Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Dec 30, 2025

The Fastest (and Cheapest!) Ways to Update Your Guest Bedroom

The Fastest (and Cheapest!) Ways to Update Your Guest Bedroom

Company's coming! These mini makeovers will update any bedroom before company arrives.

Roll out the red carpet (or really, the patterned rug) with these spare bedroom decorating ideas. There's no need for a complete overhaul - small touches like a potted plant, fresh throw pillow, or cozy throw can refresh your guest room before company arrives.

Give a dated space a budget-friendly design update by painting the walls, ceiling, or floor (really!), or hang removable wallpaper for instant pep. These makeover ideas will get the job done quickly - and maybe inspire a bedroom makeover of your own.

Before the doorbell rings, clear out any clutter from the guest bedroom and lay out towels, extra blankets, and pillows. Move any fragile knick knacks from the bedside table and swap in some new magazines, plus a carafe of water and drinking glasses. Earn some bonus points by leaving out a list of handy deets, like your home's wifi network and password.

Quickly testing the lights for burnt bulbs or the TV remote for spent batteries wouldn't hurt either. The finishing touch: bringing in a bouquet of fresh flowers, either from the store or snipped from the backyard. With bedrooms like these, expect to see a lot more RSVPs coming your way. Your guests will want to visit again and again - and give you a five-star rating if they could.

1. Little Ledge


Dealing with cramped quarters? Affix a small shelf next to the bed in lieu of a table. It's all the space you need for a reading light, book, and small bud vase.

2. Lush Plants


Breathe life into a little-used room with fresh greenery. Potted plants, like this trendy fiddle leaf fig, can relocate to the guest bedroom for the weekend as a part of a five-minute makeover.

3. Trendy Pillows


A fresh throw pillow (such as this shibori lumbar cushion) adds instant pizzazz to an otherwise neutral room, like this one designed by Mel Bean, without the commitment of a new piece of furniture or a total makeover.

4. DIY Headboard


Here's a quick way to add texture to any bedroom: Use a sturdy dowel, curtain rod, or (as seen here) bamboo pole to hang a colorful rug as a headboard. Then mix in rustic wood elements like a bench and bedside table.

5. Layered Rugs


Layering matching pink rugs on top of wall-to-wall carpeting defines the space around the bed while adding another layer of color and pattern to the room, explains designer Bria Hammel.

6. Painted Headboard


A smidge of leftover paint or a sample-sized can can make an outsized statement on the wall. Use a ruler, level, and painter's tape to mark off a headboard-like section, then put your artistic talents to work.

7. Stocked Bedside Table


What better way to roll in all of the hosting essentials than with a bar cart? Tiered shelves can hold extra blankets, water glasses, reading material, and fresh flowers.

8. Plush Seating


A padded bench at the foot of bed doubles as seating and a spot (that's not the bed or the floor) to place bags. Some ottomans even offer storage for extra bedding.

9. Painted Floors


Use your paint rollers on the ground for a change. White walls set off a rich emerald hue in this attic bedroom.

10. Repurposed Headboard


A recycled barn door adds texture to this rustic retreat. Use reclaimed wood panels as a starting point, and then add bedside sconces if you really want a custom piece.

11. Hidden Clutter


If your guest bedroom doubles as storage space, stash odds and ends in lidded baskets before last-minute company arrives. They'll be none the wiser.

12. Nautical Flair


We're loving the freewheeling spirit of these pennants for a beachy guest bedroom. A perfectly placed sconce below facilitates nighttime reading.

13. Two-Tone Accent Wall


Make a dramatic change with a few paint cans and some painter’s tape. Roll a darker color on the bottom half of the wall and save a lighter hue for the top portion to draw the eye upward. Pro tip: Use two shades on the same swatch card for a no-fail pairing.

14. Cozy Lagom


Sure, you've heard of hygge, but have you tried lagom? The Swedish principle of having just enough translates to cozy decor with warm textures, pink-tinted neutrals, and huggable pillows.

15. Painted Ceiling


The room feels chicer when covered from top to bottom in the same warm shade of gray. With a dark color like this, leave bedding light and bright to keep the space from seeming cave-like.

16. Scenic Mural


Forget commissioning an artist for the job. You can now browse through dozens of peel-and-stick styles, whether you gravitate towards floral or geometric designs.

17. Bright Linens


Cheery yellow sheets bring all the color you need to a neutral-filled room. (And they're the easiest to find in the linen closet, too!)

18. Dividing Screen


Divvy up cozy sleeping quarters with a folding screen. A natural texture like rattan also sets off bright accents and accessories.

19. Many Mirrors


This design secret is an oldie but a goodie. Bringing in more reflective surfaces will bounce light around the room, making it appear bigger and brighter.

20. Bold Wallpaper


It's not your everyday space ... so what better opportunity is there to go big on a pattern or hue you love? A cheery botanical print on the walls can help any visitor feel at home.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Escalates Legal Fight by Appealing £1.5 Billion UK Ruling Over App Store Fees
UK Debt Levels Sit Mid-Range Among Advanced Economies Despite Rising Pressures
UK Plans Royal Diplomacy with King Charles and Prince William to Reinvigorate Trade Talks with US
King Charles and Prince William Poised for Separate 2026 US Visits to Reinforce UK-US Trade and Diplomatic Ties
Apple Moves to Appeal UK Ruling Ordering £1.5 Billion in Customer Overcharge Damages
King Charles’s 2025 Christmas Message Tops UK Television Ratings on Christmas Day
The Battle Over the Internet Explodes: The United States Bars European Officials and Ignites a Diplomatic Crisis
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Join Royal Family at Sandringham Christmas Service
Fine Wine Investors Find Little Cheer in Third Year of Falls
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
×