offsetsthis moody bedroom palette.

Play with panelling

Traditionally a period feature, wall panelling is making a comeback and it's the perfect way to elevate an ordinary guest room while adding architectural interest. Painted a soft grey, this coffered design is simple but effective, plus it offers a calming contrast to the bold black furnishings.

Make it mid-century

Take a trip down memory lane and style out your guest space with a bold mid-century-style sofa bed that can offer extra seating when not in use. An arc floor lamp with a metallic shade adds a hint of glamour, while a rattan armchair completesthis nostalgic scheme.

Soften the floors

Place a large arearug in the heart of the room beneath furnishings to create comfort underfoot on bare wood floors. A neutral style with a softtexture will add a cosy, inviting feel, while still lookingtasteful and elegant in a pared-back scheme.

Major on mirrors

Don't neglect essentialfurnishings and fixtures that guests will need to get ready in the morning. A wall-mounted mirror with a shelf and jewellery hooksis the ideal multitasking solution in a spare bedroom. Don't forget to ensure the spot is well-lit – if the mirror is situated in adark corner, consider bringing in task lighting.

Leave out refreshments

Leave out drinkand snack supplieson a practical tea tray so guests can enjoy a morning coffee or an afternoon tea. Choose generous-sized crockery that matches the bedroom scheme and remember to include a sugar pot and a small bottle of milk.

Make a room multifunctional

While guest rooms are great to have, not all properties have the square footagetoaccommodate a spare bedroom. A sofa bed is a great way to turn any space into a temporary guest room. Make it welcoming by dressingwith soft bed linen and adding extra cushions. You can eventurn your coffee table into a bedside table by adding a lamp,flowers and even an alarm clock.

Create space to kick back

Make sure there is somewhere for visitorsto kick back and relax in yourguest room during their stay. Place a snug armchair next to a window so they can admirethe view or curl up with a good book. Don't forget to dress it with cosy pillows and a throw for the ultimate snug spot.

Double up with a trundle

A smaller single guest room will benefit from a trundle bed thatfolds out into a full-sized double bed when couples arrive. Alternatively, a pull-out single guest mattress that can be storedunder thebed is a great option for younger guests who are happy to share a room with their sibling or parent.

Wow with wallpaper

Bold, dramatic wallpaper is a great way to make a statement in a simple guest room. Opt for a large mural-style design on just one wall and use it to anchor the rest of your scheme –the pale blues and teals of thistonal wildflower pattern extend to the doorframe, cushions and accessories.

Designate a dressing space

If you'replaying with a large space, why not add a handy dressing nookto your guest room? A room divider is a great way to zone off different functional areasand will help create a luxurious suite-style feel.This could be a fully erected and wallpapered stud wall, a country-style sliding barn door or a simple pair of curtains to softly divide spaces.

Don't neglect nightlights

Soft lighting is the key to creating a welcoming guest room with plenty of ambience. Pretty string lights above the headboard are a great alternative for reading in bed at night and add a whimsical feel. You could also installmotion-sensor nightlights that lead the way tothe bathroom– especially helpful for a guest who's unfamiliar with your home's layout.

Create a concierge trolley

Recreate that five-star hotel feel byoffering guests a trolley full of toiletries and essentials such as towels, toothbrushes and sleep masks. Transfer products like shampoo and conditionerinto pretty, colour-coordinated jars and dispensers for a luxurious feel, or save up miniatures from your own hotel stays to give your guests the full experience.

Pop in a laundry basket

It's the small details that make a big impact duringastay. A laundry basket in the corner of theroom will help keep the space tidy and your guest's clothesin order. Whether you actually want to wash your visitor's laundry is the host's prerogative of course!

Utilise unique furnishings

If you want to make friends and familysmile, display a few unique statement pieces around your guest room. This modern interpretation of an old industrial oil lamp is a great focal point – to create a cohesive scheme, add inother copper-toned accessories for an endearing vintage finish.

Put privacy first