A calm and cosy guest room? Make this dream a reality in 4 steps!

Many people would love to have a guest room, but do not actually have one. However, if you have friends or family who live far away, a guest room is ideal because it allows you to enjoy more time together. Most people, however, use a potential guest room as storage space. On average, households in the Netherlands have €3.9 billion worth of unused belongings at home. By storing these items elsewhere, you could create space for a guest room. Would you also like to have a guest room for overnight visitors? In this blog, we discuss four steps to help you create one.

Step 1: Decide which room will become your guest room

Do you have a room filled with belongings that you rarely use? A cluttered attic, spare room, home office or former child’s bedroom can be perfect for turning into a guest room. Choose a suitable room and, before you know it, you will have created the perfect space for your guests.

Step 2: Create more space

Of course, you want your guests to feel as comfortable as possible when they stay over, rather than having to sleep between piles of boxes and clutter. That means you first need to create enough space for a guest room.

But where should you put all your belongings? You have already started planning your guest room, so now it is time to think about decluttering. Throw away or donate items you no longer use and find another place for the things you want to keep.

You can divide these belongings into two categories: items you use regularly, which can be stored in another room, and items you rarely use. Belongings that you do not use often and do not have space for at home can be stored in an external storage unit. This allows you to create more space without having to throw anything away.

Step 3: Make smart use of the available space

By using the available space wisely, you can create a multifunctional room and combine your guest room with another purpose. For example, you could use your home office as a guest room as well.

Nowadays, there are beds that can be pulled out from a cabinet or folded away when they are not in use. You could also place a sofa bed in the room, which can be used as a sofa during the day and as a bed at night. IKEA, for example, offers stylish options that do not even need to be folded out and also include storage space underneath for items such as bed linen.

Have you freed up half of an attic or room after clearing out your belongings? You can create a partition to separate the guest area from the rest of the room. Use a stylish wardrobe or bookcase as a divider, and you will have a separate guest area without having to dedicate the entire room to it.

If clearing out your belongings has left you with a completely empty room, you will naturally have more freedom when it comes to decorating and furnishing the space.

Does the room have a sloping roof that limits the amount of available space? You can make good use of this area by installing custom cabinets. Add sliding or folding doors, and the space under the sloping roof can be used to store items such as bed linen.

You can find plenty of practical ideas for decorating your guest room on our Pinterest page.