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Interior inspiration: Spare bedroom ideas

Mar 27, 2018
Interior inspiration Spare bedroom ideas

When guests come to stay, you want them to feel welcome in your new build home. Decorating your guest bedroom can be lots of fun but if you’re unsure what style to go for, you could find this guide useful.

We’ve got lots of spare bedroom ideas to inspire you to create something special.

Calm and relaxing or full-on fun?

If your spare bedroom will be used regularly by babysitting grandparents, they might prefer a peaceful space to sleep in each night, so you may want the colour scheme to reflect this. Greys, light greens and silvers might be ideal. If you want to inject some bolder colours, consider having a large framed print or canvas. Do you have a piece of artwork from your previous home that you’ve yet to find a place for? Alternatively, why not frame some pictures drawn or painted by members of your family? Whether the artists are children or adults, they can add the personal touch. You could also think about adding a patchwork blanket or handmade shawl to an armchair.

Create a space that everyone will love

A themed room could be enjoyable to put together and be a real talking point for guests. If, for instance, you love the seaside, why not design the room to have a beach-hut style wardrobe and a beach scene feature wall? You could hang framed prints of seaside town posters from bygone eras or photographs taken on family holidays. A collection of shells in a vase can be a nice touch and there’s nothing stopping you from leaving some complimentary rock for guests to enjoy, alongside some striped beach towels.
 
If you’d prefer to create a bedroom that feels like it belongs in a luxury hotel, you may want to consider having rich purple or green walls, complemented with wooden furniture and flooring. ‘Heart Wood’ is Dulux’s colour of 2018 and could look great in a guest bedroom. For a room with a boutique feel, try mixing things up with a bright duvet cover and decorative cushions. A bold print on the feature wall can look stunning, set alongside a metallic floor lamp or side table.

Think about storage and lighting

Will your guests be staying the odd night or for weeks at a time? If it’s the latter, making sure they have adequate space to hang their clothes will be important. In small rooms, built-in wardrobes can help you make the most of every available inch. Bedside drawers with attractive lamps on top will be appreciated by those wanting to store everyday items within easy reach and those who like to read in bed. If you have space, you could add a slimline bookcase with books they might want to borrow. To add a sense of romance, consider having an opulent chandelier or draping strings of fairy lights across the headboard. Ornate mirrors can look spectacular and help make a room seem brighter and more spacious.

What type of bed would be best?

Typically, spare bedrooms have double beds but not all do. You need to consider what suits the requirements of your guests and the size of your room. Twin beds, for instance, could be pushed together or kept apart depending on who is staying. If you regularly have to accommodate a family, a double bed and bunkbeds might be better if you have enough space. A four poster bed can be a really statement piece. A traditional four poster with drapes can look great in a country style or shabby chic bedroom. Modern four poster beds in black or neon colours can add drama and excitement to contemporary rooms.
When your guest room isn’t in use, you could use the space under the bed/s to store items that you don’t require on a daily basis such as winter duvets, spare linen and sleeping bags. A divan bed with storage drawers underneath could appeal or you could buy storage boxes with wheels to go under another style of bed. This should hopefully stop the room filling with clutter, so that it doesn’t take long to get it ready next time a guest is due.

Shared-purpose rooms

If you only have overnight guests very occasionally, you mightn’t want to have a dedicated guest bedroom. Instead, you could create a flexible home office, with a sofa bed or daybed in the corner that you can pull out when required. To store your guests’ clothing and belongings, you could arrange colourful baskets on floating shelves and have stylish coat hooks on the door. A feature wall can make the room more inviting and give it personality.

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