45 spare room ideas for every kind of house
Is there anything more quietly luxurious than having a spare room? Whether you choose to keep the spare room ready to accommodate overnight guests or transform the space into a multi-functional at-home office or gym, there are plenty of ways to make your spare room sing. As designer Rita Konig says, “when decorating houses, I find guest bedrooms are the most liberating to design. On one hand, there is less pressure for them to be fabulous; on the other, they don’t have to be something you will not tire of, so you can be more adventurous.”
When designing your spare room, it is important to take into consideration your lifestyle and home habits, as well as the physicality of the room. Indeed, there are all sorts of “spare” rooms: what is deemed an extra room in a city flat may simply be a small nook, for example, whereas larger houses may boast multiple well-appointed guest bedrooms, each complete with an en-suite bath. Should the spare room you’re decorating be on the diminutive side, see it as an opportunity to be bold with colour and pattern. For larger spare bedrooms, it is essential to make sure the space feels as much like a beautiful bedroom in which your overnight guests feel comfortable and at home.
When it comes to decorating a spare room, it is essential to treat it as your own, so that overnight guests can relax and feel at home – even if the room is multi-functional. What do you need in your own room, and how can you replicate that on a smaller scale for your guests? Are you bent on having black-out drapery? How about bookshelves? Do you like waking up to artwork or falling asleep in a room painted in calming colours? Should size be an issue in your spare room, consider installing beds with built-in storage, sectioning curtains for added privacy and open clothes storage such as hooks or hanging rails in lieu of bulky wardrobes.
We’ve put together a checklist for putting together a spare room, with each point sourced from our favourite designers and the House & Garden archive. Be inspired and remember to have fun with decorating your spare room.
‘Non-negotiables’ in a spare room
While all spare rooms are not created equal, there are a few key components to the ideal one…
First things first, make sure the bed is comfortable. “Very few people sleep in their guest bed and so they have no idea how comfortable it is,” says designer Nina Campbell. “Everyone should spend one night in their own spare room.”
“A good armchair for guests to curl up in is a lovely idea if you have the space,” says ex-House & Garden decoration editor and designer Gabby Deeming.
Hanging space is more useful to friends staying with you than a chest of drawers. Make sure there are plenty of coat hooks and if you don't have room for a wardrobe, consider a clothes rail. A clothes rail with a shelf, like the ‘Antwerp’ model from Swoon is ideal for folded items, shoes and bags. Alternatively, fill it with wicker baskets for a neater look.
“Every guest room needs a work surface of some kind, be it to use as a dressing table or a desk,” says Veere Grenney.
Somewhere for guests to easily access their bags can make a huge difference when it comes to short stays. Foldable luggage racks are best, as they can be hidden away when not in use.
“An attractive rubbish bin should be top of the list of practical accessories for a guest room,” adds Veere. “We often get ours custom-made to match the decor.” This wooden one can be painted to blend with the colour scheme.
The main ingredients for a successful guest room are echoed in the items that are required in your own bedroom. A good-size mirror is one of the fundamentals: choose one to match the style of the room.
A good bedside lamp is very important. A slim, unobtrusive floor lamp, which also functions as a bookstand, is a witty addition where there is little space for a table or bookshelf.
Perfect spare room bonuses
Now that you've equipped your spare room with the bare necessities, consider elevating the space with a few of these extra touches your guests will appreciate.
Make sure that there is a supply of water for your guests a carafe or water bottle is a must-have accessory for any spare room.
“A fluffy robe for guests to throw over their nightwear is a nice touch,” says ex-House & Garden locations editor Lavinia Bolton. A crisp, white dressing gown will add a sense of luxury to the most austere spare room.
A sound system in a guest room is no longer a luxury. Choose a useful little digital radio that also streams music from an iPhone and acts as a charger, and is compact enough to fit into the smallest of spare rooms.
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Christopher Horwood1/45Interior designer Evelina Mamedovaite transformed a disjointed Hackney coach house into a serene retreat. Property project director Lisa Phillips describes it as a "very calm space." In the spare bedroom, a custom headboard crafted by Lisa's cousin adds a personal touch, while a Pinch ‘Soren’ globe light hangs over the bed. A George III mahogany chest of drawers with blind-fret canted corners and ogee feet offers elegant storage, enhancing the room's tranquil and refined atmosphere.
