Designing the Perfect Guest Retreat

Your guest bedroom should be as inviting and comfortable as the other bedrooms in your home! There are so many details that you can add to ensure that your guests have a wonderful stay, such as plush furniture, boutique bedding and luxurious small touches.

Everything from wallpaper, draperies, and other soft details will make the room feel cozy and warm. 

It's in the small things when it comes to creating an environment your guests are sure to remember. These include placing a table lamp next to the bed with a glass for water. Fresh flowers are always a nice touch. Give your guest some fun reads about things that are local (local books and magazines are always a hit).  Always provide your guest with extra blankets. Many people sleep cooler than others and oftentimes guests will not want to as you for another blanket. Give them the option to cozy if if needed.

Having a side chair or a place to put their luggage is key. Guests shouldn't have to live out of their suitcase while on the floor. Make it easy for them to access their belongings. Providing your guests with a mirror is an added bonus. Since sometimes you may have a full house, it is key to have a place for them to get ready without having to go to the bathroom area.

I like to place a bottle of local wine and some snacks in my guest bedroom when I have visitors. It gives a nice touch and provides your guests with something to nosh on in the later hours. 

Spa-like Guest Bedrooms

Zen spa decor is quintessentially calm and peaceful. It is often a favorite decorating scheme for homeowners seeking a relaxing appearance for their bedroom spaces. By incorporating a nature-inspired color palette, luxurious bedding elements and calming accessories, this design is fairly easy to create for a bedroom that looks and feels like a sanctuary retreat in the comfort of one's own home.

Natural Colors

Use cool colors. Increase the spa-like feel of the room with a cool color palette that features blue and green. Paint the walls a soft, blue color to simulate the look of water, known for its calming properties. Add an area rug in light green, and place it at the foot of the bed to help anchor the space. A green rug gives the room an illusion of grass, which is a nature-inspired choice to add to the calm environment. Lastly, select white bedding, window treatments and furniture pieces to create a simplistic, Zen-like appearance to the room.

Bed Textiles

Incorporate simple bedding. Zen bedrooms are often minimal in design, so reflect this with a comforter set that is streamlined. Avoid patterns, as they can create a space with visual clutter. Choose styles with tone-on-tone piping details to give the set a bit of style without being too fussy. Select white bedding to complement the spa feel of the room. Add a bit of luxury with high-thread-count sheets in solid white to give the bedding a pampered, spa look and feel. Finish the Zen spa bedroom with two soft, fluffy robes draped on the end of the bed for a relaxing and calming appearance to the entire decor.

Minimal Clutter

Organize the bedroom. Clutter is to be avoided on all counts in a Zen spa environment. Use organizational tools to get clutter down to a minimum. Place shoes in a hanging shoe rack in a closed closet. Purchase organizing, closet clothes systems for a more functional closet space. Use under-the-bed storage boxes or plastic containers to store items not used on a daily basis, such as seasonal clothing. A clutter-free room is inherently more peaceful, adding to the visual appeal of the Zen spa space.