Beyond The Bed: 12 Tips For A Great Guest Room When it comes to dressing up your home, the guest bedroom can sometimes get the short end of the stick. While all the other rooms get tended to, the guest room often ends up with a mean case of middle-child syndrome: sad, forgotten, and possibly filled with broken furniture and underutilized exercise machines. It happens, we’ve all been there. A great, usable guest bedroom can be a wonderful thing to have in a home, though — especially if you frequently entertain friends and family. If you’re interested in getting on top of your guest room game — and creating a space that even you will want to spend the night in — here are 12 tips and essentials for making your guests feel right at home. Company is coming, and the mattress in the guest room is old and lumpy. You want to replace it fast without spending a lot on a bed that will be slept in only occasionally. And while you're persnickety about your own mattress, you might be less choosy when buying one for a guest room as long as it's comfortable for most sleeping styles and doesn't bounce your guests awake when one of them turns over.
Here are the best mattresses for guest rooms from Consumer Reports' tests. All prices are for queen-size mattresses and don’t include the box spring or foundation. Innerspring from Denver Mattress Be forewarned that if you buy this mattress your guests may never leave. Take a look at the Denver Mattress Doctor's Choice, just $500. Many innersprings in our tests offer equal support for the side and back, but that support is often mediocre. This mattress is the exception. We judged its support for both side and back sleepers to be impressive, and it aced our durability test as well. The company has 90 locations in 30 states. Memory Foam from Costco Costco’s Novaform 14-inch Serafina Pearl Gel mattress is infused with gel beads and was impressive for both back and side support. And at $800, it’s worth considering. The mattress comes folded in a box, but if you need to return it, getting it back into the box isn’t required because Costco has a generous return policy.
At Sam’s Club, Memory Foam for Less Sam’s Club’s Night Therapy 12-inch Euro Box Top Spring mattress was very good for side sleepers but only so-so for back support, but its $248 price is attractive. The mattress was also very good at muting vibrations when someone shifts in bed, and it showed little wear after eight years of simulated use. See our mattress ratings and our survey-based ratings of mattress stores and brands. Our mattress buying guide is full of shopping tips, including how to get the best deal. A Sensation from Walmart Decent back support from a $360 mattress? After the price for the Spa Sensations 10-inch Memory Foam SPA-1000Q, that’s more good news. Side support was only so-so, but at this price you could do worse. Where this one disappoints is in how hard visitors might find it to change positions due to that sinking feeling common with some foam beds, including this one, which you can find at Walmart. Sleep Number Has Your Number
You don’t have to pay thousands for an adjustable-air mattress to get impressive side support and even better back support. The pricier Sleep Number i8 bed, $3,000, edged out the $800 Sleep Number c2 bed in overall performance, but you’ll pay $2,200 less without a noticeable difference in support. Trying the bed before buying will tell you if the thinner foam layer of this mattress might be less comfortable for guests. Simple Solutions from Ikea Ikea has two affordable foam mattresses that are worth a look. The Ikea Myrbacka, $550, rated very good for petite people whether they sleep on their side or back but only so-so for larger people. And its firmness rating is a 7 out of 10. It’s also durable and mutes vibrations, so a sleeping couple can rest soundly. The Ikea Matrand, $400, has similar scores for considerably less.What My Mom Taught Me About Decorating Here's how to create a room that makes your guests feel welcome and comfortable. Canopy BedsCanopy BedsCan't fit two full-on canopy beds in your guest room?
Take a page from designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas' book and use patterned fabric to make small-space friendly canopies. Cozy Guest RetreatCozy Guest RetreatTo play up the snug dimensions of the guest room in this Victorian farmhouse, the homeowner covered the walls and trim with rich green paint. A four-poster spindle bed, outfitted with a striped wool blanket, creates a comfy room-within-a-room feel, while botanical curtains add softness and privacy. 11 Genius Storage Ideas for Your Backsplash 100+ Inspiring Kitchen Decorating Ideas 81 Inspired Ideas for Dining Room Decorating 100+ Living Room Decorating Ideas You'll Love 100+ Bedroom Decorating Ideas You'll Love See This Living Room Go From Dark and Dated to a Country Cottage Dream The Problem With Dark Paint That No One Talks About How This Couple Turned Their Attic Into The Most Beautiful Master Suite Hate Stark, Modern Rooms? You're Going to Love This Unusual Decor Trend 15 Decor Ideas from Grandma's House That Should Have Never Gone Out of Style
15 Rooms That Prove Black Shiplap Is the New White ShiplapPanel FarmhouseFarmhouse AtticFarmhouse FarmhouseFarmhouse TouchesFarmhouse BedroomsCottage Attic BedroomBedroom TeaspoonheavenAttic BedroomsWhite BedroomsForwardNice little bed nook for a small space. It looks like it could be "hidden" in plain sight with the sheer curtain. Top 5 Ideas for Guest Room Beds In a home with no designated guest room, providing a bed for guests can be challenging. There are a huge number of options that will fit your budget, decor and functionality. Choices abound for furniture that serves double duty, such as sleeper sofas and day beds. Other alternatives include bedding that is stored until needed, like Murphy beds, trundles and inflatable beds. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and is best selected by your individual wants and needs. Look below for the top 5 ideas for guest room beds. The Top 5 Guest Beds: Trundle beds: Trundle beds add a sleeping space to an existing bedroom without adding additional furniture.
Stored under the main bed, trundle beds are always ready for use. Simply pull the additional bed on wheels out from under the existing bed for the added sleeping space. Trundles are available in standard sizes and slip easily back under the host bed when not in use. Futons or daybeds: A futon or daybed serves as a sofa by day and a bed by night. It works by pulling the seating cushion forward, which pulls the back cushion along behind it into a flat position and provides a full-size bed. This option lets the room function as a den, study or living room for normal daily use, and converts it to sleeping quarters for guests. Sleeper sofas: Sleeper sofas are typically available in full and queen sizes. Remove the seat cushions and pull the hidden bed out from inside the frame. Sleeper sofas work well in living rooms or family rooms and come in a variety of fabrics and colors. Murphy beds: Similar to a pullout-style bed, the Murphy bed has its own unique advantages and disadvantages.