Mark Anthony Fox2/45Veere Grenney infuses Regency elegance with a touch of camp in a meticulously designed London pied-à-terre, showcasing his mastery of layered, comfortable interiors. In the guest bedroom, a bespoke VGA upholstered headboard is adorned with Pierre Frey's Indhira fabric, while the walls are upholstered in VGA Prima Alpaca. The wardrobe, painted in Tarlatan by Paint & Paper Library, is complemented by wardrobe curtains in Cupid by Chelsea Textiles, creating a sophisticated and harmonious space.
Alexander James3/45This Arts and Crafts house in Surrey, with its low ceilings and dark beams, was once sad and neglected until interior designer Sarah Peake revitalised it with a bold palette and lively prints. In the spare room, a headboard in Namay Samay’s ‘Sitaron’ and cushions from Vanderhurd and Wicklewood complement the vibrant Antoinette Poisson ‘Jaipur’ wallpaper, creating a balanced and spirited space.
Boz Gagovski4/45Joa Studholme's Somerset house received a striking modern addition with the help of architectural studio Bindloss Dawes. The project replaced an 'unlivable' structure with a contemporary design that harmonises with the rural landscape, earning a prestigious RIBA award for architecture in England's south-west. In the guest bedroom, every element is painted in Sap Green to reflect the hillside view, creating a unique and immersive experience for visitors. As Joa explains, "These rooms are not assigned because the children don't live at home anymore. So I really wanted people to have a treat and enjoy something different."
Paul Massey5/45Interior designer Tino Zervudachi has transformed a previously dark and uninviting house in the Bahamas into a bright, breezy haven with cool blue and white colour schemes that enhance the revamped interior layout and wraparound terraces with stunning ocean views. In the spare room, a verdant theme is set by framed pages from Flowers of the Brazilian Forests by Margaret Mee. The space is further enriched with an end-of-bed bench upholstered in Galbraith & Paul’s light mineral ‘Tusk’ and curtains in ‘Sofia Multi Minor’ by Mally Skok Design.
Chris Horwood6/45Patrick O'Donnell transformed a spare bedroom in his Worcestershire village home into a warm, inviting space using a thoughtful mix of colour, art, and furnishings. The room features subtle GP&J Baker 'Hawkbury' wallpaper, a Samarkand Design lampshade, and a bed covered with a kantha from Sourced by Holly. While the room is filled with antiques, beautiful artwork, and rich fabrics, it remains lively and approachable, with a playful, whimsical touch that ensures it doesn’t feel overly formal or preserved.
Christopher Horwood7/45Every inch of space has been used in this guest bedroom designed by Emma Ainscough. Emma added a new wall with a bespoke arch detail to create a bed nook within wallpapered area, with dividing curtains that close and a cosy tented ceiling. The wallpaper is the ‘Folies Bergère’ pattern by Howe at 36 Bourne Street in blue ribbon, and there are matching blinds out of shot. The headboard and cushions were bespoke, and the wall lights and star pendant are both by Vaughan. Bespoke shelving is built around the existing chimney breast to make use of dead space; the woodwork is painted in Farrow & Ball's archive colour ‘Bay Area Blue’.
Paul Massey8/45The 16th-century former millhouse belonging to Sarah and Renshaw Hiscox needed to be able to hold plenty of guests. Many of the upstairs rooms have been designed for this very purpose. This one boasts large french doors with views over the garden and the field beyond. ‘Snowflake’ wallpaper by Nicholas Herbert in old red and curtains in Lewis & Wood’s ‘Stockholm Stitch’ fabric in cream/red are the backdrop for an antique bed with a geometric quilt.
Milo Brown9/45In this house designed by Lonika Chande, a study sits at the top of the house, with a bespoke daybed designed by Lonika upholstered in ‘Gustav’ by Howe. It houses a trundle underneath the valance, and so can be made up as a double bed for guests if needed. The woodwork is painted in ‘Pimlico Green’ by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, paired with a blind in Adam Bray's ‘Fela Original’ fabric.
