Guest Room Decorating Ideas

A well set up guest room is a very important part of hospitality, and plays a crucial role in making your guests feel comfortable and well-cared for. With a few good decorating ideas, you can come up with a guest room that can rival any 5 star hotel, without breaking the bank. To start with, you need to come up with a certain theme/look you wish to follow throughout the room. Once you have some sort of a general outline of what you wish to achieve for the room, think about the details that you have come across and would like to incorporate. You may have seen some design ideas in a magazine, on TV, at the mall, in someone's home or in a hotel room you stayed in, that you would like to include.

Guest Room Essentials

Apart from the ideas that you come up with, here are some other aspects to keep in mind:

• You guest room must have a large, presentable double bed with a comfortable mattress. If you cannot afford a new bed and mattress, try to get a good used bed. If you already have a good bed, ensure that the mattress is comfortable, and not sagging or lumpy. You don't want your guests to end up with back or body aches. A set of soft fluffy pillows are essential.
• A set of good clean linens are a must. I suggest you set aside a set of bed and bath linens (including a featherbed mattress topper and a cozy down comforter), only for your guests. Ironed bed sheets and pillowcases are the little details that help achieve a great looking guest bedroom.
• It would be considerate of you to include a table to set down a suitcase or any other kind of luggage. You don't want your guests to constantly stoop over, every time they need something from their bags.
• Create shelf, drawer and counter space for your guests. We had plenty of house guests over the years, and have found that even those who stay for just a day utilize the space provided. Do not fill up shelves with decorative items, but only leave the essentials, such as clock, and maybe a few good books.
• Among the home office guest room decorating options, try to make at least a foot or two of pole space in the closet, and provide few hangers. If this is not possible, you can arrange for an over-the-door hook and one behind a closet door.

Guest Room Decoration

• It is always best to stick to neutral tones on the wall and floor. Imagine if you decide to use bright color on one or all the walls, and it turns out to be the one color your guest dislikes. You can go even more wrong with a print. Instead, keep your walls cream, and add dashes of color with the drapes and bedspreads.
• If your flooring is a little shabby and you aren't in a position to replace it, place a rug that covers up the objectionable spots. It is another way of adding a splash of color or print in the room. However, it is best to restrict print to one major item in the room, i.e. either a printed bedspread or a printed rug. Your options range from pile rugs or flat weave kilims.
• A crystal vase filled with fresh flowers is the best way to decorate any room. Ideally, use flowers that are your guest's favorite, though the point is just to make your guest feel welcome.
• An inexpensive way to decorate the walls of the guest room are with beautiful vintage photographs. You can either use old family photographs, or buy and frame some.

One of my favorite small guest room decorating ideas is to use an interesting lamp to dress up a room. I also like welcome baskets filled with goodies for the guests to nibble on when they get hungry.