Spotlight: Tips for Designing a Stylish & Inviting Guest Suite ⋆

Today I’m excited to share my best tips for designing a stylish & inviting guest suite! When we started configuring the floor plan for our house I knew immediately that I wanted a guest suite on the lower level. The condo had too many stairs, for both of us and especially for our visitors. In the new house, the primary suite and three additional bedrooms are upstairs. I wanted the guest suite to be downstairs, away from the other rooms. It was also important that the bathroom be INSIDE of the guest bedroom, with no hallway entrance. I wanted it to feel private, like it was your own. The powder room is closer to the front door and can be used by guests that aren’t staying in the house.

Once we decided on the layout, I started thinking about the design. The photo below was my bathroom inspiration and I used it to select the floor and wall tile, black vanity, and gold light fixture. Once we chose the floor tile, we decided to do a full black tile wall for contrast and I LOVE the way it turned out.

Bathroom Design Inspiration:

We worked with JTW Design for the bedroom design. First we decided to use the King bed from our room at the condo. I had my heart set on a canopy bed in our new primary bedroom. JTW took that bed and gave us two amazing design options, one with more blue tones and the other with more green. We instantly fell in love with the green.

The wall color they selected was Mediterranean Teal by Benjamin Moore. It went perfectly with the walnut bed frame and black nightstands that they chose. For lighting, they found the most exquisite gold sconces and a gorgeous white and gold flush mount for the ceiling. The rug is a perfect mix of green and neutral tones and the shades are the perfect color and texture that the darker space needed.

As a result, the room came together so beautifully. I love that it’s incredibly stylish, yet functional and comfortable. My goal was for it to have the feel of a high end hotel room and I think we definitely achieved that.

On the walls, we hung the 55′ Samsung Frame TV with an oak frame (from the condo living room). It’s great because it looks like a piece of art when not being used, while giving guests the option to watch TV. We added a few pieces of artwork in the bedroom and bathroom. There are pottery pieces that Tristan and I made, a gold clock, and a floral arrangement on the nightstands. I used faux pink roses, arranged with real baby’s breath and greenery, with water in the vase. You would never know the roses aren’t real.

Shop My Guest Room:

Finishing touches to the room include a luggage rack and hangers in the closet, and power strips on each side of the bed. There is also a space heater in case guests get cold (that room tends to be colder than the rest of the house). In the bathroom, there’s shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand soap, hand lotion, tissues, cotton balls, flossers, and Q-tips. There’s a toothbrush holder and plenty of towels under the sink. I wanted guests to feel at home and have everything they could need at their fingertips.

I hope you enjoyed this spotlight on our stylish & inviting guest suite. Comment below & tell me what amenities your favorite airbnbs and hotels have had in the past! I’m always looking for ideas to add to the comfort of our guest room.

My Top Tips for Designing an Inviting Guest Suite:

A King bed, if possible… it’s SO much more spacious than a Queen and many people have a King at a home but don’t expect to have one when they travel
ALL the amenities, so they feel at home and have everything they might have forgotten to bring
- In the bedroom: Extra pillows, blankets, hangers in the closet, luggage rack, TV, heating pad, space heater and/or fan
- In the bathroom: Fresh towels, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, cotton balls, Q-tips, flossers, toothbrush holder, extra toothbrushes, travel razors, soap bars, hair dryer, hair wrap
Extra soft, luxurious bedding