Simple Guest Bedroom Ideas For Your Spare Room

Now more than ever, we can all really appreciate having friends and family stay with us in our homes, especially if they're visiting from interstate or somewhere overseas for the first time in what may seem like an eternity. You'll no doubt want to treat these guests of honour by providing them with the perfect guest bedroom, but how exactly do you set one up, and is it really any different than your personal bedroom at home?

At Spotlight we have all the bedding, bathroom essentials and home decor you need to style an amazing guest room, but if you're not sure how to put it all together or you're lacking some guest room ideas, then this is the blog for you! We'll go through heaps of amazing guest bedroom ideas, from modern guest bedroom ideas that'll look stylish in any space to small guest bedroom ideas for when you're strapped for space but still want to ensure your guests are comfortable. These simple guest bedroom ideas are easy to implement and can go a long way toward making your space more inviting to visitors!

Quick Links

• Why Do I Need To Style My Guest Bedroom?
• Light The Way
• Bathroom Essentials
• Give Them Space
• Spare Seating
• Power Up
• Seasonal Bedding
• Sensational Scents

Why Do I Need To Style My Guest Bedroom?

While you could just chuck a bed into your guest bedroom and call it a day, putting in the effort to style your guest bedroom will really benefit your guests in a number of ways. Implementing just a few simple guest bedroom ideas will:

• Show your guests you care. Stepping into a furnished, clean and fresh-smelling guest bedroom immediately lets your guests see that you've put effort into their arrival and that you've looked forward to their stay! On the other hand, if you don't like having guests over, leaving your guest bedroom plain, stuffy and dusty is a great way to ensure you'll have your home to yourself at all times.
• Ensure your guests have everything they need. By providing your guests with all their sleeping and bathing essentials, you're ensuring they don't need to come to you every time they need something, or worse, rifle through your closets and cupboards trying to find things they need.
• Encourage guests to come back. Like any hotel, restaurant or beauty service, having a good experience the first time makes you want to return, and this applies to staying in a guest room too. If your guest sleeps well and has all the things they need, then they'll enjoy staying at your home and are more likely to come back and stay again in the future!
• Make you proud to show it off. If you're currently the person that, when having guests over for the first time, leaves the guest headroom door closed during The Tour, then change your ways! Create a stylish guest bedroom that you're proud of and you'll love showing it off when you have friends and family over.

Have we convinced you? Continue on and we'll show you some of the easiest ways to turn your spare bedroom into an inviting and comforting space for your visitors with our guest room ideas.

Light The Way

It may seem like one of the more obvious guest room ideas, but having quality lighting in your guest bedroom is essential to ensuring your friends and family are comfortable. This includes both electrical lighting and natural light from windows.

Lights and lamps

Aside from the main lighting in the ceiling, you may like to have bedside lamps for your guests to use so they can read and relax in bed. Consider whether you want cool light (white light that is bright) or warm light (yellow light that is soft) in your guest bedrooms - cool light is a more modern choice but isn't very cosy, while warm light will give the space a yellow-tinge that feels warmer and more intimate. One of the best small guest bedroom ideas is if you don't have the space for bedside tables, to install wall sconces next to or above each side of the bed for couples to use.

Natural light

Natural light is the best choice for lighting your space, as it refreshes and lightens any room beautifully. Natural light often comes from windows - add sheer curtains to ensure it diffuses across the room, then layer with blackout curtains so your guests can block the light out when they need to. Make sure to read our buying guide on hanging curtains to ensure yours are installed correctly!

Be aware that direct sunlight can cause colours on some fabrics to fade, so make sure you position any delicate fabrics away from the window itself.

Bathroom Essentials

If you don't want your guests looking through your linen closet and bathroom cabinets, then you need to provide them with all their bathroom essentials from the get-go! Roll your guest towels into elegant logs or fold them (provide bath sheets for a luxurious experience!) and leave them at the foot of the guest bed, ensure the bathroom is stacked with extra toilet paper and make sure to have some spare dental cleaning supplies, soaps and shampoo/conditioner for your guests to use if they forget their own. If you live near a beach, your guests will also really appreciate beach towels, as bringing them in your own bags often takes up a lot of precious packing space.

If your guest bedroom isn't close to the bathroom, you may also like to consider adding a mirror to the space, as it will allow your visitors to get ready without needing to walk to the bathroom to check their appearance.

