Spare rooms can often be overlooked and can go unused. They can also be used as a storage space to fit all your junk in, full of clutter and mess, which makes it impossible to use functionally. This makes it difficult to welcome guests into your home and have a comfortable space for them to stay in. However, there are easy and budget-friendly ways you can transform your spare room into a cozy guest retreat. With a splash of creativity, DIY mastery, and a well-thought-out plan, you can create an inviting and hotel-worthy escape to host guests overnight. You’ll never have to turn away any loved one from your home again!
Assess your spare room
Take a closer look at your spare room to help formulate a plan that is practical and efficient. If your spare room has been subject to clutter that has mounted up over time, have a clear-out, throwing away anything not needed. Once this has been cleared, you can have a blank canvas to work with to create the perfect cozy guest retreat. With this blank canvas, you can visualize the idea and bring it to life. Measure the space and see what furniture and décor you want to keep as you go through the room. This will give you an idea of what you need to buy and what you can keep or repurpose. From this, you can then create a realistic budget to stick to, ensuring you don’t go overboard with spending.
Choose a color scheme or theme
Once you have your tidy, clean, blank canvas and plan ready, you can choose a suitable color scheme or theme that is cohesive with your home décor. The color scheme or theme is pivotal in creating a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere for guests to relax in. Think about a palette that will complement the rest of your home’s décor and carefully consider your guests’ preferences. You should also think about the vibe you want to set for your guests, as this will determine the color palette you use.
For example, if you want to add luxury and sophistication to your guest room, use bold colors with some neutral ones. If you want to create a serene escape, neutral tones like warm beiges, soft grays, and whites achieve this. The key to creating a cozy guest room is to effectively balance your taste in design with the comfort of your guests.
Invest in a high-quality mattress and bedding
The base for successfully providing a cozy guest retreat in your spare room is to invest in a high-quality mattress and bedding. The bed is the focal point of any room and needs to be comfortable to promote a healthy and restful sleep. Check the current mattress in your spare room, if it has a spare bed in it, and assess if it is supportive enough and comfortable. If it sags, dips, or looks old, it may be best to change the mattress to give your guests a good night’s sleep. Find a mattress that is not too firm, but not too soft.
It needs to be medium or medium-firm to give a comfortable and cozy sleep to every guest. Once you have the perfect mattress, you should purchase quality bedding to provide lasting comfort. Get supportive and soft pillows that cater to various sleeping preferences, so your guests can choose which one is the most comfortable for their stay. Have a few layers of bedding, such as neutral-toned sheets, a fluffy quilt, a knitted throw, and soft cushions to create a luxurious feel to the room.
Have flexible furniture
Sometimes, a spare room can be used for multiple purposes, and this may be the route you want to go down. Guests typically don’t stay over often, so it can feel like a bit of a waste to only give the spare room one purpose for guests. Instead, you can create a dual-purpose spare room that has the capacity to host guests overnight when needed.
You could use the spare room as a home office, games room, or a social space and then transform it into a cozy bedroom at night when needed. To do this, you need to have flexible furniture. Put a sofa bed in the room to have a cozy place to sit during the day that can easily turn into a bed for comfortable sleep. You can provide ottomans with storage space for your guests’ belongings and a folding table that can be used as a desk when no one is staying.
Add plenty of soft lighting
A very effective way to create a cozy guest retreat for your spare room is to add plenty of soft lighting. Doing this can create a warm, welcoming atmosphere that prioritizes comfort and relaxation. Lighting can really set the mood and change the look and feel of a space instantly. Bright and cool lighting should be avoided because this can feel clinical and be distracting.
This type of lighting can hurt the eyes and keep your guests wide-awake, while softer, warm-toned lighting helps the body and eyes to relax and be ready for sleep. Opt for warm table lamps on either side of the bed, or install overhead reading lamps onto the headboard. This allows guests to unwind in a cozy ambiance and promotes good sleep. You could even use smart bulbs or dimmable lighting so guests can choose the ambiance they need for their stay.
Have practical and clever storage solutions
A huge part of creating the perfect environment in your spare room for guests is storage. The room needs to be organized and easy to maintain through practical and clever storage solutions. A neat and organized space creates a calming environment, instantly allowing guests to settle in and not worry about anything. Consider having built-in solutions for the bulk of guests’ belongings, such as built-in wardrobes or bookshelves.
Alongside this, you can save money by getting crafty and trying your hand at DIY to make sturdy and unique storage solutions. You could make under-bed drawers or a drawer unit with wood and mfc cut to size to protect the inside. You could even make wicker baskets to utilize the space in the spare room while maintaining a clean and tidy room.
Get smart with mirrors
If your spare room is quite small, you can make it feel and look much bigger by getting smart with mirrors. A mirror is a very useful and simple way to extend your spare room without making any massive changes. Find a large mirror that can hang on the wall or sit on a shelf to open the room up. Choose one that suits your tastes and makes guests feel comfortable. You could have a sleek, modern, and artistic mirror as a focal point in the room or go for more of a classic, vintage, and ornate look. Place the mirror opposite the window to reflect the natural light across the room, creating the illusion of more space!
Provide useful special touches
Special touches to finish the transformation of your spare room are key. Thoughtful, small, and special touches go a long way in making guests feel happy and comfortable. They can instantly put a smile on their faces. Make a basket of goodies for your guests to surprise them and help them have an enjoyable stay at your home. This basket can have toiletries they may have forgotten, eye masks, tasty treats for them to tuck into, soft towels, and games or books for them to have something different to do. You can also provide blankets, throws, or even an electric blanket for cold winter nights. This will make your guests stay enjoyable, and they will instantly feel at home in your home!
Use these ways to transform your spare room into a cozy guest retreat to make use of an overlooked and unused part of your home. Welcome guests with open arms and give them the hotel room treatment, providing them with a home away from home!
