Creating a Welcoming Guest Bedroom

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It’s the most wonderful time of year – or so the song goes. It’s also a time for family and friends to be traveling, visiting and staying over. How is your guest bedroom situation? I’ll admit – mine isn’t so great! One of my brothers lives in Colorado and he only comes east once a year or so. I’m so excited that he’s coming to stay next week and we’ll be doing a family get together with my other brother and family at my home, aka #NookCottage. Currently, my house is not guest ready – my new puppy Sansa (all 6.9 pounds of her) has pretty much taken over my small house and everything that’s pretty, has a skirt or hangs to the floor (like drapery and tablecloths) has been taken up or completely taken off. It’s not pretty, is what I’m saying. I have a lot of work to do to make my house guest and holiday ready!

I don’t have a dedicated guest bedroom, so anyone who comes to stay ends up on an air mattress in my home office. The other choice is the living room, but it doesn’t have a door and the only bathroom is off the living room – so it lacks privacy. At least my office has a door and therefor some privacy. I do have a dedicated set of linens and pillows for the room – anything to make the air mattress seem more luxe! But, planning his stay has got me dreaming of having a dedicated guest bedroom – I’d so love that!

One of my inspirations for a great guest bedroom are usually those found in boutique hotels. They usually have a great combination of beautiful, comfortable and welcoming. A little bit upscale, a little bit homey. The good ones strike just the right balance. Here are some that I really love:

The Bastle, Northumberland, England

Tudor stone cottage bastle photography Brent Darby twin bedroom charming stone cottage guest bedroom
The Bastle, Northumberland England

I wrote about this charming stone cottage, The Bastle, here. The guest bedroom s are simple and super charming.

Tudor stone bastle Northumberland England Photo by David Webb guest bedroom Stone cottage
The Bastle, Northumberland England
Tudor stone bastle Northumberland England Photo by David Webb Bastle twin bedroom cottage guest bedroom
The Bastle, Northumberland England, Photo by David Webb

The Jane Hotel, New York City

The Jane Hotel rooms-page iron bed guest bedroom
The Jane Hotel, New York City

The Jane Hotel in New York is quirky and defiantly old-school. It’s definitely on my list of places to stay!

The Garrison Inn, Newburyport, MA

Garrison Inn Room corner king white duvet guest bedroom
Garrison Inn, Newburyport, Massachusetts

Blue Inn, Newburyport, MA

Blue Inn Plum Island Newburyport Massachusetts rattan headboard guest bedroom
Blue Inn, Plum Island, Newburyport, Massachusetts

Blue Inn in Newburyport is another place on my “must-stay” list. The rooms come in varying sizes and amenities, but all look amazing.

Blue Inn Plum Island Newburyport Massachusetts blue wall guest bedroom
Blue Inn, Plum Island, Newburyport, Massachusetts

I think what all these hotel guest bedroom s have in common is that they are relatively simple and could easily be created at home. Amenities include reading lights, lovely bedding and pretty details.

I’ve put together a tips sheet for creating a wonderful and welcoming guest bedroom for your self. Click the image below for a downloadable version.

I’ve put together a shopping boutique of great ideas to get your started on the perfect guest bedroom experience – many also make great hostess gifts as well! (Note – this boutique contains affiliate links. A small commission is paid on any sales resulting from this list, at no additional cost to the buyer. This goes to help support this blog. Thank you!)

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xoxo Linda

22 thoughts on “Creating a Welcoming Guest Bedroom”

  1. Hello Linda, My guest room is completely lined with bookcases, but I do carve out some space from the shelf nearest the top of the bed. It might not be as traditionally pretty as those you illustrate, but it does have a few amenities, such as its own bathroom and the fact that my apartment is in the center of Taipei and very close to an entrance to our clean and efficient subway, so it is easy to go anywhere. In case they can’t find a book to read from the selection in the guest room, all the other rooms are lined with books too!
    –Jim

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  2. I’ve been looking for a rattan luggage rack for my guest room! Seriously! Gonna order that today. I just finished my guest room and will be posting it soon too. I needed that luggage rack to finish it off!

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  3. Oh to have a dedicated guest room! I too dream of this. Love the inspiration photos. My college age daughter still uses her room but this has inspired me to zhush it up so guests feel more welcome too

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    • Hi Lisa – My bedroom growing up was always the guest room. But, because of that, I had a very nice bedroom set and room in general. But I slept on a cot in my parents room when we had guests.

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  4. I don’t know why I LOVE thinking about guest rooms, too, Linda. This post made me happy to read! I love your checklist, as well. Re: the reading light situation. I have stayed in so many guest rooms/hotel rooms where the reading light was woefully inadequate. Either the light spread was not enough to cover the book, or it was too far away, or the light bulbs weren’t bright enough, or it was too hard to reach the on/off switch from the bed. This is something so important to consider if you have a guest that loves to read. I do now bring a small booklight with me, but it’s not quite the same as having a genuinely functional reading lamp that is easy to turn on and off when you’re ready to go to sleep.

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    • Hi Leslie – thanks so much! And so agree on reading lights. I stayed at the Ace Hotel in NY for the first Kravet Blogfest and the lighting in the room was just awful. And by awful, I mean nonexistent. The whole room was generally uncomfortable and clearly meant for young eyes and those who don’t mind sitting on the bed to work.

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  7. Yikes, I really need to get to work on my guestroom! Locally, nobody will be staying in at this Christmas. So that gives me a whole year! I’m inspired by the inspiration you shared above!

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  9. Beautiful examples of rooms. I’m going to be putting Blue Inn, Plum Island on my personal list! Great selections as well for ‘must have’s’ for guest bedrooms!

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