6 Easy Ways to Prep Your Guest Room for the Holidays
For many, a guest room becomes a catch-all space for collecting seasonal clothes, luggage, boxes and more. When your guest arrives, you want their room to be clutter-free and jolly. Before they arrive, remove any unnecessary items from the room that could get in their way and organize the guest room closet to ensure they have a space for their hanging clothes and luggage during their stay. Then, add 10-15 extra hangers in the closet, including wooden blazer hangers and velvet hangers for delicate clothing items. When your room is clean, you’ll be ready to decorate!
Since guest rooms aren’t usually decorated for the holidays, this will be a great surprise for your visitors! Here are some of our favorite decorating ideas for your guest room:
Place a holiday tree in your guest room
Your living room doesn’t have to be the only space that features a holiday tree! Place a tree in your guest room as a focal point, so your guests can enjoy the magic of the holidays, even when they aren’t in their own home. Go for a smaller tree (2-4’ in height). MOOD Tip: Achieve a minimal look by using string lights on your tree without any ornaments, or go for a winter wonderland feel by flocking your holiday tree.
Include cheerful pops of color around the room
Add to the holiday spirit in your space by including colorful accents around the room. You could include a festive pillow or throw in any accent chair you have in the space or hang holiday signage on the walls.
Hang a holiday banner
If you’re looking to get more hands-on with your decorative process, you can make your own holiday banner for your guest room! This can be a wonderful treat for a child that may be staying with you. Whether you buy or create your own, either will look great hung over a window or draped across the front of a piece of furniture.
Display important home information for guests in a creative way
Do you have a specific WIFI password or home alarm code that would be important for your guests to know while they’re staying with you? Print out this information and place it in a decorative frame that can be hung on the wall or placed on their dresser or bedside table for easy viewing access.
How to Make Your Guest Room Bed Festive
When people are away from their homes, especially during the holidays, you want to provide them with a comfortable place to rest and recoup for the new day ahead. Being away from home also means being away from their tree and holiday decorations. Try out some of our tips below for creating an extra comfy and cozy bed for your guests’ stay.
Make it cozy with holiday bedding
One of our favorite ways to transform any space is through the use of bedding. For the holidays, it’s all about using cheerful tones and making your guests comfortable during their stay. There are several ways you could go about switching up your bedding but we do have two go-to holiday looks.
Option 1: All-White Bedding – Give your guest room cool, wintery vibes with a white comforter and pillows, a neutral-colored oversized wool blanket, and 3-5 additional decorative, plush pillows to place on the bed.
Option 2: Red and Green Bedding – Keep it classic with a red and white floral-printed comforter and pillowcases, a brown faux fur throw to lay across the end of the bed and a decorative pillow that features a picturesque holiday scene.
Drape garland across the headboard
Another easy way to change the look of the space is by draping a strand of garland across the top of your headboard. Go for a traditional holiday look by using live garland. Adding solid-colored silk ribbons tied into a bow to each end of the garland would also be lovely! If you’re looking to go for something a little more unique, try creating your own garland out of dried oranges or pine cones.
Once you’ve decided how you’re going to make your bed extra cozy for guests, here are things to consider when preparing your guest room:
Check your guest bedroom sheets to make sure they are soft, in good condition and have been freshly washed. TIP: Wash your sheets with a fresh lavender or cotton fresh scented wash so they’ll smell nice and clean for your guests. If you’re concerned about potential skin irritations with a scented wash, try sitting a bottle of pillow mist beside the bed, so they can have the option of spritzing the sheets themselves.
Provide your guests with 1-2 extra blankets, in case they get cold.
Leave more than one pillow for each guest staying in the room. Providing additional pillows will be a great way to show that their rest is important to you.
How to Decorate Your Guest Room Bathroom
Just as your guests wouldn’t expect to walk into a cozy, decorated bedroom, they also will be surprised to find that you’ve added some joyful touches to the bathroom just for them! Here are ideas for decorating your guest room bathroom for the holidays.