Mark Fox10/45A tiny spare bedroom in the house of RIXO founder Orlagh McCloskey makes great use of space. An antique ceiling light draws the eye immediately. The large bed is from Soho Home. The bedside lamps are antique Portuguese lights from the 1970s, and they side on vintage bedside tables from The French House. The blinds are bamboo blinds from Color and Co.
Tom Griffiths11/45The interior designer Kate Cox's flat in Bristol is filled with colour, pattern and beautiful antiques. In the second bedroom, the walls are covered in Jean Monro's ‘Clover’ wallpaper in Flower Pot. Not wanting to crowd the room with too much pattern, Kate chose a neutral fabric for the Studio HÁM headboard: ‘Ismaelia’ Pierre Frey. The bureau is an antique from William Morris Antiques.
Michael Sinclair12/45When transforming her Cotswold barn from a short-let rental into a characterful family home, Catherine Chichester used colour to inject a sense of personality into each room. This small dressing room-cum-spare room features bespoke wardrobes and a small bed which would be perfect for a child.
Paul Massey13/45This box bed room, designed for grandchildren and the odd guest by Laura Stephens, is a ‘theatrical and whimsical space.’ The wallpaper is from Jim Thompson, paired with Paint & Paper Library's ‘Rhubarb’.
Children's toys are stashed in boxes under the bed, covered with a valence in Romo ‘Linara’. Laura asked the decorator to paint a line around the perimeter of the room to make it feel more integrated and tie the scheme together.
Mark Anthony Fox14/45A sofa bed from The Sofa & Chair Company means a snug in this flat by Emma Burns also serves as a guest room. Above it hangs a framed antique silk panel from the Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler antiques department. The walls are painted in ‘Baked Cherry’ by Little Greene and in the bookcase are a pair of late nineteenth-century stained glass roundels, which Emma had made into lightboxes.
Paul Massey15/45Spare rooms give you the chance to be dramatic, as your guests will only be there for a short time. Here, in a Maddux Creative project, Morris & Co’s ‘Compton’ wallpaper envelops the space and the bedding.
Mark Fox16/45A welcoming window nook provides seating in the spare bedroom of Orlagh McCloskey's house.
Simon Brown17/45With a clear colour palette lifted by occasional pattern and an eclectic mix of furniture, interior designer Victoria Gray has created a Cotswold retreat for her family that marries rustic charm with minimalism, and transcends modern trends. The spare room is painted in calming colours (in ‘Bancha’ and ‘Hay’, from Farrow & Ball) and full of soft, homey pattern, bound to make guests feel welcome.
Boz Gagovski18/45Creative consultant Max Hurd’s London terrace is the perfect illustration of his eclectic influences, from Oscar Wilde to Verner Panton. The result is a flamboyant contemporary take on country-house style realised in collaboration with the designer Benedict Foley. This room (belonging to Max's housemate, Hugh) is small but mighty, packed full of bold colour and pattern. The walls are in Farrow & Ball's Joa’s White with woodwork in Charlotte’s Locks and Belvedere. The trellis pattern below the dado was conceived as a fun way of using up left over paint, and executed by Queenie Ingrams.
Paul Massey19/45Florist Paul Hawkins has created a comfortable country cottage in town at his Chelsea house. The house's spare room is snug but homey. Many pieces in the house were found in Wales, where Steven is from, including the Welsh blanket in the bedroom. Paul found the ‘funky’ lucite lamps at James Jackson's shop in the Lillie Road. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Mouse's Back'.
Paul Massey20/45After inheriting an 18th-century-style house designed by Quinlan Terry Architects in the Seventies, the owner called in her cousin Flora Soames, who has refreshed the interiors using floral fabrics and touches of rich colour to give them a more relaxed feel. A spare room is a perfect way to make bold design choices. Here, Sanderson’s ‘Summer Strawberries’ wallpaper – bold and full of colourful pattern – sets the tone for a charmingly timeless scheme.
