Furnishing Tips for a Guest Bedroom that Feels Like Home

We all want to provide a comfortable, memorable, enjoyable experience for the family, friends, colleagues, foreign exchange students, and other guests who stay in our home. Of course, much of that has to do with the itinerary for their visit, spending quality time together, and your cooking. But a lot also depends on how at-home they feel—and how well they're able to sleep—in their temporary bedroom. So, here are some design, décor, and furnishing tips for a guest bedroom that's conducive to rest and relaxation, and that should make your guests feel at ease during their stay in your home.

How to Create a Great Guest Bedroom

• Since the bed is the centerpiece of a bedroom, select a beautiful one. Opt for a bed with a headboard so your guests can comfortably sit up in it, and it should be sturdy. We recommend the classic, solid wood, mid-century modern Heywood-Wakefield StyleMaster Bed.

• Have a comfortable chair in the room, too, as some people don't like sitting in a bed.

• Many homeowners use their guest bedroom for extra storage space. There's nothing wrong with that, but make sure there's plenty of closet space (and hangers) and dresser drawer space available to your guests.

• Put out a folding luggage rack to facilitate access to the contents of your guest's suitcase.

• A hook or two on the back of the bedroom door and empty wall racks are helpful ways to offer places to hang a purse or coat and store miscellaneous items during your guests' stay.

• Let lots of natural light in, but install window coverings that allow your guests to achieve total darkness at night.

• Include a vanity or small dressing table if space permits. Remember to provide a good-sized mirror in the room, too.

• Spring for high-thread-count sheets and other high-quality bedding.

• Give your guests access to a variety of blanket options, as different people prefer to sleep under coverings of different materials and weights. Stack a few in the closet, or add a blanket chest at the foot of the bed; remember to point out that the selection is there.

• It's nice to provide some different options for pillows, too, as personal preferences vary. You can place a number of them decoratively on the bed, or keep some extras in the closet along with pillow cases.

• Put easy-to-reach, easy-to-operate lamps on the nightstands. And don't forget to provide an alarm clock, too.

• Place a little card with the Wi-Fi password on a nightstand or the dresser.

• Incorporate natural elements into the guest bedroom to make it feel cozier, brighter, and happier. Live plants are always nice, including fresh flowers bought right before your guest arrives—but it doesn't hurt to find out if they have any allergies.

• One thoughtful touch is to leave a decorative basket with toiletries, just in case your guest forgot something, such as an extra toothbrush, a travel-size tube of toothpaste and bottle of mouthwash, hand soap, a small bottle of lotion and shaving gel, emery boards, etc.

• Consider creating a reading nook in the guest bedroom if there's enough space, including a bookshelf with some various reading materials if possible.