Does your guest room look like an attic got pregnant to a 1987 hotel? Yeah Im that way. There is nothing that creates a better first impression than stuffing your guests into a room that screams at them of how you had forgotten about their arrival. However, here is a thing you will not have to sell a kidney, or overuse your credit cards, and still have a stylish guest bedroom.
I found this out the hard way after mom in law last visit. She made no comment, however, and I saw her eye that pitiful dummy of a bed with all the expectation that it would fall to pieces beneath her (I think it would have). That was my wake up call, and quite frankly? Putting your guest space into something that is worth an Instagram post does not have to cost a fortune.
Start with Strategic Paint Choices
Paint continues to be your all-time best friend when it comes to decorating low-cost. Have you ever wondered why when someone is talking to an interior designer they are always talking about paint first? Since a gallon can literally change a whole room and yet cost less than 40 dollars.
Last year I painted the walls in my guest-room a soft sage green, and now people are wondering whether I used the services of a designer. The trick is to select the colors that are both soothing and sophisticated. Duller colors such as the warm greys or blue-grey, or creamy whites, give off the suggestion of a luxurious hotel without costing a luxury hotel price.
Pro tip: For guest rooms, don t bother with designer paint. One can use generic brands available in home improvement stores and your overnight guests won t know the difference.
Create a Cozy Reading Nook
Turn that unused, awkward corner into enchanted magic with little money. I Scored vintage armchair from Facebook market for 25 dollars & tossed on 15 dollar cushion from target. Along with a small side table(Thrift stores are a gold mine for those), boom – you’ve made a space that says stay awhile.
The key elements for a budget reading nook:
- One comfortable chair (thrift stores, estate sales, or online marketplaces)
- Small side table for books and drinks
- Good lighting (floor lamp or table lamp)
- Soft throw blanket for texture
Quick Reality Check: Your guests might only be sitting in that chair a percentage of that time but they will all notice that you made an effort to accommodate them.
Layer Textures Without Layering Costs
Here’s where things get fun. Mixing textures makes any space feel more expensive than it actually is. I’m talking about combining different fabrics, materials, and finishes to create visual interest.
Hit up discount stores like TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, or even Walmart for throw pillows in different textures. Velvet, linen, faux fur – mix them up! A $12 velvet pillow next to a $8 woven one creates the same impact as those $40 designer pillows.
| Item Type | Budget Option | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Throw Pillows | Discount retailers | $8-15 each |
| Blankets | Thrift stores/clearance | $10-20 |
| Curtains | DIY or discount stores | $15-30 |
Upgrade Your Lighting Game
To make everyone look like he/she is being interrogated, the use of overhead lighting is applied. Multilayered lights change the whole atmosphere of your guest bedroom, and you would not need an electrician to have this situation.
Begin with a bedside lamp (nutter essential for reading) then introduce a floor lamp to that corner we discussed and bag of string lights for ambient lighting. I scored beautiful warm-white LED string lights at dollar store – dollar store people – for $1.25. Occasionally the budget gods take pity on us 🙂
Smart Storage Solutions That Look Intentional
Your guests will need to keep their belongings somewhere and placing them on the floor is not the best hospitality in five star hotels. Altogether decor is really useful in useful creative storage solutions.
My bedside chest is a piece I transformed a long wooden crate with a scrap of wood laid across the top and a couple of coats of paint. Price: $8. And it keeps extra blankets down below and it seems like I was planning this all the time. Storage ottomans, old suitcase, or nice basket at the bottom of the bed is magical.
The Magic of Mirrors and Wall Art
Tiny rooms could use all the help they can get and mirrors are like room-expanding magic. A big steal of a mirror from a thrift store switcheroo will sneak up and make any room IN Cahoots. If it’s in need of assist, frame it – or go on character-swhacking that as is it’s already something.
For wall art, skip expensive prints and get creative:
- Frame fabric samples or wallpaper remnants
- Create a gallery wall with family photos
- Use removable wall decals for temporary renters
- Print your own art from free online sources
Confessional: the other half of my guest room art is the clearance art at Target and no one has ever noticed. At other times it simply means being price-wise in the matter of timing.
Fresh Bedding Makes All the Difference
And this is where you are to spend a little more rounds of money – in the strategic way. Your guests will sleep 8+ hours on such sheets therefore comfort is necessary. Nonetheless, you do not have to invest in 1000-thread count Egyptian cotton to make it luxurious.
Check department shops sales, or visit Costco which surprisingly offers very nice bedding. White or neutral bedding is clean and expansive always, it is also less cumbersome to take care of over the long term. Put a bright throw or decorative pillow to avoid the appearance of a hospital bed.
Plants and Greenery on a Shoestring
There is no better way to demonstrate that we care about this space than by living plants. Even when you kill all things green (been there), there are low maintenance choices that will not hold up your plant parenting ability.
Varieties such as snake plants, pothos or ZZ plants can withstand nearly anything and can be purchased at most stores, including grocery stores, under fifteen dollars. Cant keep anything Lucy? Fake plants have really improved in quality and your guests are unlikely to tell the difference within a short visit.
Window Treatments That Don’t Look Cheap
Naked windows shriek of vacancy or surrender. But quality curtain does not need to put you into bankruptcy and you know where to find them.
The curtain selection of IKEA strikes me at the first sight each time and their panels begin at $15. Install them lower than you are inclined to believe you ought to have them – this will make windows appear bigger and ceilings taller. It is an old branding trick that does not take anything extra but gives a real impact in the looks.
Functional Nightstand Essentials
Be a hotel concierge in thought. What are the items that your guests would really require within their reach? A simple nightstand will reflect the thoughtfulness without having to spend a lot of money on the settings.
Essential nightstand items:
- Lamp with easy-to-reach switch
- Small dish for jewelry or pocket contents
- Tissues (the good kind, not sandpaper)
- Phone charging station or extension cord
- Small notepad and pen
- Water glass or bottle
It is possible to put such an arrangement on any table (or even a pile of old books covered with a small tray).
Create Zones in Small Spaces
Even small guest rooms can use an allocation of space. It is important to develop separate areas that make spaces more spacious and purposeful. The bedrooms, the dressing room, and the relaxation room do not require a partition between each other but care with furniture supplies.
Have your chair in the reading room turned away form the bed. To create some separation, use a room divider screen (they are often found at thrift stores) or even some tall plant. What these visual breaks do is to make an eye think it sees multiple spaces rather than a single tiny room.
Personal Touches That Cost Nothing
And this is where you can actually shine without doling out costs. The accommodation of the guests is not sterile and the touches of personal concern are encouraging. I am referring to minor details which demonstrate that you thought about the experience of your guests.
Put a handwritten note of welcome. Place a little bowl of mints or chocolates. Make a local favourites with local restaurants and attractions. These are little acts that bring little cost yet a lot of memories.
The Final Reality Check
Honestly, just look, your guest room does not have to be ready like it is in Architectural Digest. It should be comfortable, clean and hospitable. Majority of the guests are only concerned of being wanted rather than being impressed.
Spend your money on the things that make the time you are spending very, very comfortable: a reasonable bed, reasonable lighting and storage. It is all just the good wrapping. And honestly? On other occasions the greatest compliment to a guest room is just a request to come back.
Designing a fashionable guest bedroom on a shoestring budget boils down to your organizational skills when it comes to the money you spend and ingenuity in finding a solution. Regardless of the amount of money you used to organize your guests, they will be in love with the thought and care you put into play. So quit worrying about it and get to decorating because your future guests will appreciate it!