Hang a wreath on the mirror
Choose a live or artificial wreath to display on the center of the mirror in your guest room bathroom. You can go for a more minimal, outdoorsy look with a live wreath that features a simple red bow. All you need is a suction cup with a hook, and you’ll be able to hang either wreath you choose on the mirror in your bathroom.
Drape garland on your bathroom countertops
When it comes to the holidays, you can never have too much garland! Drape a 3-5’ strand of live garland across the back of your guest bathroom countertop to give your bathroom a cozier feel.
Create the smell of Christmas
Use a holiday-scented wall plug or candle in the bathroom to enhance the experience in the space. You can’t go wrong with anything that features aromas of balsam or cedar, or cinnamon and clove.
Additional items to add to your checklist before your guests arrive include:
Placing freshly washed towels on the bathroom counter for guests. You’ll want to provide them with hand towels, body towels and washcloths.
Stocking the bathroom with travel-size toiletry options, so you’re guests won’t run out of toiletries they need. Good staples to have on hand for your guests include toothpaste, a toothbrush, mouthwash, dental floss, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion.
Plugging in a nightlight, so guests can navigate the bathroom easily at night.
How to Style Your Guest Room Bedside Table or Dresser
Take your holiday decor a step further by sprucing up your bedside table or dresser in your guest room! Since you won’t have a lot of surface area to work with when you’re decorating these furniture pieces (plus you still want your guests to be able to use them for glasses, phones or cups of water) we say less is more here. Below are a few minimal decor options for your bedside table or dresser.
Decorate with petite holiday trees
Whether you look online or in various stores, many places sell petite holiday tree decorations for you to choose from. Some are colorful and made of pipe cleaners, some are made of wood and some are made of galvanized metal. You’ll be able to create visual interest by using 1-3 tiny trees of varying height and size to decorate your bedside table or dresser with.
Place out a frame with a special photo
Nothing makes a guest smile more than seeing a photo of you both in the guest room. For most guest room designs, a beautiful gold metal photo frame or a rustic wooden frame can be used to display a special photo in the room. If you can’t find a photo of you and your guest together, you can add in a photo that brings back a happy memory that only you share. This simple touch will have a big impact on your guest and show them how loved they are.
Keep it light and bright
Find two to three glass lanterns of varying size and height and fill them with twinkle lights to create a warm and whimsical ambiance in your guest room. Glass lanterns come in a variety of materials such as a black metal, gold or silver, so you’ll be able to find the perfect lanterns to match the look and feel of the space you’ve curated.
Add Fresh Flowers As a Finishing Touch To Your Guest Room
Adding a bouquet of fresh flowers to your guest room dresser or bedside table is also another great touch! Choose to go with one of our two go-to holiday flower arrangement options below, or opt to create your own holiday bouquet at home. Residential interior designers and decorators in Chicago use fresh florals all of the time to enhance the overall look of the spaces they design. It’s an easy design industry tip that goes a long way with your guests!
Wintery white florals: Choose a floral arrangement of white roses or hydrangeas with some sprigs of fresh garland and greenery to match a light and bright guest room design. Keep it neutral by adding your arrangement into a clear glass or white ceramic vase and placing out onto a dresser for your guests to enjoy.
Classic red florals: If you’re keeping with a classic holiday theme in your guest room, go for an arrangement of red roses, red berries, garland and greenery. You could also go for a clear or red glass vase with this arrangement or, if you’re looking for something a little more formal, I’d choose either a gold vase or a vintage silver trophy to display your florals in.
Create a Welcome Basket for Your Guests
It really is simple, but thoughtful, touches that help your guests feel welcomed. Creating a welcome basket for guests is a thoughtful gesture that communicates that you want them to be taken care of when they’re with you. Items to consider for a welcome basket include:
Water bottles
Granola bars
Chips
Gum
A holiday-scented candle
You can find these items at your local grocery store, or you can look for locally made goods and treats to include in your basket. Your guests will appreciate the basket with goodies, especially when they want a snack or a sip of something to drink in the middle of the night.
If you’re ready to revamp your guest room or any space in your home, contact MOOD | Design + Build. We’re a full-service Interior Design and Build firm in Chicago, ready to create a space customized to fit your wants, needs and personality.