A guest room can be a valuable addition to any home. Having a spare room that’s always made up means that you can invite friends and family over easily. It means that if cosy night’s in last a little longer than they should, your friends can stay over, and a guest room means that you can invite family who live further away for holidays without having to worry about where they’ll stay. Having a guest room can also mean that you’ve got a space to escape to when you just want some peace and quiet, or a chance for some rest away from the rest of your household.
However, few of us can afford to buy a home with a huge spare room. Mostly, we buy the number of bedrooms that we need, and if there is a spare, it might be little more than a box. If you’ve got a very small spare room, you might wonder if turning it into a guest room is possible. But, there’s usually plenty that you can do to make the most of your space.
Keep Main Walls Light
Dark bedrooms can be warm and cosy, but this might not be ideal in a smaller than average room. Instead, paint the walls in light, relaxing colours that open the space up, and stop it feeling closed in and claustrophobic. Light curtains can also help to make the room feel bigger, welcoming in more light. You might also want to stick to bedding in light colours and materials to avoid stifling the space.
Don’t Be Scared to Add Personality
Just because you have light walls, this doesn’t mean that you can’t add some personality to your guest room, and you certainly don’t have to keep it plain to please your guests. It’spart of your home after all! Have some fun with accessories, add houseplants or small succulents to window ledges or shelves, and add colour with frames, pictures, artwork,cushions and plant pots. Keep bigger elements light, but have fun with the accessories and finishing touches.
Remove Anything Unnecessary
Ask yourself what your guest room really needs. Do you need a chest of drawers and a wardrobe? Will people be staying that long that they need both? Does it need a desk or table? A chair can be useful, and visually appealing, but if there’s no space, it’s ok to leave it out. Ultimately, all your guest room needs is a bed, a lamp and a small amount of storage.
Think Dual Purpose
Try not to buy large items of furniture that only serve one purpose. Make sure everything doubles up as something else. When it comes to the bed, divan bases are perfect as a storage solution giving you plenty of under bed storage for anything that can be packed away. Big Brand Beds sells a range of divan bases in different sizes to fit the room.
Then, think about other ways to multitask. Add hooks to your door, or even to the side of a wardrobe or chest of drawers, and wall mount shelves instead of using bedside tables. You could even create a headboard bookshelf if you are looking to create a statement piece.
Utilise Height
You might not have much floor space, but what about height? Wall mounting things like shelves, a TV, hooks and hangers, and even lamps over the bed can eliminate the need to use too much floor space, without losing any function. A great option is mounting shelves along the top of the wall, leaving room for books and other items. Mount rails underneath these high shelves for extra hanging options.
Leave Space Around the Bed
People often think that pushing the bed up against the wall is the easiest way to free up more floor space. But, this just creates the illusion of more space. You actually use up the same area and make it much more difficult for people to get out of bed. The people sleeping in a guestroom don’t need an abundance of open space, they will mainly just use the room to sleep and get dressed. In most cases, they’d prefer the bed to be in the centre of a wall, and have plenty of room to get in and out.
Stick to One Large Item Per Wall
Adding too much to your walls can overcrowd them. Even artwork over the bed could be too much. Stick to one large item along, or on, each wall to keep the space open.
Add Mirrors
Even a small mirror above the bed, or over a dressing table, can open a room up and make it feel bigger. Shiny, reflective surfaces and accessories can have the same effect. If there’s space, a large mirror at eye level can be the most beneficial.
A small bedroom doesn’t have to be unused or used as a dumping ground. With careful planning, it can be turned into a lovely guestroom.
