The advent of the holidays means that the season of celebrating traditions and gathering with friends and family is upon us. Often, that means hosting guests at your home, and upgrading your guest bedroom with thoughtful touches and festive decor can go a long way in creating a comfortable and cozy space that spreads holiday cheer.
It’s also an opportunity to add personal style and thoughtful amenities that ensure a memorable stay for your guests. Plus, it’s a chance to upgrade the most important part of a guest room: the bed. Our recommendations for the best mattresses, pillows and sheets will ensure that your guests rest easy and sleep well—and just might inspire you to upgrade your own bedroom for a better night’s sleep, too.
How To Decorate Bedrooms for the Holidays
The most important element of any guest room is that it provides a comfortable sleep space for your guests. Start by making sure that the guest bedroom is quiet, dark and cool for guests.
Once you know that the room is conducive to sleep, you can focus on making it festive. Start by choosing a color scheme—aim for no more than three colors, say, red, white and green, or white, gold and black. From there, think about creating layers of texture, like a quilted duvet in a holiday pattern like snowflakes or a winter scape, a complementary throw blanket in a faux fur or brushed velvet finish, and one or two accent pillows that carry through the texture or look.
When it comes to decorative elements, little touches can add big spirit. Fun, tasteful ideas can include a wreath to hang over the headboard, a faux garland to drape over the foot of the bed, a bottlebrush tree on your bedside table or a grouping of small figurines on your dresser. Another area of focus is lighting—add a string of fairy lights to your footboard, add a candle in a soothing seasonal scent or display a small faux fir tree strung with lights in the corner of the room.
Holiday Style Checklist for a Festive Guest Room
Here is a list of essential items and decorations to create a festive guest room and elevate the space.
Seasonal Linens: Create an inviting feel by upgrading your bedding with a comforter and a cozy, soft throw blanket in seasonal hues like winter white, burgundy or forest green. Seek out sumptuous sheets in organic cotton or flannel in whimsical holiday prints or patterns. And don’t forget a stack of fresh, fluffy towels. A plush robe is an extra luxe and functional touch.
Throw Pillows: Look for whimsical shapes, prints and colors to add trendy accents to beds and chairs. Throw pillows with design accents such as fringe, sequins and embroidery can also add a festive pop.
Ornaments: Whether it’s one or many, ornaments add pops of color and personal touches. You can add them to vases and decorative vignettes, or even hang them from lesser-used doorknobs.
Wreaths: Holiday wreaths add celebratory cheer and instant panache to a guest room. Hang one on the door, above the headboard or in place of wall art. You can also nestle one around a lamp base or a miniature one around a flameless candle.
Garlands: Garlands in faux juniper, olive branches or eucalyptus add extra holiday spark to any space; you can purchase them with lights threaded throughout to add additional light on dark winter days or get a crisp hygge feel. If you don’t have a headboard, drape the garland on a bench at the foot of the bed, on the door or on the dresser.
Wall Decor: Holiday-themed prints, removable decals or peel-and-stick wallpaper make for festive seasonal additions, particularly if kids are involved and help apply them. Look for snowflakes, snowmen, frosty forestscapes or twinkling lights.
Lights: LED pillar candles, strings of fairy lights and soft, yellow light bulbs help create a cozy and festive glow. Consider candles in seasonal scents such as cinnamon, pine or sugar cookie (as long as your guest doesn’t have allergies or isn’t scent-averse).
Essential Products To Decorate Your Holiday Guest Room
Creating a holiday-themed guest room is an easy and fun way to create an inviting space and memorable experience for your guests. Focus on classic or neutral colors for the bedding, such as cream, navy, gray or red, then add trendy touches with accents like throw pillows and blankets. Look for rich textures and festive finishings like faux fur, faux shearling, metallic threads and quilted velvet, which add a pop of color and texture to the space, too.
