Welcoming Guest Bedrooms
If you have a spare bedroom in a big city like San Francisco, lucky you! For urban dwellers who want to welcome friends and relatives and maybe don’t have a dedicated extra room, or even if you do, read on for three examples of how to create welcoming guest bedrooms.
Transform Your Open Living Area into a Private Bedroom
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Joe Fletcher
Many city homes have guest rooms that double as home offices or artist studios, especially in flexible floor plans like live-work and open-plan living. Lofts are very popular in the bay area for their flexibility, but the same openness loft residents crave can leave overnight guests feeling exposed.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Joe Fletcher
You really can have it both ways! Enjoy the openness of your space without guests, and provide a secluded guest bedroom for visitors without sacrificing your living area. The best way to approach this challenge is to choose furniture that’s easy to move around, and to clearly define and seclude the space to make it feel like a private bedroom.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Joe Fletcher
This San Francisco loft features sliding translucent walls that create privacy while allowing in light, and a convertible wall bed dressed with silky, luxurious linens that complement the fresh, light-green color of the walls. A moveable side table is perfect for a book or magazine.
When the guests leave, ta-da! The bed folds into the wall, the seating furniture is returned, and your living area is back to its original size.
Convert Your Home Office into a Serene Guest Bedroom
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
In a contemporary urban condo, this workhorse office converts into a serene guest bedroom. The bold, dark-blue wall of custom-designed cabinetry not only hides a fold-down desk, but also a convertible Murphy bed! Pull down the bed and the blue disappears, to reveal buttercream walls, icy blue bedding, and white linens for a serene and welcoming space.
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
Downlights recessed into the top of the cabinetry allow guests to comfortably read in bed. Below the white open shelving that neatly organizes office items, a fold-down panel becomes a convenient and thoughtful bedside table. Simple blackout roller shades allow your guests to sleep in after sunrise. Voila! Your office just converted into your guest’s home-away-from-home.
Vibrant and Vivacious Private Bedroom
Design by Kimball Starr / Photo by Eric Rorer
Our final example is this va-va-voom tangerine treat! It’s used solely as a guest bedroom, which makes this brightly-colored and bold-patterned room perfect for the occasional visitor. The Brazilian cherry floors and dark wood furniture balance and temper the orange glow, and multiple patterns mix easily due to variations in scale. Handmade raw linen curtains with a hand-painted pattern bring in a beautifully imperfect or wabi-sabi element. In the morning, the east-facing room captures sunlight that glows through the linen curtains, imbuing the tangerine walls with a gentle warmth.
What a lovely way to wake up! Warning: your guests may not want to leave!
Do you have a city home that needs a guest bedroom? Award-winning Kimball Starr Interior Design creates contemporary residential spaces that both guests and owners love! Contact us to learn how you can transform your home!
