Christmas Guest Room Makeover

It’s that time of year when normally we would have guests coming in for weekend ski trips,  friends coming for the annual Christmas party, or family coming for Christmas itself. This year there will be none of that.  Still,  I did my Christmas guest room makeover because… well you just never know! Besides, maybe you are in a place where Christmas guests are still a possibility and you need some inspiration!

The  downstairs guest room was at one time our daughter’s room.  Her room has always had a beachy vibe.  Spending so much time on the coast growing up, she filled it with the treasures from those frequent trips.  No surprise, she moved to San Diego the first chance she had and is still there 9 years later.  Mama’s not happy about that but it is a great place to visit!

Beachy Vibe for Christmas

I kept that beachy vibe going when she left as it is one we all love.  Since her furniture went with her, I replaced it with white wicker pieces I found while browsing second hand shops around town.  I have always loved that look and it fits in well with our coastal lower level.

To start my Christmas guest room makeover, I added touches here and there but put little away.  Why can’t a snowman stand on the deck of a sailboat or hang under a Hollywood sign? Obviously, they can!

…And I see no reason at all that a piece of coral isn’t perfect for one of my beloved signs!

Lighting for Ambiance

In years past, I have put up a small Christmas tree in this room.  Katie normally comes home for the holidays, so I would decorate it with many of her ornaments that still haven’t found their way to California.  This year, with things still up in the air as to whether she can make the trip home, I moved the palm trees in.  They normally sit in a corner where the village is so I thought they would be out of the way but also provide a bit of ambiance here.  Speaking of the Christmas village… click right here to see it in motion on Instagram!

Although there is recessed lightning in this room, I love the soft light that lamps provide. Adding an ornament to one and a snowman to the other, the lamps become a part of the seasonal decor as well.

Dressing up the Bed

With a nautical themed comforter as the bedding in this room, well… it certainly doesn’t scream Christmas! Bringing in a bit of red will be a quick fix. I switched the pillow covers from blue to white and tied them with red silk bows and some pretty ornaments. With the addition of a thick red throw I feel we are halfway there.

Elements of the Season

There are so many elements for the Christmas season that add so much to any room. Bringing in a little bit of greenery will instantly project that holiday feel.

A basket of pine cones is a simple and easy element as well. I found mine in the back yard and mixed in some silver and blue pine cone ornaments for good measure.

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Little touches here and there will give any guest room the aura of a cozy bed and breakfast right out of your favorite Christmas Hallmark movie. A pretty quilted runner on the dresser adds to that cozy feel.

Red candles, Christmas statues, and a page from “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” grace the built in bookshelf.

A pretty red bow and a Christmas pick spruce up the nautical lantern that is always in this room.

Finally, I also tied a couple blue poinsettias on the french doors. Little touches but it’s all in the details when you’re decorating!

A Christmas Tradition

Speaking of movies, the signed copy of the Polar Express on the dresser was a gift from some special friends several years ago. It represents a Christmas tradition to all of us.

When my children were little, Thanksgiving night was a long one for me.  After our guests left from a traditional Thanksgiving dinner my night was just beginning. Baths, stories, and bedtime.  Once I knew they were sleeping, it was time to start decorating.  Thanksgiving is a beautiful holiday all by itself but it is also the start of the Christmas season.  So once I was certain they were sleeping, I would spend the night decorating. 

The excitement in their eyes when they woke up to Christmas made the all-nighter I had just pulled worth it.  As they grew older and with the move to a larger house, this tradition was out the window.  There was no way I could decorate the house in one night unless an army of elves were to show up.   There was also the fact that as the children grew older, so did I.  An all-nighter was no longer an option for me unless I wished to have my family wake up to a very grumpy mom which I most certainly did not! Christmas is the most exciting time of the year for the little ones after all!

So in the later years, we switched things up a bit.  We still did a traditional Thanksgiving dinner but afterwards the night was spent downstairs watching the Polar Express which to this day is our favorite Christmas movie.  The upstairs would still hold my fall decorations but downstairs was decked out for Christmas. The rule was the trees, candles, and the Christmas village could not be turned on until that night. That rule still applies today. We light everything up, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and watch the movie. The official start of the Christmas season at our house!

Any guest in our home on this night would have received a box at the Thanksgiving table. Inside would be a large silver or gold jingle bell for their Christmas tree and an invitation to join us for the movie.

Which brings us back to the guest room!

Christmas Guest Room Makeover – Welcome!

I always have a tray on the bed with a few signs of the season and a welcome to our guests. This changes often during the year but it is always there. Today it is all Christmas themed. A pretty little tree, a Christmas coffee cup and a Christmas welcome poem.

With Katie being the only possible guest to this room… I also hung this cute picture of my grand puppy, Brody, on the wall. She will miss her babies while she’s here for sure!

She has her ticket and we have been looking forward to this all year.  Since she is an essential worker, she is exposed to catching the virus everyday.  Always very contentious and extremely careful, she is worried she may carry the virus home to us.  Numbers are through the roof in both California and Colorado.  She will go for testing and we will wait until the last minute to make the final decision.  If we can figure out a way to do it safely, with enough time for quarantining then she will be home soon.  If not,  we will be out to see her early next year.   I know so many of you are struggling with these decisions as well.

Back to the decor! When all is said and done, look around your room and ask yourself “would I like to stay here?” If the answer is a resounding “Yes!” then you have completed your Christmas guest room makeover! I feel like I completed mine with my final addition of the sign above the bed. What do you think?

A few little touches in the guest bath and I’m ready for visitors! 2021????

Please be sure to check out my latest post Last Minute Christmas Printables. As a subscriber, simply click here to go to the library, enter your password, download and print. If you haven’t joined us yet, I hope you will! Your subscription will give you immediate access to the everything in the library. I’m so excited to start a new year of decorating and would love to have you come along! Hope to see you again soon!