Guest room Lighting and other Interior Ideas

Sometimes it's difficult to decide how to decorate a guest room, what lighting to choose, what colours and what overall interior you should go for. Whether your kids have left the nest or you simply have a spare room, you still need to create a welcoming interior. Make a lasting impression and ensure your guests will return by creating a cosy and comfortable guest room. Here we'll look at the do's and don'ts when it comes to guest room lighting and other interior ideas. A handy tip : Before you get started, if you use your guest room for storage then it might be an idea to remove any clutter before your guests arrive. Clear a few drawers and a section of a wardrobe for guests that are staying for more than a few days and place any spare hangers in the wardrobe. Keeping your personal belongings on show may make your guests feel like they're intruding, you can always return these to the room once your guests have left. Check out our Pinterest Board on Guest Room Lighting for more interior ideas.

Choosing the right lighting for your Guest Room

Think about what activities your guests will be doing during their stay such as catching up on emails, reading in bed and putting on make-up in the morning. All these activities will require some sort of illumination. For guests who like to have a little read before bedtime, a bedside wall lamp or table lamp is ideal. Make sure to choose a bedside light with a pull/line switch so your guests don't have to leave the comfort of their beds when they're ready to go to sleep. Guests stumbling around in the dark is not a good look. Try our Marta 2 Light Glass Wall Light for a classic look, you can then complete the look with other fittings from our Marta range.

For a more traditional fitting our Madonna 2 Light Antique Brass Wall Light features cascading crystal effect gems and candle stick style bulb holders.

A practical lamp such as a task lamp is ideal for any guests using your guest room as a business stopover. Our New Task Lamp - Mocha is practical whilst remaining subtle in a subdued mocha finish. Place this on a dresser so that your guests can angle the light onto their laptop or reading material.

An overhead fitting such as a flush light or spotlights is ideal as a base illumination, but try not to overwhelm your guests with large fittings. Flush and Semi-flush fittings will give enough light whilst being less overbearing, check out our blog post on Semi Flush Lighting. To create a relaxed ambience opt for a dimmable ceiling fitting. For additional lighting or if you have more space consider a Floor Lamp next to an arm chair or chaise long for a cosy reading nook. Another handy tip : In today's society it's all about gadgets and technology, you need to take this into consideration when decorating your guest rooms. It's a good idea to have a few plug sockets around the room, you may even want to consider placing a multi-plug adapter for guests' phone chargers and laptops.

Choosing the right colour for your Guest Room

When it comes to decorating a quest room you need to firstly think about your colour palette, you don't want to dazzle your guests, so try to stay away from bright overpowering colours. Stick to a neutral palette such as creams, greys beige and pastel hues. This will create a calming effect for your guests and they are also great gender neutral tones too. If you really want to add some colour then we advise you to stick to little hints of one or two colours, pastel shades such as mint greens, pale yellow and duck egg blues. Add colour through the use of temporary touches such as scatter cushions, throws and ornaments, that way you can change your accent colour when you feel like it and as the seasons change.

Essential accessories for your Guest Room

A few little pleasures to think about that will make your guests have an easy, relaxing stay. Place side tables beside the bed. Consider a trinket tray placed on the side table so your guests can keep any belongings such as watches, jewellery and any spare change in one place. Bottled water with a few glass tumblers is a great idea for guests who get a little thirsty in the night. Don't forget to display a clock on the side too, preferably an analogue style to give a timeless feel to the room. Place a few towels in the room for guests that might want to shower during their stay, ideally a flannel and a medium and large sized towel. You could also add cosy robes for a luxurious touch, just remember to wash it after each stay ready for your next guests. For the colder months why not place a few Throws on a side chair for extra warmth. Think about what you might find in a hotel and B&B, when you next stay over in a hotel take the complimentary shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. You can place these on your guest room dresser, this will prevent any awkward requests from your guests if they've forgotten to pack their toiletries. Mirrors are great ideas to help your guests when getting ready in the morning, place a full length mirror on a wall with enough space in front for them to get a good full length look. Place smaller vanity style mirrors on side tables and dressing tables. Mirrors are also great for giving the illusion of more space, so if your guest room isn't very large place some mirrors on a wall together with some subtle art work to create a feature wall.

Choosing the right bedding for your Guest Room

Bedding can be quite tricky when trying to accommodate every guest, some people struggle with too much heat when sleeping whilst others will need an extra layer to keep them warm. The best solution to this is to include a thinner bed sheet under the duvet, this way your guests can choose which to sleep under. When thinking about beds it may be a thought to have two twin beds as oppose to one double or king size, this is a more versatile option and will allow guests to choose whether to sleep separately or together, if the latter then the beds can be pushed together. Bedding should look cosy and plump but not too overwhelming with too many colours and patterns. Keep to plain designs such as stripes or block colours. Plump up cushions to make them appear more inviting, complete the look with a faux fur or silk throw at the foot of the bed for that hotel inspired look.

Our look book shows you 3 easy ways to decorate your guest rooms, using 3 alternative colour schemes.