Paul Massey21/45Finding a compromise between the minimalist tastes of its owner and her love of tactile fabrics and pattern, Rita Konig has subtly enhanced the airy interiors of this Manhattan house. The bed in the spare room is covered in Idarica Gazzoni's Mughal-inspired 'Day Screen' fabric and has bed linen from Monogrammed Linen Shop. The side table is by Christian Liaigre and the rug from Luke Irwin.
Jake Curtis22/45In her basement flat in west London, interior designer Thea Speke has created a masterclass in lightening and brightening a potentially gloomy space. While the flat itself has a single bedroom, still take inspiration from it. Full of personal touches, the bedroom's design is sure to make any guest feel at home. The bed was given to Thea by her mother-in-law; she painted it, had a padded headboard made for it, and added the drapes to bring in a softness. The table and mirror are both vintage.
Paul Massey23/45Kerry Franses has opened up the dark and claustrophobic layout of her mother’s London house to create a calm and light-filled setting for eye-catching collections of fine art and antiques. A Chinese Sung dynasty urn converted into a lamp base sits below an ink drawing by Japanese artist Ryohei Tanaka in the spare rom.
Paul Massey24/45Marie-Louise Sjögren’s historic house on the Stockholm archipelago was built as a summer retreat, but her family now enjoy the tranquil location in comfort all year round–especially at Christmas. The spare room is a masterclass in the ideal decoration for a space for guests. In the room, a valance in a bold C&C Milano stripe is teamed with curtains in Morris & Co’s ‘Honeysuckle’.
Martin Morrell25/45Faced with the daunting task of reviving this 17th-century cottage in the Cotswolds, Ben Adler and Pat Llewellyn enlisted the help of historic building consultant Hilton Marlton. Together, they restored its original features without losing sight of the need to make it a comfortable weekend base. In the guest bedroom, traditional pieces, including the yoke back chair were sourced from Welsh Vernacular Antiques. The Welsh wool blanket is from Jane Beck
Michael Sinclair26/45Though over 300 years old, this Northamptonshire house had lost much of its character until its owners enlisted the help of trusted decorator Robert Young, who restored a sense of its past with a mix of antiques, folk art and rich distemper walls. In the spare bedroom kept for when grandchildren spend the night, the walls are in fabric from Pierre Frey’s ‘Comoglio Collection’. The bespoke bed was chosen with Robert's grandchildren in mind. The primitive stick and comb-back chair in ash and oak came from Csaky Antiques.
James McDonald27/45The guest bedroom of this riverside house by Kate Guinness is painted in Papers and Paints’s ‘SC240’. The headboard is by Kate Guiness Design, with a Liberty print surrounded by a yellow velvet border from Turnell & Gigon. The bedside table is from Chelsea Textiles, and the lamp, made from an antique bottle, is also from Kate Guinness Design.
Michael Sinclair28/45Curtains in a green check from Merchant & Mills screen an iron bed from The French House in this bedroom in the country house of designer Thea Speake.
Rachael Smith29/45At Glebe House, a stylish agriturismo in Devon, Hugo and Olive Guest have created a warm, welcoming house full of colour and pattern, set amidst beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. Sitting within a self-contained annexe alongside the Georgian farmhouse, the Old Kitchen bedroom is the ideal spare room, as it gives guests privacy.
Michael Sinclair30/45She is known for her interiors for members’ clubs and hotels, but it is Susie Atkinson’s own family house in Hampshire that reveals so much about what is important to her – rooms that are elegant but also personal and inviting. Tweedmill’s ‘Meadow Check’ throws brighten the spare corridor room.
Paul Massey31/45Lisa Mehydene, founder of online homeware platform edit58, was looking for a weekend house in the Cotswolds when she found this loftily proportioned converted barn on the site of a former spiritual retreat. The spare room maxes out on patterns: Ottoline’s ‘Improvisation 1’ wallpaper in red sets the tone for this playful scheme.
Miguel Flores-Vianna32/45At Penny Morrison's glorious country house in Wales, the spare bedrooms, well, spare nothing. In this room, the walls are lined with Penny Morrison’s Begum wallpaper. Underfoot is a nineteenth-century Bessarabian floral rug, and the ivory damask curtains are trimmed in Colefax and Fowler fan edging.
