12 Rooms in 12 Months: My Guest Bedroom Progress + 5 Ways to Refresh Your Guest Bedroom

The holidays are here. Which means chances are pretty high that you’ll have some guests in town sometime between now and the new year. So, I put together some tips for stepping up your guest bedroom game to help.

AND I’m sharing the progress on my guest bedroom to boot, with a little help from Brooklinen and their super soft, stonewashed linen bedding as part of my 12 rooms in 12 months series. And there’s a discount code for you too!

One thing I want to mention right off the bat – my guest bedroom isn’t complete. BUT it’s come a long way considering when we first moved in we were just using it as bike and furniture storage. Here’s what the room looked like before…

And below is what the room looks like right now. I still need to find a big piece of art (or a wall hanging) for the blank wall to the right of the bed, and a few other things, but all in all, it’s coming along.

Here are my top five tips for refreshing your guest bedroom before guests arrive…

1. A good night’s sleep is #1. A good night’s sleep goes a long way! That means finding a super comfortable mattress AND cozy bed linens are a must.

Personally, I love the way linen looks (and feels), so that’s what we went with. We have Brooklinen’s white linen core sheet set (which comes with a flat sheet, fitted sheet, and 2 pillowcases), the linen duvet cover in haze (which is a light grey color), and the lightweight down alternative comforter.

You know you have good sheets in your guest bedroom when one of your guests threatens to take them home in their suitcase. Haha. This really happened. So, Jeff and I tested out them out too (we slept in the guest bedroom downstairs for a while when Hayes was first born, in between guest visits) and now we desperately want the same linen sheets and duvet for our bed too. They’re seriously so, so comfortable. And the fitted sheet even has labels on each side for long and short sides, so you never have an issue when remaking the bed. It drives me nuts when I try to put the short side on the long end of the bed on accident and vice versa. Anyone else?

2. Create a vibe. With a candle or two and a bluetooth speaker you can create a comfortable vibe for guests that they control. They can light a candle to relax or play music, etc. If you’re going to have candles, make sure to also have matches or a lighter nearby though. Tip: I always light the wick of candles that are going in the guest bedroom and then blow them out. Basically, just enough so that guests know they can use them too and they’re not just for decoration. These candles from Brooklinen have a clean, minimal look and smell awesome.

It doesn’t hurt to bring in something living, like a plant or small bouquet of fresh flowers. And don’t forget the artwork! You know I can’t leave any room in my house without a little artwork on the walls. I’m currently obsessed with those abstract pieces over the desk from Jen Garrido btw.

3. A place for everything, everything in it’s place. Creating little ‘homes’ for guests items to go is super helpful in making them feel at home in your space. Small things like cute hangers in the closet (or any hangers in the closet for that matter – yes, clean out those boxes you’ve been storing in there), a small dish by the bed for jewelry, maybe even a DIY suitcase rack.

4. Bedside manner. This is a different kind of bedside manner, but just as important. They’re really just bedside essentials I like to keep handy…A phone charger is a must. I feel like I forget mine almost every time I travel somewhere. And an alarm clock by the bed is another item that some guests may appreciate, especially ones that aren’t so dependent on their phones. Not that I would know what that is like. This is the one I have.

5. Desk essentials. If you have room for a desk in your guest room, keep a few things handy… the Wi-Fi password, something to read (magazines, a favorite book, etc), and a notepad and pencil. And if you don’t have a desk, any nightstand will do…or even just as a little stack of goodies on the bed.

Promo Code! Want to get your hands on the linen sheets and duvet I have or try any other Brooklinen products? Use code brittni20 at checkout to get $20 off + free shipping on your order. The code works for everything on the Brooklinen site! 

And that about wraps it up. Those are my tips for creating a cozy and comfortable guest room space for guests. What do you think of my progress on the guest bedroom so far?

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