My husband and I have often been blessed with family and friends visiting. When we bought our home many years ago, my goal was to create a showstopper guest bedroom that would allow our guests feel like they were in a resort every time they woke up. How did I achieve this? Well, there were several things I did to make the room feel a bit more like a luxury hotel, without a lot of effort, or involve lots of time, or money.
The first thing I did was think about what would make a guest feel at home, and I went from there. To create a calm and relaxing space, I decided to keep things neutral. So I had the guest room painted Behr Ivory Lace UL160-12, which is a cream color. This calm and non-controversial shade made the room feel warm, while light and airy. This was a great starting point.
Next, I invested in a high-quality mattress. I knew good bedding can make the difference between a great night’s sleep or an awful one. I layered the bed with a top sheet, a duvet, and a generously sized tropical bedspread that complements our guest room’s decor. The extra bedding means guests can adapt it to their ideal sleeping temperature. I know everyone has their own favorite kind of pillow: from super soft to extra firm, and everything in between. Some people prefer feather pillows and others like synthetic ones, so I put a set of each on the bed and let our guests choose. I then topped it off with an array of complementary decorative pillows and shams.
My favorite piece of art in the room is the oversized tropical leaf above the bed. It’s a great focal point, a showstopping piece. It was a great way to add dimension in this space. Because everything in this room is pretty neutral, this piece of art added some glam.
Lighting has a major impact on both the feel and functionality of a space, so I made sure the bedroom incorporated task lighting for reading and dressing, as well as softer ambient lighting. I found the perfect pair of bedside lamps to go with the room’s theme.
Though our guests have enjoyed visiting with us, there have been times they wanted to be alone. So, I made sure this guest bedroom was a place they could feel comfortable retreating to at any time of the day. Some of our guests have taken a midafternoon nap, so I covered the windows adequately. I installed room-darkening drapery panels and faux wood blinds to accommodate privacy and light control.
The warm, organic rattan chair in the corner of the room was given to me by a dear friend of mine. It previously was a part of a dining room set. I repurposed the cozy chair by encouraging guests to kick off their shoes, relax, and read a book. We turned our guest room into a bed-and-breakfast worthy space with their own cable TV that helps delight our guests and add a special touch to their stay.
And there you have it! Like all the other rooms in our home, the guest room started out as bare and blank as could be. And this tropical oasis is what we ended up with.
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