Boz Gagovski33/45Paddy O'Donnell of Farrow & Ball and the owner of the Beckford Arms in Wiltshire have transformed this distinctive building at the entrance to the Fonthill Estate into a characterful house to rent for holidays. The ‘bunk room’ not only economises on space, but also provides sleeping quarters for younger guests. The cushions are in Laberinto fabric Emerald by GP & J Baker. The curtains on the bunk bed are in Stripe Two Vert from Buchanan Studio. The beds were designed by Charlie and built by RBW Builders, painted in Cola by Farrow & Ball. The walls are in Tailor Tack by Farrow & Ball.
Helen Cathcart34/45Designer Isabella Worsley was determined to work with the quirks and charm of this house in Hove, rather than fight against them. The spare room – located in the attic – is wallpapered in the 'Mr Men’ pattern from Howe London, which adds a quirky yet homey touch for guests to enjoy.
Tom Griffiths35/45The wallpaper in this bedroom in Victoria Barker’s Cotswolds cottage is by Molly Mahon, and the bed was designed to sit beneath the beams, with an upholstered headboard and frame again in 36 Bourne Street's ‘Little F’ linen in ‘Tutti’.
Christoper Horwood36/45The bedroom in Lucy Williams’s London home is colourful and comfortable: the old bed from Lucy’s previous flat was given new life by adding a vintage wall light and a big cushion by Howe. The quilt is a Toast piece. The rattan bedside drawers are vintage and display a Zara Home lamp atop them. The painted carafe is Petra Palumbo.
Elsa Young37/45We love what Victoria von Westenholz has done with this tiny attic bedroom in her London house. The bed is built in to the wall to maximise space, and wallpapered to match the walls in Robert Kime’s subtle ‘Attic’ wallpaper. The roof light has curtains stretched across it in ‘Greuze’ by Le Manach, a much prettier option than the usual blinds. Victoria has also found a tiny armchair to fit into the space beneath the pitched roof.
Paul Massey38/45In a guest bedroom at her Co. Durham farmhouse, Rita Konig has included a small, lightweight armchair to sit in, and wall hooks to hang clothes, since there is no space for a wardrobe.
Paul Massey39/45Not every home has space for a bedroom specially for guests and there are other options available. Designer Paolo Moschino has created a cosy cabin-bed at the end of the dressing room in this house in Cornwall, which has storage underneath for the client's shoe collection.
Paul Massey40/45The search for a London pied-à-terre brought Ben Pentreath’s clients unexpectedly to this Georgian house, which he has reconfigured and decorated in his layered signature style. Morris & Co’s ‘Fruit’ from Style Library is Ben’s favourite spare-room wallpaper as ‘it’s perfect for only spending one night in’. A quilt from Toast softens the look of a Victorian iron bed frame from Wessex Beds, painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Railings’.
Jonathan Bond41/45In a tiny guest room in this Notting Hill townhouse, interior designer Lucy Barlow has made the most of a small space by building in wardrobes on either side of the bed. She has also taken the opportunity to go bold with the decoration, using Bernard Thorp's 'Palma' pattern for the wallpaper and wardrobe curtains. The joinery is painted in Farrow & Ball's 'Stiffkey Blue.'
Alicia Taylor42/45Shades of white and green make for a bright but serene scheme in the spare bedroom of Cameron Kimber's house in New South Wales. The eighteenth and nineteenth-century dog pictures on the wall are just two of Cameron’s collection.
Alexander James43/45Interior designer Amanda Hornby wanted to 'get back to the roots' of this former dovecote in the Cotswolds, and has used a mix of classic fabrics and wallpapers to do so. In the spare room she mixes elegant patterns; Cole & Son wallpaper, paired with Nicholas Herbert's 'Berain' on the headboard, and a Regency-style giltwood bench (c.1890) bought from Christie's and upholstered in a paisley fabric.
James Macdonald44/45Interior designer Diana Sieff has made clever use of space in the attic of her converted Methodist chapel in Oxfordshire to create a pretty guest room with an en-suite bathroom.
Simon Brown45/45Making the most of the sloping attic ceiling, curtains screen off the bed and add a cosy feel to this spare room in the home of Ann-Marie Midy and Jorge Almada, who own design company Casamidy.
