Small Guest Room Ideas

What makes a guest room great is not the size; big spaces are not necessarily spaces that guests will have fun in. The smallest room in the house is sometimes the nicest but that’s just because it can’t hold any rubbish. That is actually a great starting point.

Decide what a guest really needs rather than squeezing and fitting a large bed, dresser, chair, table and a dozen decorative pieces in a tiny room. A comfortable place to sleep. A spot for a phone, book or glass of water. A little storage. Good light. Great if you can also fit a chair. If you can’t, that’s fine.

From there, it is all about figuring out how to make those fundamentals fit. With a Murphy bed, even a narrow room can look so different. A corner that isn’t quite right can become a sleeping nook. The wall above the bed is also strategically placed as a storage space.

Color can help, too. You can do so much more than just plain white because the space is little. Soft peach, lavender, mustard and blush pink can also work with navy too as long the combo is offset or softened with a warm beige. To know when to stop is the trick.

Bright Murphy Bed Small Guest Room Idea

That being said, when your guest room has a secondary job during the week, Murphy beds are actually somewhat of a genius move.

Maybe it’s your home office. Julian: Or the kids use it to do crafts. Or perhaps you’d just like to move around the room freely without a bed dominating most of the floor space. Because when the bed folds away, bingo: that real estate is yours again.

As for the guest bedroom itself, a simple white or light wood Murphy bed will allow your wall to remain squeaky-clean. On both sides, if there are sufficient places horizontally, put narrow cabinets or shelves. They can be used to hold a lamp, books, spare towels or even some things you’d prefer not on the floor.

Make the bedding airier and simple. And, white, cream, pale gray or a soft beige will go with just about anything.

The wall does not have to be fully decorated in the absence of the folded away bed. It can even be a simple framed print or two.

Now your guests are less likely to pack for a stay with you, and everything they bring needs a place, one thing you should plan for before setting up the bed is where OOTers will place their luggage. Serving trays can look decorative until somebody walks in with a suitcase and no place to put it.

Smart Under-Bed Storage Guest Room Design

It’s easy to overlook the space under the bed, especially when you’re decorating. Yet it can hold quite a lot.

Utilise it for things that your guests could be looking for but they do not need to see every second of their stay. Anything from extra pillows, blankets, sheets or towels to that nice comforter you never used can be stored under the bed.

If purchasing a new bed, select drawers that pull from the side. They are also a great deal easier to open rather than lifting a mattress each time you will need something.

No built-in storage? That’s not a problem. You can use flat fabric containers or strong boxes.

But don’t go cramming arbitrary household things inside it, okay? A guest room shouldn’t be a dumping ground for everything else in your home.

If you can, leave some empty space. Sometimes, guests don’t know where their bags or folded clothes should go, so they just need a place to put them.

Vertical Shelving Space-Saving Guest Room

A big bookcase might not fit in your room but that doesn’t mean your walls need to stay bare.

Using the height of the room instead of stealing precious floor space is what tall, narrow shelving does. Another alternative would be to place them in such a way, deferring for example the bed with floating shelves.

This is particularly helpful when there is limited space for a standard nightstand.

Place the items you actually want your guests to use in an easily accessible location. It can hold a reading light, some books, tissues, a little clock or a basket.

The higher shelves can be more artistic. Collect a plant, framed photo, ceramic vase, or a couple favorite books to make the room less austere.

Don’t pack every shelf full. This kind of seems obvious but is one of those things that once you start decorating, you’ll find it easy to do. Empty space gives the shelves a purposefulness, not a sense of crowdedness.

Cozy Daybed Multipurpose Guest Room Idea

A daybed can do wonders for a small guest room. It can also act as a sofa during the day. You can sit there to read or work on a laptop without feeling like you are on the bed. At night you only compensate for it to sleep.

Perfect for a room that can double up as both, study and hobby. Opt for a daybed with an uncomplicated frame and maintain the bedding tidy enough that it doesn’t look out of place when there is nobody sleeping over. A few cushions and a folded throw can give it the feel of seating.

Get a small one and you will never expect a large side table to have it as well. A short stool or thin table will do.

And if there is a window, do not use any furniture to block it unless you have too. Natural light makes a room with small dimensions feel less cramped.

Blush Pink & Cream Cozy Guest Room

The second best partner is cream that always keeps the color mild. Along with the quilts, curtains, cushions or a small bench you could go for cream walls and bring in blush!

Maybe a wooden bed frame to bring some warmth without totally changing the direction of the room?

Keep the bedside area simple. One light, one small tray and one art work is enough. There is no need for a massive nightstand stuffed with decor.

