Of course there's always the worry that idyllic guest quarters will turn you into an unpaid hotelier. But kindhearted souls with room to spare, take note: Not all guest rooms are equal. Here are 10 filled with simple, serene comforts worth replicating.
Above: Quilts made from Vintage Marimekko on Charles P. Rogers Cottage Beds in the glam guest wing of fashion stylist/shopkeeper Tiina Laakonen's Hamptons compound. Tour her house in Rhapsody in Blue, and see more Marimekko in Steal This Look: Tiina's Summer Tabletop Setting. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
Above: A shed converted into a guest room in interiors stylist Twig Hutchinson's London garden—see The Lorn Road Summerhouse. Photograph via Light Locations.
Above: The guest room in Remodelista contributor Justine Hand's Old Cape Cod Cottage has its original wallpaper and a vintage iron bed that Justine tracked down to match. Join us for an exploration of the house in the Remodelista book. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
Above: In her all-white Pasadena bungalow, LA interior designer Michaela Scherrer keeps a guest room with built-in cabinets that offer so much storage that nothing needs to be left in the open except by choice. The bed is draped in Scherrer's signature white leather, which she points out, is dog-proof and easy to wipe down. See the companion postage-stamp-size spa bath in A Grecian-Inspired Guest Suite. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
Above: This seaside guest room by Hyde Evans Design of Seattle won the 2014 Remodelista Considered Design Award for Best Professionally Designed Bedroom. "This aerie manages to channel a nautical vibe without veering into twee territory," said Julie in her judge's comments.
Above: An under-the-eaves guest room with a DIY bed made from recycled wooden pallets. For striped fabric to make your own pom-pom-adorned quilt, see Object Lessons: Classic Mattress Ticking. Photograph via French by Design.
Above: For shoppers who never want to leave? This tranquil bedroom at the Father Rabbit store in Auckland, New Zealand, is kitted out with a shallow open closet, an idea worth stealing.
Above: In her compact London quarters, stylist Sara Emslie, author of Beautifully Small, has a cottage-style guest room with baskets under the bed for storage. Photograph by Rachel Whiting. See more from Emslie's book in our Required Reading column.
Above: In her Sydney apartment, Cassandra Karinsky furnishes her guest room with designs from her Moroccan import house Kulchi, hanging rattan lamp and Tuareg mat included. The bedside table is a Beetle Track Stool by Greg Hatton. Photograph by Sean Fennessy via The Design Files.
Above: Architects Stefanie Brechbuehler and Robert Highsmith of Workstead overhauled their farmhouse in Upstate New York themselves. Their guest room is furnished with spool beds that belonged to Robert's grandparents in North Carolina: "You can see the worn spot where my grandmother held the post as she was getting out of the bed every morning." The patterned pillows are by Akin & Suri. See their DIY Partner's Desk and tour the rest of the house in the Remodelista book. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.
Looking for more ideas? Find hundreds of inspiring Bedrooms in our archive, plus design details and advice, including:
- Remodeling 101: Bedroom Lighting Secrets
- How to Achieve Total Darkness in the Bedroom (and Why It Matters)
- 10 Easy Pieces: Wood Platform Bed Frames
- The 186-Square-Foot Garage Turned Guest Cottage
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on June 26, 2015, as part of our Vacation House issue.
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