5 small guest bedroom ideas that will quickly make anyone feel at home

If you've often have loved ones staying overnight, small guest bedroom ideas will make the space doubly inviting. With just a few stylish decorations, you can add oodles of warmth and coziness.

Our interior designers know all about the art of finishing touches, and have revealed 5 ways to transform your guest room from drab to dreamy. From creature comforts to savvy storage solutions, their tips will create a place where guests can fully relax.

When it comes to small bedroom ideas, using ones specifically for guest rooms will not only elevate this space, but may even inspire you to add a few snug additions to your own bedroom.

Small guest bedroom ideas

From small bedroom must-haves to clever additions, these guest bedroom ideas will guarantee your guests feel that five-star vibe.

When our experts have recommended designs, we've also found matching buys so you can follow their advice.

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1. Add clothes storage

Just like at a hotel, it always feels lovely when you can hang up your clothes, keeping them free of creases and easily visible.

“If you don’t have a closet, you can always use an armoire for the job,” says Andrea May, interior designer and founder of Andrea May Interiors.

Andrea May

Andrea May is a high-end residential interior design firm based in La Jolla, California. Working collaboratively with clients, architects, and craftsmen, Andrea creates spaces that are sophisticated and inspiring, including guest bedrooms.

She continues, “I’ve even created makeshift closet space by hanging floor-to-ceiling draperies a few feet away from a wall and then adding shelves and poles on the wall.”

This can add a lot of visually-pleasing drama to the space and provide the small bedroom storage solution needed to help guests feel at home.

You can also add a chic clothes storage rack to your guest bedroom, which won’t take up too much floor space.

2. Bring in a custom-sized bed

This may sound like a spendy idea, but it's actually budget-friendly and will make a world of difference to your space, making it a great long-term investment.

“In small guest bedrooms I recommend considering a custom-sized bed to better fit the room size,” says Carly Rose, principal designer and founder of Rose Design.

Carly Rose

Carly Rose is the principal designer and founder of Rose Design. Rose Design’s goal is to offer interior spaces and experiences embodying the companies and individuals they represent, which includes guest bedrooms.

She continues, “These can be made relatively easily by modifying an existing bed frame and having a foam mattress cut to size which is relatively low cost.”

When doing this, Carly says it’s wise to be mindful of the guests who plan to stay in this room when modifying the bed dimensions. 

For example, don’t chop down a bed if you know a couple will be there regularly.

3. Give it a glow up with a lamp

There’s nothing worse than getting snuggled up in your bed and realizing you need to get up and turn the lights off. This is a big no-no when it comes to making a small bedroom cozy for guests.

Carly says, “I especially like adding a lamp to the table with integrated power or USB outlets for charging phones.”

For those with a little more space to play with, you could also add a floor lamp next to a cozy chair to create a cute reading nook. 

4. Edit it down to key pieces

While it’s important to make your guests feel at home, this isn’t your primary bedroom, so don’t feel like you need to splash the cash on lots of decor. 

Instead, go for a few core pieces which are impactful and useful.

“When it comes to decorating guest bedrooms, I always recommend going with larger scale artwork and decor,” says Audra Samnotra, interior designer and founder of Social Swan Decor. 

Audra Samnotra

Audra Samnotra owns design firm Social Swan Decor, serving residential and commercial interiors in Tampa Bay. She specializes in curating beautiful homes with character, which includes designing guest bedrooms. 

She continues, “This is because small pieces read as clutter, even if you’ve placed them with the best intentions.”

If you’re redecorating your guest bedroom — last-minute or otherwise — take a step back and edit down any items making the space untidy or any pieces not serving a functional purpose.

5. Hang or place a mirror

One of the biggest guest bedroom sins in our opinion is not having anywhere to do final checks, which is why we always recommend putting a mirror in a small bedroom.

Carly explains, “Small rooms can feel closed-in or stagnant depending on the shape, natural light, and airflow.”

She continues, “Because of this, I like to include small mirrors, as not only are they useful when getting dressed, but the reflection adds more dimension to the room and brightens up the small bedroom.”

Andrea agrees, saying, “Guests can give themselves a once-over and avoid the embarrassment of going to breakfast with their top on backward.”

Carly does say to make sure the mirror isn’t facing a window or the bed. “This is not only considered a small bedroom Feng Shui mistake, but it also just feels weird and distracting in a room.”

Whether you go for a full-length mirror or one over a vanity, this will be an asset for guests.

As well as bringing in cozy and thoughtful decor, we also love adding home fragrance to our guest bedrooms to add an extra luxe vibe to the space. For example, you can place a reed diffuser onto a nightstand to add a soothing scent for your guests to drift off with.