Photography: Tim Salisbury / Styling: Jackie Brown
Despite what you might think, a grand guest bedroom doesn’t have to be gigantic. If you only have a small room available to accommodate visitors, you’ll be glad to know that it’s not the size of the room that matters, it’s the way you use it. Small guest bedroom design ideas that promote a welcoming atmosphere, privacy, creature comforts and thoughtful decorative touches will be enough to earn the room five-star feedback. The ultimate goal is to make your visitors feel at home.
Setting up a welcoming guest bedroom can also be accomplished on a modest budget. Good quality bedding, fluffy bath towels and some thoughtful accessories (we’ll get to those later) are the core components of every successful guest bedroom.
Here are 7 things every cosy and comfortable guest bedroom needs in order to be ready for overnight visitors at a moment’s notice.
Guest bedroom must-haves
- A bedside lamp
- A carafe of water and a glass
- Extra blankets
- A bin with a liner
- A luggage rack
- A portable fan or heater
- A full length mirror
- Toilet brush and extra toilet paper
- Wifi password written down on a piece of paper
1. Make the bed beautiful
If you have a small guest room then the bed will naturally become the focal point. For this reason, it’s worth investing in some good quality bed linens and if possible, a headboard to really add a sense of luxury to a small space.
Mattress
If you don’t already have a bed frame and mattress, that’s the first order of business. There are so many good quality, comfortable beds available for minimal cost. Boxed mattresses are a fantastic budget option, and can usually be delivered on short notice.
Bed frames and headboards
A classic headboard and stylish bed frame will instantly make a small guest bedroom more luxurious. Check Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree for affordable second hand bed frames and headboards – what’s great about this method is that you won’t have to waste time putting together a flat pack!
Bedding
Nothing says ‘make yourself at home’ quite like a freshly made bed. Beautiful bedding will make the room inviting to your guests and allow them to have a restful night’s sleep. Ensure the bedding is appropriate for the season (don’t forget the winter doona and electric blanket if you live in a cold climate) or lightweight, breathable sheets in summer. Having extra blankets and a set of soft and supportive pillows on hand will also allow your guests to adjust the bedding exactly the way they like it.
Since this room is for guests, it’s a good idea to invest in washable pillow, mattress and duvet protectors that will keep the bedding clean long-term and from guest to guest. If you don’t expect to use your guest bedroom frequently, make sure you also place linen in dust-proof storage bags so they’re fresh and ready to go at a moment’s notice should family or friends drop by unannounced.
2. Add some soft furnishings
If you have hesitated to add too many ‘extras’ to your small guest room because you don’t want to crowd the space, you might be unintentionally making the room feel a little bare. While its a good idea to limit the amount of furniture you bring into the room, some carefully selected soft furnishings will instantly make a small room feel cosy. In fact, a set of sheer curtains are often the key to bringing some much-needed light into a small room, while a classic floor rug and couple of pretty pillows complete the space.
3. Get the lighting right
Natural light always makes a room feel bigger than it is so try to maximise the light available in your small guest bedroom. You can do this by adding a mirror to the wall (which is also a necessary item for guest rooms don’t happen to be attached to bathrooms) and by making sure your window coverings are light. Adding a skylight to the room can also solve this problem for rooms that don’t receive much light.
Once you have your natural light sorted, it’s also important to add bedside lamps to your guest room. These don’t only make a midnight bathroom-trip more comfortable but also allow guests to stay up and read at their leisure. If you want to be extra thoughtful, pop a torch in the bottom drawer in case the bulb goes in the middle of the night.
4. Maximise storage options
A small guest bedroom can quickly become overwhelmed by suitcases, clothing, shoes and the like. Make sure there’s a place for your guests to put it all. If you’re really short on space, you can opt for under-bed storage, roomy bedside drawers or embrace wall-mounted storage to maximise floor space. Multifunctional furniture, such as using a chest of drawers as a bedside table, can also solve this problem.
You can buy affordable luggage racks from places like Big W, which by giving guests a place to store their suitcase, can make a big difference to older guests.
If there’s a built-in wardrobe, make sure it’s completely clear of clutter or, if you use it for storing bits and bobs, clear a generous section for your guests to use during their stay. Don’t forget to place spare coathangers in the wardrobe!
5. Fresh towels and toiletries
Towels don’t travel well. Not only do they take up precious space in a suitcase, once damp, they need to be laundered pretty quickly before they begin to smell. Your guests will be so grateful that you have fresh towels that they can use during their stay. Make sure you give your guests ‘the good towels’ – aka the soft and fluffy bath towels, not the crunchy threadbare ones, and if they’re staying for more than a few days, offer to replace them regularly.
Forgetting something when travelling is almost inevitable. Usually it’s something small, but very important – like toothpaste, or a toothbrush! Placing a set of toothbrushes, toothpaste, spray deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, moisturiser, hair brush, hair dryer and tissues in the room will fill a forgetful traveller with gratitude.
6. Mod cons
In the days of old, getting into bed and switching off the light was pretty much the standard bedtime routine. These days, most people probably get into bed, plug their phone into the charger, scroll mindlessly for a few minutes (or hours – we’re not judging), before finally dozing off. Make it easy for your guests by placing a couple of multi-device chargers in the bedside drawer.
On the topic of devices, if you’ve ever had to ask to connect to somebody else’s home Wifi, you’ll know how awkward that conversation can feel. Eliminate the awkwardness by leaving a card with the name of your Wifi network and password in it on their bedside table. Your guests will appreciate it.
7. Nice to haves
Once all of the basics have been covered, feel free to prove your status as the ‘hostess with the mostest’ with additional (optional) creature comforts. If there’s enough space in the room, set up a tea and coffee station – perfect for guests who prefer not to interact before they’ve been caffeinated. Swap out a bedside table for a bar fridge that you can stock with snacks and drinks for your guests to enjoy at their leisure. You could even add a bunch of freshly cut blooms from your garden on the bedside as a nice finishing touch.
Creating a reading nook with a comfy armchair, books, a lamp and something to read, such as a stack of magazines, will send the message that this room is a place your guests are welcome to retreat to any time they need privacy or simply just alone time.
Multi-purpose guest bedroom ideas
If you live in a small house or an apartment, dedicating an entire room to the sole purpose of welcoming guests may not be feasible. Here are some ideas for creating a storage room or home office that can quickly be transformed into a guest bedroom.
Ideas for a home office guest bedroom combination
In a small home office that needs to do double duty as a guest bedroom, selecting compact, multi-purpose furniture is key. Desks that can fold down into a bedside table are an excellent choice. Today’s sofa beds are so stylish and comfortable, your guests won’t even be able to tell they’re sleeping on a fold-out. Dedicate one drawer in the room to storing away electronic work devices like laptops, keyboard and mouse when guests are using the space.
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