Guest bedroomhelp
by
Polly Zieper
+8
For the first time in our20+ year marriage, my husband and I will have a guest room in Aug, when child#2 joins child #1 in college, Any tips about decorating/equipping a room that has to be comfortable and fit for a college student home on summer/winter break, plus an occasional overnight( or two) guest?
11 answers
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Guests always have at least one piece of luggage, so a bench or low chest at the foot of the bed would be handy. If there's a chest of drawers or dresser in the room, you might provide a couple of empty drawers for them to use, as well as a couple of feet of closet space for hanging clothes. Guests also need their privacy at times, so placing a comfy chair & TV in the room would be nice. When it comes to decorating the room, I would try to keep it simple, but inviting, with soft colors on the walls and bolder accent colors in the bedspread/wall decor. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Carolyn Massa Wilson
on Jan 07, 2014
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Store the bed if you want to keep it and put in a daybed...if hubby is handy, have him make the frame. Staple fabric around the edge as a bed skirt (It does not have to be a ruffle but tailored) to hide the storage. If your room is large enough, 2 such beds would be great placed in an "L" in the corner. Make boxes out of wood with wheels and a handle to pull out so you can store away his/her treasures (make boxes the required sizes depending on what you have to store). You have to be careful not to make the child feel unwanted. Put in a long plank table on legs to be used as a desk/tv stand and luggage rack for when they come home (2, 12" wide planks will make a great size table). This can be made as fancy or as plain as you want. Add molding...paint bottom a darker color than the top. Put up interesting window treatments...go wild! This can be a fun project to welcome your child into adulthood!
Jeanette S
on Jan 07, 2014
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Thank you for your helpful suggestions,ladies, I am happy to finally have a guest room, but want my college kids to feel comfortable when they come home, also, especially for the summer, which is too long to sleep on a couch or to live out of a suitcase, as they might for an occasional weekend.
Polly Zieper
on Jan 07, 2014
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I would either use the closet or a dresser for the guest and the opposite to put any extra of your child's things away (what did they like most when growing up? hanging or dresser?) I would take down their things and if you can decorate around something they had/love relegate that to 1 wall (not the first wall you see when walking into the room so guests do not feel like they are walking into someone's room) and the wall will help them feel at home during their breaks from school. Keep the bed if functional (as in full size or larger) and get new bedding and comforters. Get good sheets (600 count or larger) so guests feel like they are in a bed and breakfast. Is there a tv in there? I would think about that for future guests or kids home from college. Flat screens mounted on the wall are great for space savers. Make sure that the bed has a night stand on each side with lamps on each and have an alarm clock and maybe a radio. Do not do the room to feminine or masculine and have it be more casual. I would model it after a hotel room or magazine pic you see. Make it a room that you would sleep in if you were at someone's home. Whatever wall you see walking in the door, make that the focus wall for a nice set of pictures with a seating area or maybe even the bed with beautiful bedding on it. have fun!
The Garden Frog with C Renee
on Jan 07, 2014
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Recently went through the same scenario. We repainted, a nice soft green, changed out the dresser for a chest-of-drawers with an emply drawer for use of out guests. Placed empty hangers in the closet, and at the wall just as you come into the room is a 6 ft cabinet with extra linens and blankets, etc. I have a small tiffany-style lamp on the chest-of-drawers for a night light. I do have grandchildren and under 1 window is a small toy box. Good luck. I was totally stoked about having an extra bedroomfor the first time in 32 years.
Debbie Stanley
on Jan 07, 2014
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I am now in the same position after 27 years of marriage but I now have 2 extra rooms. I'm working on them both. One has a queen size bed and one has a day bed. Now to figure out the rest. I don't want to have a wasted space that we only use once or twice a year for a month.
Lynda DoughertyKelly
on Jan 07, 2014
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@Linda, @Debbie Stanley thanks, I'm going to save your responses and when child #2 goes to school in Aug, start planning!The hardest part for me to figure out where the college kids are going to sleep when/if they come home for summer. They are a boy and a girl, soI can't have them share 1 room and have the other as a guestroom(I can't wait to have a guest!!:)
Polly Zieper
on Jan 08, 2014
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@Lynda-Have you seen some stores have bunk beds that are a full-sized on the bottom, and a twin on top, cross-wise.I'm thinking about that. It would accommodate a couple with a child (visiting us), or my college kid on the twin on top, and his/her friend or cousin on the bottom.
Polly Zieper
on Jan 08, 2014
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A former Guest-house owner said she had this contingency plan for that extra family member when the house was full: Keep a made-up mattress under your big dining room table( presumably with a floor-length cloth over to screen ) then put the mattress on the table and voila! extra bed.
Dorothy Matthews
on Jul 26, 2015
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I decided to decorate my daughter's old room into something I would love to spend time in. I love birds, gardening, shabby chic etc. I use the room for crafting and working on the computer. Since I would use the room 360 days a year I put myself first and guests needs second. I am glad I did. I love spending time in the room reading and crafting. If I thought only of guests I think the room would never get used.
Madilyn
on Feb 21, 2016
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In my guest room I provide bedside lighting, extra pillows and blanket, clock, hard candy, books that can be taken with them, plugins for electronics, drawer space, seating other than the bed. Use interesting color and don't paint the ceiling white! In this case, get daughter's input on what could stay.
Suellen Hintz
on May 07, 2016
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