Dr Dulux: Guest Bedroom Painting Ideas
Dr Dulux: Big and Small Guest Bedroom Ideas

Wondering how to make a guest bedroom comfortable? Dr Dulux is here with big and small spare bedroom ideas and guest room essentials to make decorating easy.

Guest bedroom ideas to create a welcoming home away from home.

We all know that feeling of a mad rush before overnight guests arrive and the spare room resembles a storage shed with a bed crammed into it. The best solution is a proactive one, with guest bedroom ideas that suit your needs but also offer a welcoming haven for your friends and family. Guest room essentials range from handy storage solutions to enlivening licks of paint and useful accessories.

A quick spruce up might take you as little as half an hour to get rid of the clutter. Or, spend a day doing an easy overhaul to ensure you’re ‘guest ready’ at any time, with a space truly worthy of showing off. The aim is simply to create a cosy, uncluttered space that guests can call their own. When you learn how to make a guest bedroom comfortable, the only problem you’ll have is getting them to leave!

Guest bedroom ideas for colour schemes

Colour has the power to instantly invite your guests to relax and feel welcome in your home. Both warm and cool tones work, so choose a scheme that appeals to you and ties in with any fixtures you already have. Freshen things up with a soothing, airy shade like 50BG 74/020 on the walls to perfectly match virtually any decor.

Bring vibrancy and warmth to the room via a bold feature wall adorned with 50YR 36/263. Blues and greens are universally liked, for good reason. Your guests will feel soothed into serenity with a two-tone wall of white and the pale teal of 90BG 63/043. The cool shades of Tranquil Dawn and 30YY 78/035 offer a breath of fresh air to a tired space. For balance and style, pair pops of colour with the clean lines of neutrals.

Large and small spare bedroom ideas

The challenge of a large spare bedroom is to make it feel cosy and unique for guests. One of the easiest ways to do this is with a feature wall. Earthy shades, like Spiced Honey, wrap guests in a cocoon of warmth while adding visual interest to a larger space. You’ve got plenty of room to play with, when it comes to furniture looks fantastic and also doubles as storage for you. Consider nightstands with drawers, a plush ottoman for seating and storage, or a multipurpose desk.

Small spare bedroom ideas start with ensuring your guests don’t feel too cramped in the space. Pale, warm neutrals keep things cosy while providing a light, spacious feel. For excitement, use two paint colours and horizontal lines on a feature wall, which also creates the illusion of width. When you don’t have room for a headboard, try a paint effect headboard to add the ‘wow’ factor. Trust us, it’s easy and here’s a video tutorial to prove it.

Floating shelves are great for storage in small spaces. Consider buying a folding luggage rack or use a slimline, low set of drawers. Alternatively, try to leave space under the bed clear for guests to store their suitcases. Adding a full-length mirror to a wall enhances the appearance of space and your guests will love it too.

Guest room essentials for furniture and décor

What do you love about your favourite hotel rooms? First up, they need to be practical, in that there’s somewhere to stash your suitcase, hang a few clothes up and unpack the things you need for your stay. These are the guest room essentials that really make your visitors feel comfortable. Consider storage benches that offer a place to put a suitcase, bedside tables with drawers for odds and ends and a statement chair for a place to retreat to. If you don’t have a wardrobe, or room in it, pop some hooks and hangers behind the door.

Comfortable bedding is paramount and the bed also offers endless design options. Provide crisp new sheets, two pillows for each guest and layer the bed with quilts or throws so they can control the temperature. Dress it with colourful cushions to match your scheme. Once the basics are met, it’s the little details that make a world of difference.

Choose decorative but useful accessories that add interest, like mirrors, colourful storage baskets, scented candles and lamps for ambience. Enliven the room with fresh flowers and plants, place folded towels on the bed and leave a small pack of basic toiletries on the nightstand. A small rubbish bin is a great idea and a collection of books or magazines is a thoughtful touch.

Finally, what if your guest bedroom ideas have to fit into the living room or study? First up, invest in a multi-functional sofa bed so you’re always prepared. Make your room cosy with a few simple tweaks like using a hallway console for a dressing table and a stool for a bedside table with a reading lamp. Add the little details just as you would in the spare bedroom, for a welcoming and snug environment.

Once the word gets out, you’ll have family and friends lining up around the block to stay overnight!