Guest room: how to decorate it

20 September 2022
Furniture
3798 views

If you have the opportunity to use one of the rooms in your home as a guest room, you might be interested in some advice on how best to furnish it, both to make it comfortable and cosy, and to characterise it with a recognisable style and aesthetics.

In fact, while it is true that guest rooms are used on an as-needed basis and usually for only a few nights, it is also true that they are still part of the house and, therefore, must be in harmony with the rest of the house and provide guests with a pleasant, complete and all-round experience.

So, in the following paragraphs, here are some hints and useful tips on how to furnish your guest room and make it a place of great hospitality, beauty and style.

1. The room should have a style or theme

This is a rule that we suggest you follow throughout your home and ensure that the various rooms, as well as the guest room, are furnished in line with the aesthetics chosen for the rest of the house.

Giving the guest room a defined style is a great way to prevent it from simply looking like a 'B' area of the house, poorly maintained and where guests are 'dumped' waiting for them to leave. So, have fun choosing a unique and defined aesthetic for this room or make it as uniform as possible with the style of the rest of the house.

It could be a coastal or Mediterranean style, with natural, marine colours and soft shapes, or perhaps you prefer the Nordic aesthetic, with its wooden furnishings, adorable 'hygge' trinkets and warm blankets, or you are a lover of minimalist style and then you will want to use a few but quality pieces of furniture and various shades of white or black.

If you are not sure which style to choose or prefer not to bind yourself to a single aesthetic, you can also opt for something less 'literal' and simply play with the harmony of colours and shapes (e.g. a 'green' themed room).

The important thing is that the room looks harmonious, thoughtful and has its own distinct personality.

2. Bed or sofa bed: the choice is yours

The choice between bed or sofa bed for guests also depends on the size of the room and, in general, the size of the house. In larger homes, the guest room may contain a bed and be entirely dedicated to guest care; in smaller homes, this area of the house could also serve as a study, laundry room or relaxation corner, as required.

Apart from this, however, the choice between bed and sofa bed is entirely personal and can also be guided by aesthetic and style factors, depending on the atmosphere you want to recreate in your guest room.

Should you opt for a sofa bed, remember that it is not necessarily a lesser 'fallback' than a bed: there are many sofa beds that are extremely comfortable, but also aesthetically interesting and stylish. The important thing is to choose it with awareness and foresight, prioritising the comfort of the guest and respecting the general atmosphere of the house and room.

If you prefer to put a bed in your guest room, you will find some tips on how best to organise and decorate it in the next section.

3. Place multi-layered bedding on the bed and leave other blankets to hand

If you have opted for a bed, get ready to indulge and have fun in your choice of pillows and bedding.

Every textile component, from plaids to bedspreads, from sheets to pillows, must be characterised by extreme quality and cosiness, but must also be in harmony with the overall style of the room.

Depending on the preferred aesthetics, the choice of colours and shades may vary, but our advice, in order not to go wrong, is to go for colour palettes that are not too bright.

Rather, it is better to prefer relaxing, natural, neutral and seasonal shades (green, white, powder, brown, blue, cream, ...): they do not tire, they create a relaxing atmosphere and they go very well with a wide variety of styles.

Regarding the type of blankets, sheets and bedspreads to choose, we absolutely suggest opting for natural textiles, made of high quality materials, hypoallergenic and capable of generating pleasant sensations to the touch.

Also excellent is the idea of decorating the bed with "layered" bed linen, from the lightest to the warmest: not only will this choice give great value to the appearance and aesthetics of the bed (it will be a bit like a bed in a boutique hotel, nice to see and touch), but it will also allow the guest to choose for himself how many and which blankets to use.

In this regard, we suggest leaving, just as is done in hotels, extra or spare blankets on hand, perhaps in a bedside table or cupboard: a pleasant attention that guests will undoubtedly appreciate.

We would also like to make a small note about the presence of pillows in the bed: less is always better, however aesthetically appealing they may undoubtedly be.

We suggest that you never overdo it with decorative pillows and cushions, because with a maximum of two pillows per person, chosen with taste, intelligence and aesthetic sense, there is really no need to add more.

4. Guest rooms also need bedside tables and wardrobes

In general, the advice is to treat the furnishings of the guest room with the same respect as you would for a master's room, thus including side tables, bedside tables next to the bed, and possibly wardrobes or chests.

This is because guests will need an intimate, well-kept and independent place to store their clothes and accessories, even if they are only staying in your home for a few days.

It is not necessary to overdo it, especially if the square footage is not very large, but the important thing is to ensure that there is at least a small table or wardrobe in the room where personal belongings can be placed and clothes can be stored.

Headboards with overhangs and shelves, coat racks and side tables can be strategic furnishing complements to include in your guest room, in the absence of alternatives or generous space.

5. Include the right lighting in the guest room

Guests only use their rooms to rest and sleep, but you have to take into account that they will often spend time reading, working on the computer or looking at their mobile phones before falling asleep.

This is why, in addition to good general ambient lighting, it is also important to take care of direct directional lighting, such as bedside lamps, low pendants on either side of the bed, wall lights, and work lights on the wall.

Ideally, lamps should be placed on bedside tables or, at least, a floor lamp placed near the bed or sofa bed. Not only is this a perfect choice from a functional point of view, but lamps of this type also create a great atmosphere, as few other design elements can do.

6. Insert pleasant-smelling accessories, such as candles

Another mood setter for rooms, including of course the guest room, is undoubtedly fragrance. Our advice is to include a diffuser, incense or scented candles, perhaps in unexpected colours and shapes, to further enhance the style of the room.

Be careful, however, not to go overboard with fragrances and to prefer natural, light and not overpowering aromas: it is not at all pleasant to spend time in an overly fragranced room and not everyone likes strong aromas.

So, diffusers and candles yes, but without overdoing it and, above all, choosing only quality objects, capable of returning pleasant, light and almost imperceptible aromas.

7. Give character to the guest room with prints, accessories and plants

Depending on the style you wish to give your guest room, you will need to include some accessories and decorative items to make sure that the atmosphere is really cosy and pleasant, but also has great value, character and personality.

After all, nobody likes to stay or spend time in a room that is too aseptic and empty, do they? To avert this danger, we suggest you include some design and quality decorations such as prints, vases, plants, holders and frames.

As for prints, we suggest you read our article on must-have designer prints in your home: you will see that we focused on the living room in the article, but nothing forbids you from using those pieces of art to decorate your guest room.

We also advise you to read the article on designer objects that you can't miss: not only will these furnishings help you to give great character to the guest room, but in general they will add value to the home, as they bear the signatures of exceptional designers and architects.

For the rest, we suggest that you select vases, plants, frames and possible holders wisely and with foresight: there is no need to exaggerate, but only to choose the right quality accessories, capable of supporting the atmosphere of the room and making it pleasant and always welcoming.

The AGOF Store selection for furnishing your guest room

At the AGOF Store you'll find lots of furniture, accessories and household items with which to perfect your guest room decor. Take a look at the products we have selected for you in the carousel below and be inspired by our proposals!