Guest bedroom makeover

Guests for the holidays and guest bedroom is a mess? Here are some ideas and inspirations to get those creative juices flowing and help you to transform a boring bedroom into a luxurious guest bedroom.

 

 

 

 

If you've got guests staying over during the holidays and want to transform a boring bedroom into a home-away-from-home guest bedroom, the easiest way to decorate and make the room as comfortable as possible is to put yourself in the position of guest.

Imagine what type of room would make your feel relaxed and 'at home' - what personal touches you would like in a guest room. Think country hotel guest bedroom, or urban chic bedroom.

 

Start with an idea

 

 

Make up a mood board, or put together a list of everything that you want in the guest bedroom. You will obviously need to start with a colour scheme and then work in a style or theme for the room.

 

What is a mood board?

A mood board is a collage of ideas that you find in magazines and advertising leaflets - anything that you like. It includes: colours, fabrics, furniture, and accessories; everything that you would like to incorporate into a particular room when decorating.

 

 

 

How to create a mood board

Gather together all your decorating ideas, any inspiring images, fabric swatches and create a mood board on an A3-size piece of plain card or in a large, plain notebook.

 

Choose your base and accent colours

Whether it's flooring or a wall colour, this represents the largest area of colour in your room, so it's important to add a large sample of it to your mood board. Adding carpet samples helps you think about texture, too. Carefully select an accent colour for the room - whether a dramatic contrast or shades lighter or darker than base colour. Use your mood board to play around with options and layer up the board with swatches and scraps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Create mood with accessories

These will really set the tone for guest bedroom - go for accessories which share a vibrant accent colour and stick to a single theme; maybe vintage, or country or eastern.

 

 

Paint the room

Empty everything out of the room before you start painting. Cover floors with drop cloths and give the walls a good scrub with Sugar Soap. This will remove grime that has built up and allow the paint to adhere better to the surface. Also wipe around window and door frames and stick masking tape over these edges to mask off and protect from paint.

Using an extension pole makes painting walls and ceiling much easier. Start with the ceiling and move down to walls and trim.

DIY Tip:
Cut a 2 litre cold drink bottle in half and insert - upside down - over the extension pole to catch drips and paint spatter when painting a ceiling.

 

Furnish the room

 

 

As the largest element in any bedroom, it's important to have a comfortable bed that fits nicely into the space. If the bed is too big and takes up a lot of space, guests will feel cramped. In a small room you could consider having a day bed or sofa bed that provides seating during the day and folds out into a bed in the evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add soft furnishings and linen

No guest bedroom is complete without curtains, bed linen and a few soft cushions here and there. Window treatments should match the colour and theme of the room and provide the necessary amount of privacy. Where windows overlook an unpleasant view, consider vertical or horizontal blinds, Roman blinds, or sheers, with drapes down either side for added effect. This way the view will be hidden but not darken the room too much.

 

 

Hang clean towels and washcloths in the guest bedroom before guests arrive. If there isn't any cupboard space, drape towels over the end of the bed, or on a chair. This will keep the bathroom neat, and no one will have to wonder which towel or washcloth is theirs.

 

 

Finishing touches

Be sure to add wall decor that compliments the style of the room. Consider creating a focal point using a large framed wall mirror, and surround it with a pair of candle wall sconces that include fragrant candles or a pair of stylish wall planters.

 

 

Want to know how guests feel? Spend a night in the newly decorated guest bedroom to get an idea of the atmosphere of the room. If you are comfortable in the guest bedroom, chances are your guests will be too!