We are having a ton of house guests this summer, so I’ve been working on a little guest bedroom refresh. As you know, we started with changing the wall color (still obsessed!), but I also wanted to make some furniture changes and actually buy some real furniture for the space, since we were just using random hand-me-downs before.
I’m taking a cue from this gorgeous bedroom I designed with my team for a client’s beach house. I want our guest room to be light and airy while still having some fun accessories and, of course, the coziness that comes from mixing textures.
When it comes to putting a bedroom together, my best advice is to keep it simple. In fact, one of my girlfriends just recently finished some home renovations and has been SO excited to finally get to the decorating phase. But just last week she texted me to say that she felt paralyzed about where to start with her bedroom. She felt like she needed to find the perfect pillow to build the rest of the room off of. I told her to stop worrying about finding the perfect all-encompassing pillow and gave her a couple of my best tips for decorating any bedroom…
STEP 1: Focus on quality and comfort for the foundation pieces and anything else will be gravy! An upholstered headboard is a MUST for me – in every bedroom. Over the years, I’ve bought all sorts of adorable vintage brass and wood framed beds and none of them last long in our house because they just aren’t that comfortable! Here are a few beds that would provide the perfect simple foundation and won’t break the bank!
STEP 2: Get a good mattress topper (I have and LOVE this one) and simple, good-quality bedding. I like to have a pop of color either in the throw pillows or the quilt/blanket at the end of the bed, but not usually in both. I prefer mostly white bedding 99% of the time. It just looks so clean and inviting!
STEP 3: A soft rug that is the right size for your room is key to a beautiful, well-designed space. As a general rule of thumb, you’ll need at least a 9×12 under a king, an 8×10 under a queen and a 6×9 under a twin, though you can always go bigger. I like layered rugs a lot, too, so if you need a bit more coverage, consider layering a jute or sisal rug under your special pretty rug, like we did in our client’s room. Here are some of my favorites:
STEP 4: As far as accent furniture goes, I like to keep it on the light side. Just a pair of really great nightstands and some sort of secondary seating (like a reading chair, or a bench for the foot of the bed) that helps keep guests comfortable but doesn’t overstuff the space. A dresser is on the “only if there’s room” list for me. Usually if there are enough hangers and shelves in your closet there’s not a huge need for a dresser in a guest room.
STEP 5: Don’t forget that great lighting makes a huge difference in a guest’s comfort! An awesome pair of wall-mounted bedside sconces makes it easy for guests to read in bed without taking up a huge amount of space on the nightstands themselves. Here are some of my favorite wall sconces, all of which are super affordable and most of them can just be plugged in! I’m obsessed with the ones we installed at our client’s house here (and they’re on sale right now!)
STEP 6: Layer in some fun art and accessories! I’m planning on a couple of pieces from Jenny’s Print Shop for our guest bedroom. Maybe the clouds (version 1 and/or 2) or CHAMOMILE?
Maybe LUNA, the full moon print? Or Beth’s new piece, SUMMER DAY?
I also want to layer in a few fun pillows and some hooks for the wall to hang up bags and coats for our guests. I always think a mirror is a nice idea too.
What are your best tips for making a bedroom cozy and comfortable for guests? I’d love to hear!
Photos taken by Kate Lines and space designed and styled in collaboration with Megan Evans.
Hi! Where is the vanity in your bathroom from?
Restoration hardware!
This is great and so timely! Of the different types of natural rugs (jute, sisal, etc.), what is the softest on your feet?
What a sweet space! I really love how serene and simple the space is. I am wondering if you have any suggestions for a bedroom with dark wood furniture- headboard and two dressers? We need new nightstands but I don’t want to add any more dark wood. Any ideas? Thanks so much for all you do!
I love your sandals – where did
you get them?
Love the duvet cover!! Can you share the source?
Love it! Can you tell us the source for those nightstands?
Love the dangling cords! OBSESSED!
Hey Jenny,
Do you have s source for the bamboo shades?
Lowes!
I LOVE the grey nighstands in the photo, but those exact ones aren’t listed – what’s your source? THANKS!
please? THANKS!
can you please share the source for curtains and hardware? thanks
They are in the link round ups there!
such a gorgeous room!!! i’m so glad you’re back to blogging!
I mean this is just too good. We are converting a 250 sf room in the garage into a tiny apartment and this post is going to be SOO helpful. Thank you for this!!
On the bedside lighting, where is the on/off switch and is it easy to reach if you’re lying in bed, done reading for the night? Do you have to stretch your arm around the side of the headboard? (I ask b/c I had that situation in a hotel recently and realized I had to be sitting up to turn off the light as I couldn’t bend my arm backwards around the wing of the headboard.)
Loving the pretty blue/white rug!
It’s on the brass plaque. It depends on where you hang them but we don’t have to sit up fully and the light for reading is great!
I love the client’s guest bed/bath floors! May I have the source info pretty please?
Thanks! The floors are a custom stain on white oak! :)
Thanks for replying. Your custom stain is perfect.
I love the blue rug. It is similar to the Pottery Barn one you link to, but it’s a more vibrant color. Do you have source info? Thanks!
The rug shown here is the exact Pottery Barn one! :)
I’m obsessed with the layered rug look, but wondering if anyone has a great alternative to Jute/sisal that doesn’t stain? I have small children. I know seagrass is washable, but I don’t want the banding that always comes on those, and the texture just isn’t the same. Any wool/stain master alternatives that anyone has found?
i love that bathroom! any chance we can get more shots and details! (oh, and the bedroom is perfect too!)
Your idea is great, but I have problems choosing colors. Maybe I’m not gifted!
Love that chair.
Any idea where I can buy it from? Maybe I missed it.
Hi Jenny. This is a beautiful room. Is the sisal 9 x 12 and the blue Pottery Barn rug 8 x 10? Or is the sisal 8 x 10 and the blue Pottery Barn rug 5 x 7? Thanks!
Do you have the source of that art print in your client’s room? Looks like a beach or lake photo.
The little arcs on the ends of that mirror are fantastic!
I love the photos and suggestions! I’ll be using these steps to decorate my bedroom for sure.
Awesome
lovely
Creating a cozy and pretty bedroom is not really hard. You just have to be creative and resourceful. You can check a lot of sites such as Pinterest to find inspirations. But before you start searching, determine what you wanted your room to look like first so that you can do the search easier and faster.
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Thanks for the suggestions! That’s what I was looking for!
A bedroom that puts you at ease. top tips, keep it simple, and decorate with things that have a calming effect.
Such a gorgeous room… Thanks for sharing this post.