Design The Perfect Guest Room

Phyllis Décor 26 Comments

I am sure you have guessed by now that I love checked fabric. From the first time I saw the Williamsburg Tavern check fabric, I was hooked.

Our guest room has a bay window that overlooks the walled garden. While this is a lovely sight during the day, at night those windows have to be covered. I selected a coral-and-cream large plaid in linen for the draperies. I covered the small sofa in solid coral linen to match. I want my guests to enjoy their stay and feel at home.

I found a luggage stand at a local store and bought one for the room. I keep it in the closet and bring it out as needed. It is much easier to unpack a suitcase when you have one of these.

I selected a cream bed coverlet with matching pillow shams. I decided on king-size beds for every bedroom, as buying linens is simplified greatly. I use white linens only, as they can be kept bright white for a very long time.

A guest room is the perfect place to decorate with things you love. I like to change photos for each guest to one that includes them. It’s fun to see their reaction when their photo is on the chest in the room. Have fun making your guest room a special place.

What do you do for your guests when they come for a visit?
Cottage Journal Southern Cottage 2018 Issue

Comments 26

  1. Wow it’s a amazing guest room. I just love your guest room design,color combination all of that you have been done in it. It’s really a inspiring work for me. I wish if i could spend time in it. Your guest are too lucky what a beautiful room you makeover for them. Thanks for the sharing your great and wonderful article with us.

  2. Such a beautiful room! I especially love the little accessories on the chest!! Wherever did you find those?!?

  3. The room is gorgeous! I especially love the coral as it’s a bit unexpected and yet looks so elegant. Unfortunately we don’t have room for guests to spend the night in our small apartment but we will take them wherever they would like to go in the city if they wish to be shown around and can recommend many good sights and restaurants. We provide a pre-loaded metrocard so they can use the buses or subways without having to worrying about buying one and water bottles and snacks to keep them going.

  4. Absolutely warm and lovely! So very tasteful. Thanks for sharing your gorgeous home with us. Very inspirational!
    Nancee

  5. Phyllis, your new home is truly stunning and I love your guest room! I have an interesting photo story to tell. I fell in love with Mont St. Michel years ago. My youngest daughter gave me a beautifully framed black and white photo that she took of the island when we were there in 2008. I’ve kept it on a small table in our guest room. A few years ago we were thrilled to have one of my husband’s former teammates and his wife stay with us for a homecoming weekend. Before their suitcases were brought upstairs, we all hung out in the kitchen catching up and snacking on pound cake. Bill had always talked about his wonderful Dad and couldn’t wait to show us an old picture his sister had found from WWII. When my husband and I saw this incredible picture, our jaws dropped! There was Bill’s Dad, looking like a GQ model, driving his three equally good looking buddies in an army Jeep, right in front of Mont St. Michel! What a great picture it was! We immediately rushed them upstairs and when they saw our picture of Mont St. Michel, their jaws dropped! Bill and his wife come every year now. His Dad’s 1945 photo awaits all who come to stay in our guest room and has a special place of honor next to the truffle bowl and opposite our daughter’s 2008 photo. I wish I could show you all these very special pictures!!!

  6. Lovely! I know any who enter will feel they are being totally pampered.

    I like to do many of the things already mentioned by other Ribbon Friends.

    One thing I always do for guests is to make sure to have a basket containing an assortment of those often forgotten small necessities such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, lotion, etc. as well as individual packages of cookies or other snacks.

    Blessings…

  7. Love the room! Yes, white linens are the way to go.

    A luggage wrack is a must for a guest bedroom. Plus, I always put a beautiful, enameled tray on the bed with a chilled bottle of water, chocolates in a bowl with a matching spoon, a beautiful dessert sized plate with matching napkin along with other snacks for their stay. Their bathroom has a basket full of everything from shampoos to shaving cream and a razor.

    Thanks for sharing!

  8. Phyllis, you always put things together in such a tasteful and beautiful way! I’m also a fan of the simplicity and luxury of bright white linens. Decorating is easier when the accent colors can be used around the room as you’ve done in your guest room. It’s always a treat to get sneak peeks of your beautiful home.

  9. My mother used only white linens for our large family’s beds. She would hang sheets and pillow cases outside to dry as often as the weather was good. Nothing quite compares to that fresh outdoor scent brought inside. All walls in the house were white but we could add a pop of color with curtains or pillows or original artwork. I love the coral color you have in your guest room ! The curtains and couch look perfectly coordinated and so classy. Beautiful, warm and welcoming!