If the space is looking too saccharine for you, add something textured. A basket made of natural fibers, amish quilt bedding setal wood while others will create more.

It looks deliberate without appearing overly staged to one color.

Bright Scandinavian Single Bedroom with Floating Shelves

Small Scandi bedrooms do one thing very right: they leave space (not fill every nook and cranny).

For one guest room you start with a simple bed, plain light finish. Ditch the black walls at least for now and keep things bright with white walls, pale wood, soft neutral bedding.

Swap out an oversized nightstand for a floating shelf.

This single change can create a lot of floor space for you. Then on the one shelf, lay a lamp down to illuminate some space and maybe use a book or two. If (of course) you have enough wall depth, add one more shelf to the top just for decoration.

Placing a simple rug next to the bed can compliment any home and is warmer on your foot. To take away the feeling of drabness. Now you may need to add some knitted blanket or linen throw for pale colors but plain.

So, such a type of space set in a better way doesn’t require too much furniture. That’s part of its charm.

Soft Mustard Yellow Nook Cozy Cute Bedroom Corner

It is for a smidge of bedroom nook—which need not feel like an afterthought.

A deep mustard yellow adds personality to a small sleep nook without being overly bold. Use it carefully. A painted accent wall, a quilt or some cushions are sometimes enough.

In the event that the bed is shoved into a corner, place a little rack on the wall adjacent to it. This creates a place to put a phone or lamp rather than jam in a table into the main way.

This is where a light — and, in particular here, one that mounts to the wall — is particularly useful.

There is usually a corner without anything in the house, and even a small chair can make it into a reading place. It does not have to come with a matching table and accessories. I require a chair and a little lamp.

Stick to muted colours for the rest of the room, like cream, warm white, pale wood or soft gray. The mustard accent will get the job done without making it feel busy.

Navy Blue Nook Bedroom Moody Aesthetic Dreamy Calm Retreat

Small bedrooms and dark hues are not a forbidden combination.

Darker colors — navy blue in this case — can also make a tight guest room feel cozy and tucked away. Its well known that a dark room can be relaxing, but no one wants to learn to live in a black box … the easiest answer is using it behind the bed not painting every wall dark.

Leave the other walls lighter. This gives the bedroom a stronger focus, but still holds enough light in the room.

Navy pairs beautifully with cream bedding. So does warm wood. For added detail, work in little brass through a lamp or hardware.

Interior lighting is very crucial for a room like this. At night, the navy will feel warm with a glowing bedside lamp. A bulb that is cold and bright can do the polar opposite.

You don’t need much decoration. Allow the colour on the walls to do some of the work.

Soft peach adds warmth without being as aggressive as orange or coral, which makes it a great choice for a little bedroom.

Because you use so little of it, it sits nicely in a small guest nook. If you do not want to repaint, simply paint the wall behind the bed, or bring the hue in with bedding and curtains.

The other colours for the room may need to be all obvious ones — cream, light wood and off-white.

Using a bedside shelf instead of a table. Elsewhere, a skinny bench may be handy should space allow at the foot of the bed, but don’t force one in on principle as many bedroom images have one.

That room still needs to be passable.

Online sense is intended for any decor, Lavish bedard suggests: Textures are pretty basic. It can accommodate an extra blanket and helps add some texture to the room without occupying a lot of surface area.

Lavender & Grey Cozy Bedroom Soft Dreamy Aesthetic Calm Retreat

If you are looking for a cooler and somber overall color, lavender and gray make a fantastic combination ideal for tranquilizing guest rooms.

You might paint the walls pale gray, and add lavender in the bedding. Use lavender behind the bed, everything else neutral if you want a pop of colour;

Simply make a note of the brightness within the room. The Very cool gray can come off as a bit boring in dark rooms that do not receive much daylight. Warmer grays are generally easier to live with.

Even if it is a wooden stool or bedside table, wooden furniture can help here as well.

When it comes down to bedding, there is no need for if each piece matches perfectly. Instead of putting together a full matching set, opt for a gray duvet paired with lavender pillowcases and a cream throw; the result is much more relaxed (even if you’re still somewhat color coordinated).

Start Making Your Little Guest Room

The best small guest rooms are not always the most spectacularly furnished ones. Those are where everything feels to have settled into its rightful spot.

Start with the bed. Figure out storage next. So then consider lighting, and the very small things that your guest will benefit from.

After that, decorate.

If you love color, use it. Nothing wrong with wanting a quiet neutral room, either. A navy, mustard, blush, peach lavender, or cream small bedroom is up to the room as long as the rest of the space has an area to breathe in it.