If you're hosting friends and family over the fast-approaching holiday season, then you may be starting to think about elevating your guest room to make visitors feel as comfortable and cozy as possible.

Guest bedrooms can be tricky spaces to design, especially if space is limited or they also need to double as a home office throughout the year, but a few simple decor upgrades can not only make them well-equipped for guests, but stylish and welcoming.

To help you on your way with refreshing your guest room ahead of the holidays, we asked interior designers for the five things they always make sure to include in these spaces. From cozy bed sheets to often overlooked window treatments and small finishing touches, these shoppable ideas don't require a full redesign, but can be easily added to your existing space.

1. Cozy Bedding

During the holiday season, a warm and welcoming bed is the most important part of a guest room, allowing guests a comfortable and cozy night's sleep. 'We love our gatherings with friends and family over the holidays, but travel, long days, and all things merriment can create a need for the most comfortable bedding and a great night's rest,' says designer Theresa Ory.

'We love percale sheets in a long-staple fiber and high thread count paired with a down comforter that's incredibly fluffy yet breathable,' she adds. 'Together, they create the perfect recipe for a good night’s sleep.'

And while the comfort and warmth of the bedding itself is essential, bedding trends are also a wonderful way to elevate the room with design interest, color, and pattern. 'I love mixing different prints and textures on a guest bed, rather than making everything match,' says interior designer Laura Stephens. 'Combining a patterned quilt with simple linen and a contrasting cushion makes the room feel more individual and collected, while still creating a bed that looks wonderfully inviting.'

And, for extra warmth during the winter months, don't forget to add a warm blanket to the end of the guest bed. 'It introduces another layer of texture and color, while allowing guests to make themselves comfortable without having to ask,' says Sophie Pringle, founder of Pringle & Pringle. 'We love those thoughtful details that feel like part of the scheme but also serve a genuine purpose.'

2. Mirrors

Decorating with mirrors can be easy to forget about when designing a guest room, but they can make the space feel much more homey and well-equipped for guests staying during the holidays.

Sophie recommends including a full-length mirror, which 'makes getting ready so much easier'. And while full-length mirrors require free wall space, you can get creative with your placement ideas to make them work even in small guest rooms. 'If there isn’t space for a freestanding mirror, consider positioning one on the back of a door or incorporating it into the furniture layout,' Sophie adds. 'It’s a practical detail that makes the room feel properly equipped.'

Beyond the practical reasons for having mirrors in your guest room, they can also add a decorative feel and help the room feel considered. 'A mirror over a dresser, desk, or vanity creates a pretty vignette within a guest room,' says designer Grace Rosenstein of Atelier Roan. 'The mirror draws more natural light into the space and is both aesthetically pretty and utilitarian when paired with an antique or vintage dresser, desk, or vanity, creating a private space where guests can get ready in the morning.'

3. Light-Blocking Window Treatments

Window treatments are essential when decorating a guest room – allowing guests to adequately block the light for a good night's sleep while creating a cozy feel in the winter months.

'For guest rooms, I find that window treatments are easily overlooked but very important,' says designer Shannon Adamson. 'Providing light-blocking shades or draperies creates a softness and a finished feel for the room, and allows guests to sleep comfortably until they are ready to wake. From a visual standpoint, window treatments complete a room, taking it from looking like an afterthought to a thoughtfully considered, finished space.'

'I recommend having two layers of window treatments: one layer that allows daylight to filter through while offering some privacy, and one layer that provides light control and full privacy at night,' says Shannon. 'This combination could be a light-blocking roller shade paired with light-filtering draperies, a layer of light-blocking draperies paired with a layer of sheer draperies, or a light-filtering roller shade inside the window frame paired with a light-blocking Roman shade outside the window frame.'

4. Layered Lighting

Even the most beautifully designed guest room would be thrown off course without proper bedroom lighting ideas. Guest rooms, especially during the holiday season, should feel cozy and ambient, and having only overly bright, overhead lighting can totally detract from this feel.

'Lighting is a powerful way to make their space feel welcoming, cozy, and thoughtful,' says designer Leslie Kramer, founder of Lighthouse Design. 'I always start with bedside lighting, whether that's table lamps, sconces, or pendants on either side of the bed – these should be installed ideally with switches within easy reach.'

'Beautiful bedside lighting makes such a difference to how a bedroom feels,' agrees Laura. 'I always like to have a lamp within easy reach of the bed, with a warm bulb and a lovely shade, so guests can settle down with a book without needing the main light on. It’s also a great opportunity to introduce another color or pattern.'

Alongside overhead lighting, which Leslie recommends having a dimmer switch for, add lamps elsewhere in the room to continue the cozy feel. 'I love adding a small lamp on a dresser or a floor lamp across the room,' says Leslie. 'Make sure to use a soft white bulb so the room feels cozy rather than cool. Clients are often surprised when they see what a difference the temperature of the bulb makes for the feel of the room.'

5. Creative Storage Solutions

A stylishly decorated bedroom can feel incomplete if there isn't somewhere for guests to store belongings and hang clothes. While there may not always be space for a full wardrobe, designers think more creatively about bedroom storage ideas.

'When guests are staying for a few days over Christmas, they want to be able to unpack, put their clothes away and settle in properly, rather than living out of a suitcase on the floor for the duration of their stay,' says Laura. 'Having somewhere to hang a few things, store belongings and put a suitcase makes such a difference to how comfortable and at home someone feels.'

'You don't necessarily need something particularly large; a slimline wardrobe can provide just enough hanging space for guests to unpack a few things and feel settled,' Laura adds. 'If there really isn't room for a wardrobe, I'd make sure there is a chest of drawers so guests have somewhere to put away their belongings, alongside an ottoman or bench at the end of the bed, which is useful for storing extra blankets (if it has storage) and gives guests somewhere to lay their suitcase or clothes.'

Beyond furniture used for storage, designers also recommend providing hooks for guests to hang clothing, which is especially useful if space is limited. 'We always think a few well-placed hooks are incredibly useful, particularly if they are decorative in their own right,' says Sophie. 'You can choose something in brass, painted wood, or an interesting antique style that feels like part of the scheme, rather than simply a functional addition. They give guests somewhere to hang coats, dressing gowns, towels, or a few pieces of clothing without needing to dedicate space to a wardrobe.'

Comfortable and cozy guest rooms aren't always about highly expensive decor, but about preempting the guest experience and ensuring it is well equipped, without forgetting the finishing touches that take it from functional to welcoming. Don't forget to include layered blankets and bedding – especially important at this time of year to give guests a cozy night's sleep.

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