Sweet Home Away From Home

For this guest bedroom, Krista Johnston said she chose the movie posters because they coordinated with the dark color of the walls. (Photo provided)

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When Krista Johnston’s parents or in-laws arrive from Canada for a visit, no one has to book a hotel room. Johnston, of Algonquin, has created a room just for them in the three-bedroom house she shares with her husband, Scott.

“It’s vibrant, warm and relaxing,” Johnston said.

Her guest room features rich, caramel-colored walls; a double bed covered with a rust-colored spread; a window topped with a button-back valance; and a closet organized to meet the needs of guests, with open shelves, lots of hooks and a luggage rack. Movie posters for “Gone With the Wind,” “Casablanca,” “Pulp Fiction” and “Chicago” add splashes of color to the walls.

“It’s nice to have a cozy, comfortable place for guests,” Johnston said.

Creating a guest room can make life easier for both hosts and houseguests.

Algonquin designer Randi Goodman, of Interior Inspiration, created the Johnston’s guest room. When designing a guest room, she asks clients to consider several things: How often the room will be used, whether it will be used for other purposes, and the homeowner’s (rather than the guest’s) style preferences.    

“The guests are in it for a short time, but the homeowner has to live with it every day,” Goodman said.

The Johnstons selected the earth-toned color scheme to complement the rest of their home.

“I picked the movie posters because they worked with the dark walls,” Johnston said.

The Johnston’s guest room is used only for that purpose, but guest rooms frequently double as sewing or hobby rooms, reading rooms, workout rooms or offices.

“If you’re using it for a hobby room, you want to be able to store everything away, so the guest doesn’t feel like they have to dance around it,” Goodman said.

She suggested using cabinets to store guest bedding. When guests arrive and the bedding comes out, the hobby supplies can go right in. Finished projects can become part of the room’s décor.

A sofa bed or daybed that doubles as a couch also can make the room more versatile. Jeff Rice, of Decor Designs, Inc. in Crystal Lake, said he recommends oversized armchairs that can be converted into twin beds.

“You can put one in just about any corner,” Rice said.

A grown child’s or college student’s bedroom can be turned into a guest room, but Goodman and Rice urge families to be cautious against transforming a room too quickly. If the grown child is comfortable with the idea, both designers recommend integrating some of the child’s mementos into the décor.

“You can use colors or pennants from their college, or create a display of trophies or ballet slippers or whatever it happens to be,” Goodman said.

She added that even ballet shoes or footballs can be part of a sophisticated, gender-neutral guest room.

“Just because you’re decorating with ballet slippers doesn’t mean your room has to be pink,” she said.

But even if you can’t spare a room, it’s still possible to carve out a special place for guests. Rice has created a nook in his home office that doubles as a guest room. Using an oversized chair and ottoman topped with an inflatable mattress, Rice creates a comfortable guest sleeping area.

Beyond a bed, Rice said, he recommends homey touches such as an alarm clock, a carafe of water and glass beside the bed, a reading light and even mints placed on the pillows.

“Give it a hotel feel,” he said. “Guests don’t want to be a pain, but they want to be comfortable. Those little touches make all the difference.”