Five Tips To Update A Single Guest Bedroom

Guest bedrooms are a great place to experiment with your design ideas. As these rooms are not always in use they can make for ideal testing ground to see which ideas bed down. Nevertheless, single guest rooms, which tend to be smaller, are not so easy to decorate if you want to invoke a striking décor. This is most usually because single bedrooms’ size means that conventional decorating rules are applied.

White guest room

After all, most home designers will stick to the rules that say smaller rooms must be kept light and without any busy patterns in order that they appear to be larger. There is nothing wrong with this approach, but why should single guest rooms be less adventurous than double bedrooms? If you have a single guest room, whatever its actual dimensions, perhaps it is time to push the boundaries of your usual design choices and create a strident décor that would look at home in a five star hotel.

The Room Within A Room.

White guest room

Single guest bedrooms look a little tired if you have the bed shoved against one wall, some bedroom furniture simply arranged on the opposing wall and a little floor space in the middle. Instead, why not arrange the furnishings to create a sub-room within the space? Even in small areas the effect can be compelling.

White guest room
White guest room

A good start is to recess the bed between fitted furniture at the head and the toe, with storage underneath. Complete the niche-look with some drapes that give a cabin-like feel. Alternatively, set the single mattress over a raised area, which connects to storage units, to get an Asian inspired feel. Four poster beds are a bit much for a single room, but pelmets create a sense of a distinct zone within a bedroom. This is a cool choice, if you have a young girl who will use the room.

The Coordinated Look.

White guest room

Adapt your guest room’s design so that there is more to the décor than plain walls and carpet. Coordinated designs work equally as well in smaller spaces as they do in large ones. Just remember not to over do it. Select striped or patterned wallpaper, for instance, but avoid a great deal of color contrast. Two or three tones are enough to add visual interest.

White guest room
White guest room

Now choose bed linen that reflect the same color palette. Introduce a new color to the room with a distinctive headboard. However, make the color chime with a cushion cover or some wall art so that the look comes together. Choose a patterned fabric for your bedroom’s blinds and use the same material for a bedding skirt, perfect for a single divan bed.

New Window Treatments.

White guest room
White guest room

As well as coordinating your blinds and bedding, a great way to update a bedroom is to go for drapes and blinds with differing colors but sympathetic tones. Remember to reflect the new window treatments with your choice bedspread or the upholstery of an occasional chair. Floor-to-ceiling drapes that cover an entire wall will create a dynamic look even if the bedroom’s window is not particularly large. Or how about doing away with blind and drapes altogether and installing shutters instead?

Accent Walls.

White guest room

Want to add some vibrancy to your single room, but feel that you will overpower the size of the space? Choose a surface to make an accent wall. For best results select the wall that faces the window, with the most natural light. Alternatively, opt for the wall behind the headboard, as this often works well, too.

Whitewashed Freshness.

White guest room

If you feel that the single room is just too small to do anything striking in terms of color, then go for whitewash. Off whites and pure whites give a fresh appeal that beats magnolia walls. Whites look great in simply designed rooms and are the ideal way to go if you have a futon style bed in your guest room.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11.