I am excited to be an official IKEA ambassador and am thrilled to be partnering with them for this post.
I love this time of year- the anticipation of twinkling lights, yummy treats, Christmas carols, sledding, and getting the house decorated for the holidays. I also love planning with excitement for all of the family and friends we will see and reconnect with during the season.
My sister recently moved into a new home that they built and is anticipating some holiday company. I thought I would help her prepare by setting up a simple and comfortable guest room (My amazing brother in law took these pictures). With a few basics and some fun accent pieces, a guest room can be ready at a moment's notice for anyone who might need a cozy place to stay.
One thing that I have been learning about lately through this ambassadorship is IKEA's approach to "democratic design," where they focus on 5 main principles: quality, form, function, price and sustainability— which makes it simple and cost effective to create cozy and functional spaces in the home. My sister has more of a modern style so we wanted to start with a quality bed with clean lines and classic design. We chose this NORDLI bed which is made from solid materials with good quality construction, maintaining a light feeling. We also liked that it has a slanted headboard which is comfortable to lean against while watching TV or reading. There is also an optional under the bed storage for extra linens, or to serve as a dresser for guests. I think it would also make great toy storage for any future littles they may have.
To create a cozy and inviting holiday guest room here are a few things to remember:
1. We started with a clean slate with all of the basics- NORDLI bed, clean sheets, fluffy duvets, and pillows. We chose to go with a base of all white items because it is the perfect base to build off of and can be changed up with simple throws or new pillows at any time and for any season.
2. We chose the matching NORDLI nightstand because it has a drawer and a shelf inside and on top of the drawer, there’s a little removable insert with two compartments for mobile phones, watches and jewelry- perfect for guests. It even has an opening to the shelf inside the drawer designed for you to put a power strip to connect your mobile charger, lamp, computer, etc. You can lead the power strip cord inside the leg of the bedside table and down to the power socket on the wall, hiding the cord in the leg of the bedside table so it can't be seen. It is nice to have all of the functionality within a slender profile so it fits well in her space.
3. We added interest and texture with a few simple layered linens- gray duvet, white duvet, white coverlet, and festive red fleece blanket. We also added a bunch of fluffy pillows.
4. For those cold winter nights, we added a warm throw to the end of the bed and extra blankets to the closet.
5. We added a lamp. Have you ever stayed in a room without a lamp where you have to continually get up to turn on the overhead light? It is a pain! It is so nice to have a convenient little lamp on the nightstand, and is one simple touch that makes guests feel right at home.
6. We added some pretty and functional items to the room as well- on, and in the nightstand. It is always a good idea to stock the room with extra toiletries, snacks, water bottles, the wifi password, and more.
7. Our last step was to add some festive touches to the room to really bring the holiday specialness to the space. We found these cute pillows and a basic warm red fleece throw. Those simple touches make such a huge difference and will be easy to store the rest of the year.
And here was an alternate way with the other side of the festive pillows.
In my opinion, the best thing you can do to a bed is add a bunch of layers to create the kind of bed that you just want to run and take a flying leap into. If one blanket is cozy, then 3 is even better, right? By starting with a base of good quality and functional furniture mixed with neutral layers, you can easily customize the space for each season and for the needs of each guest.
I think her guests will feel right at home- and maybe even a little spoiled in her cozy guest room during the holidays!
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