Give Them Space

Living out of your suitcase is never pleasant, so one of the best spare bedroom ideas is to try to give your guests space to unpack their things in the spare bedroom. An empty wardrobe or closet is ideal, but if you don't have these in your bedroom then a garment rack with coat hangers is also a great idea.

Space to store a suitcase or bag can also help make the guest bedroom seem larger - baskets, boxes or drawers under the bed, shelves in the closet or even just hooks on the back of the door are some of our favourite small guest bedroom ideas that will provide your guests with a space to put their things that aren't the floor. Check out our blog on storage solutions for wardrobes to learn how to maximise your wardrobe storage space!

Spare Seating

If you've got a spare bedroom on the larger side, then giving your guests somewhere to sit that isn't the bed is a big plus! Handy spare bedroom ideas for seating include a set of chairs (perhaps with a small table), a recliner in the corner of the room or just a bedroom bench (the bench at the end of your bed that often doubles as storage). These will make your bedroom feel more like a space to relax and lounge in, rather than just a place to sleep.

This can also encourage guests to eat and snack on chairs, rather than in the bed.

Power Up

This is one of the simpler guest room ideas, but so important to many people! One of the best modern guest bedroom ideas is having power points in the bedroom. They are essential now that we carry so much technology with us as we travel! Having a power point in the bedroom (ideally on either side of the bed) allows your guests to charge their phones and laptops easily - bonus points if you have a spare charger on hand for guests who happen to forget theirs.

Seasonal Bedding

Fresh bedding that suits the temperature is essential to helping your guests sleep comfortably when they stay at your home. Make sure new guests always have clean bedding when they come to stay, and you may even like to have a selection of firm and soft pillows on hand so your guests can sleep the way they like.

Summer bedding

There's nothing worse than trying to sleep on a hot night! Ensure your guests are cool and comfortable with the appropriate summer bedding.

• Sheets that are light, breathable and moisture-wicking are ideal for hot nights. Look for materials like bamboo or linen in your fitted and flat sheets. Bamboo is incredibly soft and light, and linen is crisp and firm, with both having excellent breathability (air can circulate around your body) and durability.
• If your guests are the type that can't sleep without a blanket or quilt, look for light options like a coverlet or bedspread instead of a large and fluffy quilt. If you must have a quilt, look for fillings like goose down to ensure you have a soft, light quilt that won't feel stifling on a hot night.
• Ensure you have a ceiling or portable fan available to help keep the room feeling fresh and cool overnight.

Winter bedding

One of the best feelings in life is snuggling into a warm, comfy bed on a cold night. Give your guests this pleasure by layering your guest bed with the right winter bedding!

• Choose sheets that are soft and cosy, like cotton, a cotton/bamboo blend or fluffy flannelette, to ensure your guests heat up quickly and stay warm all night. Tuck them under the mattress so your guests are snug as a bug!
• Look for quilts filled with down, feathers or wool to trap heat while also wicking away sweat and moisture so your guests don't get clammy overnight.
• Add layers of extra warmth using a throw or blanket - these can also add decorative elements to your bed. Or go the extra mile with a wonderful electric blanket!

Sensational Scents

You want your guests will be visually impressed by your guest bedroom, but the power of an aroma is the ultimate finishing touch. A great guest room idea is to pop some sweet-smelling flowers in a vase and/or position a fragrance diffuser away from the windows or any source of air (so it will last longer). This will create a constant aromatic ambience that your visitors are sure to love.

You can also provide some lovely scented candles for your guests to use as they wish, but make sure they are positioned well away from flammable materials like curtains or clothing!

And, if your guest room has been locked up for a while, open a window and the bedroom door a few hours before you expect anyone to arrive. This will let out any stuffiness and allow fresh air to circulate in the space.

Style Your Guest Bedroom With Spotlight

If you're ready to create the ultimate guest bedroom, begin by shopping with Spotlight! Shop online and you can safely pay before having your order home delivered, or visit your nearest Spotlight store and our lovely team will help you find the bedroom supplies you need to bring your guest room ideas to life.

For more home and bedroom decorating ideas, be sure to check out our other articles on everyday tablescaping, layering your window and styling faux greenery. And ensure all the bedding in your guest room is kept in tip-top condition with our buying guides on caring for bed linen, choosing the right pillowcase and styling throws and blankets.