The Perfect Guest Room!

Hey Loves! I am so excited about this week’s blog! Alison and I are combining my love for decor and her love for hosting to create a blog about how to create the perfect guest room. When Alison purchased her home (which happens to be ten doors down from me), she was overwhelmed with excitement and full of anxiety. She finally purchased her dream home and was struck with the reality that decorating an entire house is extremely intimidating. But since I had just finished my own home and fell in love with decorating, I was beyond excited to have a new project to take on! The best advice I can give someone who just bought a new house and doesn’t want to spend money on a decorator is to take it one room at a time.

When I asked Alison what room she wanted to start with, I was not surprised when she picked the guest room! Really? Not the living room, dining room, or master bedroom?! It is so my sister to start with a guest room.  She absolutely loves to host and takes pride in making people feel at home. We had so much fun creating her guest room and learned so much along the way. Let’s talk about it!

Find inspiration. Everyone should start with some inspiration when they want to decorate a room.  My 3 favorite décor sites are Houzz, Pinterest, and Decor Pad.  You can create folders, organize them according to rooms, and make comments on what you like and why.  I tell everyone that in order to create a great space you are going to love, get an idea of what you want your room to look like.  This is exactly where I started with Alison.  I had her browse these 3 websites for the guest rooms that she liked and we went from there.

Don’t sacrifice function. Over the course of a year, a person will entertain house guests for an average of 20 days. That’s less than a month! So If  you only have one spare room, make it function as two spaces. There are so many amazing options today for guests to sleep over without having a queen bed taking up all the space. I invested in a nice sleeper sofa that has a built in air mattress for my office. When we think of Murphy beds, we think our grandparent’s house, but there are actually some amazing options available. Also, day beds are a great for a small space.

Make a statement. Pick one element in the room and make a statement. Whether it is a bold paint choice, a great headboard, or bedding, try to make it the first thing you see when you walk in the room. If you decide to do a bold wall color, make everything else neutral! You don’t want to overwhelm the space and run the risk of making it look too busy. Alison wasn’t sure about painting the room yellow, but with some heavy convincing she agreed. We balanced the paint color with lots of whites and grays and tied in the yellow with accent pillows.

Always measure out EVERYTHING. This is a great tip and will save you a lot of time and heartache.  When I first started decorating my home, I cannot tell you how many times I ordered something, had it delivered, and it was the wrong size for the room.  Take some painter’s tape and draw out exactly what you want to purchase to make sure it fits right in your room.

A cozy spot to read! A patterned chair is a great way to fill an empty corner. Add a side table and some lighting and create an adorable space for your guests to read. If you don’t have the space for a reading nook, make sure to get great bedside lighting and leave a book or magazine on the bedside table.

A place to put their luggage. Clear a space to put a luggage rack or a small table or bench to set down a suitcase. A suitcase stand or a bench at the end of the bed gives your guest a place to put down their things and can also serve as a great decor piece.

I know the thought of designing and creating a room without a decorator to help can be daunting and a bit overwhelming. By following some of these tips and taking it room by room, you can make your home look as if it was designed by a professional. It is entirely possible to create an amazing looking space if you do the research to find the inspiration, take your time to plan appropriately, and personalize your home with accents and functional space.