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The spare room is valuable space. And yet, so many of us use it to store items, bundling unwanted items of furniture that we think may see the light of day again. When it is used to accommodate a guest, it feels cold and unwelcoming.
But not with these five décor tips that will open the room to welcoming visitors, whether it is a planned or an impromptu house guest you are accommodating.
#1 Multi-Use Space
The spare room is expected to be a lot of things. It is expected to be the perfect overnight bedroom, as well as an extension of the play area for children, a place where spare towels and linen are kept, possibly the winter coats too, it may also double as an office or study and is the place where things are ‘put’ when you are unsure what else to do with them.
This wastes the space but in kitting out your spare room, you still want to be able to use for a myriad of things, including storage. This doesn’t mean that it cannot be a welcoming and stylish space.
But it does mean you need to pick the furniture for the room carefully so that it adds style and warmth but more than a hint of practicality.
The occasional or the impromptu guest won’t need drawer or wardrobe space but they will need some basics accessories besides the bed. Bucket chairs are a modern and stylish addition that are practical and can be used anywhere in the home when extra seating is needed.
Keep furniture simple and uncluttered in style, as well as being practical for the things you intend to store in the spare room.
#2 Warm, Neutral Colours
For any space to be warm and welcoming, you need to consider the colour palette carefully. There is no doubt that the safe option is to opt for a warm, neutral palette throughout the room.
This doesn’t mean plain or magnolia. What it does mean is considering carefully the dimensions of the room when choosing patterns and colours. For example, opt for a feature wall with a light patterned wallpaper or one rich colour and use plain accessories throughout the room or vice versa.
Although the spare room can be a great place to experiment when it comes to colours, it is still a room that is used and thus, anything too outlandish that doesn’t match the rest of your home may seem a little odd or out of place.
Choose calming colours that open a space – why not mix the gentler hues of blues with cream, or enjoy neutral grey walls with mustard accessories? – or use a mix of similar patterns, such as large and small floral patterns with the same colours to pull the scheme together.
#3 Think ‘Hotel Style’
When you visit a hotel, what is the first impression you get when you walk into your room? Clean, crisp, yet stylish is usually the impression most hotels, boutique or otherwise are attempting to create.
Most interior designers suggest that emulating this style will help you create a space that is warm and welcoming for guests. But what does ‘hotel style’ mean?
- Sumptuous bedding – the spare room is not the place to recycle a flat duvet and a few pillows no longer in use. There is nothing ‘spare’ or sparse about what is now known as the guest bedroom. Think sumptuous duvet and over stuffed pillows.
- Accessories that matter – a few cushions on the bed to add depth and texture won’t go amiss and neither will one or two adorning the guest bedroom bucket chairs.
- Flooring – whether you opt for a hard floor solution or carpet, the flooring such be of the same quality as you would use throughout the rest of the home. Finish it with a deep pile rug by the bed.
- Window dressing – curtains or blinds should be in keeping with the rest of the room but unfussy and easy to use.
#4 Lighting
As with any room, the guest bedroom needs plenty of lighting options for your guests. This too also helps to make the space welcoming and warm, possibly the most important consideration for the room.
(Image: Suzanne – Inside, Outside & Beyond)
- Statement central pendant light – if you want to make an instant and visual statement that packs a punch, then the hanging central light is the place to do it. And you don’t need to spend hundreds doing it. As well as ornate central lights, there are some fantastic cheaper options when it comes to using ornate shades. Opt for glass shades, complete with a myriad of droplets that reflect the light around the room, a certain wow factor when guests switch on the light.
- Bedside table – the penchant for using glass or metal shades is a big interior design hit this year. Opt for glass, gold or brass accessories to really light up the room but the bedside table needs to be bright enough to read by. Or choose a bedside lamp that can be dimmed, if needed.
#5 The Finishing Touches
(Image: Suzanne – Inside, Outside & Beyond)
It is the detail in a room that tip from ordinary to extraordinary but with the guest room, these details are important.
Revamping the space doesn’t mean getting rid of all your furniture and starting again; it means designing the space around what you have.
Frame items of furniture so that they look like they belong there. Group things in threes, for example, use angel chairs to frame the window, with a low table, drawing it together space together with a rug.
As well as sumptuous but unpretentious window dressings, have fresh towels folded on the bed ready for guest use, and a throw or light bedspread casually folded but within reach if your guest needs to reach for it during the night.
And when guests do arrive, have fresh flowers to give the room an uplifting scent but more importantly, sort through your stored items and get rid of things you really don’t need.
Do you give the spare room the attention and style it deserved? How will you dress your spare room to make it a delightful guest bedroom?
Office and marketing manager for Sloane & Sons Stylish Chairs, who sell a range of high-quality tub chairs, accent chairs and more.
