15 Guest Room Décor Ideas That Will Prove Your Prowess As Host

Farmhouse antique style guest room — Photo:
Cody Ulrich

The guests are coming…the guests are coming! You know the drill. Pull out your crispest bed linens, fluff the pillows, write out the Wi-Fi password…and then what? While hosting is fun and a great way to spend extra time with friends and family during their stay, it can also be a little stressful. Your host skills will have to stand up to the test. So, what does it take to create an amazing guest room that'll have visitors raving? The secret? It's all in the details. We tapped some design experts to get their tips and tricks on making your guest room an unforgettable experience. Guest room décor ideas range from personalized art to fresh plants and lots of pillows, to the practical things like storage and travel soaps. With these suggestions, you'll never wonder how to decorate a guest room ever again. And, dare we say, you can definitely give Airbnb a run for their money.

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Create A Personal Feel

Bedroom with canopy bed and vintage style — There were no original wood floors here, so Williams covered the concrete slab with wall-to-wall sisal.
Brie Williams

When your room is decorated with family pieces and collected antiques, guests are bound to feel immediately welcomed. In this guest room, the side table was a fixture in designer Molly Williams' childhood home, and the canopy bed belonged to her parents when they first wed. “We’re making the hand-me-downs work for us,” she says.

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Make Even the Smallest Spaces Feel Special

Hannon Doody guest room dormer ceiling — Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lindsey Ellis Beatty

This Chattanooga, Tennessee, second-floor guest room is petite, so designer and homeowner Hannon Doody skipped a headboard, relying on bed-framing curtains and layers of textiles for an elegant effect. A luggage rack at the end of the bed dials up the hotel-cozy feel.

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Carve Out Room for the Whole Crew

Dark green bunk room with two queen beds and single upper bunks — Courtesy Clara Chambers

Gainesville, Georgia, designer Maggie Griffin outfitted this Cashiers, North Carolina, suite with the whole family in mind, opting for queen-size beds for the bottom bunks and twins on top. Luxurious linens, pretty bolsters, and artwork in every corner elevate the space even further.

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Play With Patterns and Textures

Designer Leah Ashley Finn went all out with patterns and textures in her farmhouse's guest bedroom. “We have a revolving door of family and friends, so the primary guest space really needed to feel as comfy and inviting as possible,” she says. Mixing neutral patterns on the walls, upholstery, and linens delivers dimension without being too loud.

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Add a Collection of Vintage Pieces

Light and bright bedroom with colorful accents — Erica Dunhill

Homeowner Korinne Belock enjoys hosting out-of-town friends, so she filled the upstairs guest room with plenty of charm. “We took the items we knew we weren’t already using and put them in here, but we made it seem like this was their intended place from the start,” says designer Jennaea Denhardt. The result is a playful collection of vintage pieces plus a cheeky striped bed frame from The Inside.

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Celebrate the View

2023 Idea House Queen Bedroom — Laurey W. Glenn; Stylist: Matthew Gleason

In the upstairs bedroom of our 2023 Idea House in Tennessee, designer Laura highlighted the pastoral view (and provided an option for blocking the morning sun) with window treatments in Thibaut’s wool-blend Ravello in Charcoal. A four-poster bed by Alabama furniture maker Reid Classics makes the space feel as intentionally designed as the downstairs primary bedroom.

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Enlarge the Space with Visual Tricks

Green, black, and white bedroom with bold patterns and plant — Laurey W. Glenn

Guest bedrooms can be small — especially when you want to fit more than one bed in them. Designer Raili Clasen used color and pattern to her advantage to make this guest room appear larger. By using a black and white rug with a strong pattern, the room feels bigger than it actually is.

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Channel Faraway Influences

Pass Christian Guest Bedroom — Dane Tashima; STYLING: Buffy Hargett Miller

This guest room is a playful ode to the Anglophile: Colefax and Fowler Bowood drapes frame the window, English toile de Jouy coverlets featuring a British fishing village wrap the twin beds, Union Jack bunting trims the ceiling, and framed 19th-century political cartoons sourced from English printshops accent the walls.

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Commit to a Color Palette

Idea House 2022 downstairs guest room — PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREY W. GLENN; STYLING BY KENDRA SURFACE

In the downstairs guest room of our 2022 Idea House in coastal North Carolina, designer Charlotte Lucas opted to reflect the view in the first-floor guest suite, coating the wood-paneling in a wide swath of soothing blue (Sherwin-Williams' Morning at Sea, SW 9634) and then wrapping the rest of the space in Saybrook Check Spa Blue by Thibaut. "It's such a classic pattern," she says.

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Match Finishing Touches

Natural guest bedroom with two twin beds — Brian Woodcock

If your guest bedroom has multiple beds, making them cohesive is a great way to make the room look clean and inviting. In this guest room, designers Chip and Cathy Groome used matching spindle beds, blankets, and pillows to make everything balanced.

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Feature Artwork

bedroom with white bed, pink comforter, horse paintings on the wall and plants in the corner — Laurey Glenn

"Have fun. Personalize the space for guests," Bean continues. "Add photos or artwork that will remind them of past visits or times together." If you find yourself hosting often, it may not be practical to put up personalized photos, but they do make great gifts! As for the room décor, opt for something that showcases your personality or a beloved local spot in town.

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Designate a Sitting Area

window seat with pink floral pillows and white drapery — Molly Culver

Guests staying for a while? They may want some alone time. "Create a sitting area where guests can read a book or relax," shares Mary Patton of Houston-based Mary Patton Design. Though it's great to spend time together, eventually, everyone may want a few moments to relax and drift off to decompress, and giving your guests a designated space (instead of just the bed) is a thoughtful touch.

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Incorporate Plants

Pink bedside table with classic drum lampshade and pink lamp — Laurey Glenn

"Fresh flowers or plants provide a mood-lifting space," says Mel Bean of Oklahoma-based Mel Bean Interiors. You can't fail to delight with a little greenery. Use a plant or flower you know your guests love, or that complement the color and texture of the room.

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Don't Forget the Necessities

guest bedroom with oval side table — Haylei Smith

Lance Thomas of Louisiana-based Thomas Guy Interiors lists must-haves as, "a small hamper, extra throw blankets, a mirror, and an alarm clock." It's always the little things that are often forgotten, but when remembered can take a stay over the top.

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Offer Great Linens and Pillows

bed with floral bedspread and pink pillows — Molly Culver

No traveler can enjoy the sites if they haven't got a good night's sleep! "Outfit the space with comfortable and colorful linens," Patton adds. "Offer a selection of pillows with various degrees of firmness."

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