  10. The checkered fabric is very lovely. You decorated the room so nice. Who wouldn’t want to spend time in it.
    Marilyn

  11. Flowers for the guest, wrapped chocolates, water carafe, books and magazines and a Bible.
    For the lady that wanted to know how to whiten sheets, hang them outside in the sun. My husband lived in Africa for a couple of years. The natives would wash the bedding and lay them over the green shrubbery in the sun. I’ve done this on linens found in yard sells, etc and out comes the stains. It’s the mixture of wet linen, sun and chlorophyl that does the trick. Try it, it works.
    Love your guest room. I wouldn’t want to leave!

  12. Thank you for sharing another part of your lovely home. Your guest room is just as beautifully decorated as the rest of the rooms have been.

  13. Your decorating is always impeccable. I am having quite a conundrum about guest rooms. We are empty nesters with technically two guest rooms but one is a bedroom /playroom for our six grandchildren that live within 40 minutes of us. The other room currently houses all my crafting/sewing supplies and desk as well as a queen size bed. Because neither of our guest rooms are exceptionally large, the guest room/craft room is very tight. We have lived in our current home for 2 1/2 years and have had guests, other than our grandchildren a total of three times. It really seems ridiculous to have that bed in the guest/craft space but it is nice to have on occasion. I have toyed with a nice day bed/trundle option but still wonder if it is worth the space and expense.

  14. My daughter placed a cute framed sign in her guestroom with the password for the wifi, which I thought was a thoughtful touch.

  15. I love my guest room that has a black pencil-post queen sized bed, a black highboy, and yellow bedding and accessories. The sheets are white and have little yellow and black bees on the boarder.

    I love seeing photos and learning about the details of your new house! And please let us in on the way to keep linens their whitest! Thanks for letting us enjoy the new house along with you.

  16. Simply beautiful, Phyllis! Keeping it simple and sweet allows the room to “breathe”, and it adds a level of relaxation and comfort for your guests. I love having a guest bedroom and bathroom that is always ready for an unexpected overnight visitor . . . it took me a long time to get to that point, but I finally have a home that allows me (and my guests!) to enjoy that little pleasure. I keep a supply of Victoria and Cape May magazines in the room, as well as a small flat-screen TV. There are side tables and reading lamps on either side of the bed, a clothing hook on the back of the bedroom door, and a folding luggage stand for a suitcase. Although I use the closet for my own personal storage, I make sure that there is room in the closet for anything that my guests may want to hang up. The bedroom opens directly to the bathroom, where guests may find everything they need for showering and cleaning up after a long day. Oh, and let’s not forget the pretty little alarm clock, and the ever-useful box of tissues!

    I am thoroughly enjoying this on-going tour of your home! You’re inspiring me to create my own haven that is peaceful, calm, and full of charm and character. Thank you!

  17. I have a blue and white guest bedroom (my favorite colors) with a blue floral print duvet and matching pillow shams on the bed. On the bedside table I have placed a few of my favorite Victoria magazines, the ones with the blue and white covers of course! During one very bad snow storm, a work colleague of mine stayed over and she enjoyed sitting in bed, (in a borrowed pair of my blue and white striped cotton PJ’s) and reading the magazines. She was not aware of your lovely magazine. I made her a cup of tea before bed and she said it was so much more relaxing than facing a bad commute home, and she’d love to stay at my B&B again! I did not however provide breakfast as she was doing the morning shift, and I the evening, but I left her a pretty blue breakfast tray with my blue calico dishes on it, and some muffins, with the coffee pot read to go. I seldom have overnight guests, so it’s fun to pamper them when I do. PS. By the way, that March/April edition is truly gorgeous, a feast for the eyes for those of us still dealing with winter.

  18. I always put fresh flowers in the guest room for their enjoyment. Sometimes even a “chocolate” on their pillow. I prepare some of their favorites foods and beverages. I want to make them feel very special when they are in my home.

  19. What a beautiful room! My mom lived in my guest room for 3 years. She is now in a nursing home. She has Alzheimer’s, and we could no longer care for her. Some day I will redecorate, but for now, it’s mom’s room. When I do decided to move her things, I will use your guest room as inspiration.

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