And don’t forget about adding holiday flair to the guest bathroom, like a small vase of flowers mixed with freshly cut pine, as well as mini bottlebrush trees, holiday-themed hand towels and hand soaps in seasonal scents.
Holiday-Themed Bed Linens
Given that the bed is a centerpiece of the guest room, invest in some holiday-themed bed linens to make the space merry and bright. You can opt to purchase a bedding set that includes a duvet and sheets or mix and match to suit your taste. A duvet cover makes for a space-saving option if you don’t want to replace the whole duvet for the season. Shop for cotton or quilted velvet duvets in rich holiday hues like garnet, spruce green or ivory, and seek out timeless patterns such as plaid, patchwork or windowpane.
For a more subtle touch, upgrade the guest room sheets and pillowcases with 100% cotton or flannel sheets in classic shades of ivory, white or cream, or opt for whimsical prints such as fir trees, woodland creatures and snowflakes.
Festive Pillows
Throw pillows make for fun and inexpensive accents to holiday bedroom decor, whether it’s one statement throw pillow on a chair or a mix-and-match array of sizes on the bed. Look for pillows in trendy fabrics and finishes such as faux fur, sequins, pom poms or tassels. Or seek out novelty pillows in holiday-themed shapes like peppermints, snowmen, candy canes or snowflakes. If you don’t want to commit, opt for throw pillowcases in festive prints, colors and finishes, such as winter wonderland scenes, gold lamé or crushed red velvet.
Guest Towel Sets
Just as with your favorite hotel stays, nothing says welcome like a stack of plush towels. It’s also one of the simplest ways to upgrade your guest bedroom for the holidays. Ensure that you have a large bath towel, hand towel and washcloth for each guest (navy or black washcloths can be useful for avoiding stains from makeup removal). It can be helpful to choose different prints or colors so that guests can distinguish their sets. You can also opt to outfit the guest bathroom with holiday-themed hand towels or with disposable bathroom napkins. Look for classic patterns like plaid, winter florals or embossed snowflakes, or have fun with cheerful prints like reindeer, snowmen or ornaments.
Warm Lighting for Cozy Atmosphere
Warm lighting is essential for creating a holiday atmosphere, and it’s best achieved by layering lights throughout the guest room. For overhead lighting, choose bulbs that emit warm, yellow light, rather than bright white light. Add a bedside lamp for reading and choose bulbs that emit a gentle, soft glow or choose a light-diffusing shade. For a festive touch, consider adding fairy lights to drape around a wardrobe dresser or bed footboard, or add a small faux fir tree with lights in the corner. Pillar LED candles are another safe and economical way to add a cozy glow to the room.
Decorative Items for the Season
Enhance your guest room’s holiday ambience with decorative items like holiday-themed figurines, artwork and decor. Bring a touch of nature to the space with greenery, like a potted poinsettia or small fir tree, a bouquet of winter blooms (though be mindful of guest allergies) or a vase of faux berry or juniper branches. Wreaths, garlands and banners make for another cheery addition. Drape a faux pine or eucalyptus garland at the foot of the bed, around a mirror or on the windowsill, hang a banner on an empty wall, or add a holiday wreath above the headboard or around the base of a lamp.
Removable wall decals or peel-and-stick wallpaper can be a stylish, low-commitment way to add holiday prints or designs to the wall—think winter florals, stars or woodland creatures. Create a holiday vignette on an empty shelf, dresser top or bedside table with decorative flat-top table decor like mini bottlebrush trees, snowflake cutouts, snowmen figurines and stars. And remember, ornaments aren’t just for the tree. Choose a color palette and arrange several baubles in a vase or hang a selection of ornaments from the ceiling with ribbon and thumbtacks.
Trendy Themes for Holiday Bedroom Decor
There are several trendy and timeless themes for holiday decor, each of which can be tailored to your preferences and the size and arrangement of the guest room.
Luxury Oasis: Create a serene sanctuary with high-thread-count sheets and a plush, heavyweight duvet in a neutral color palette like beige, cream or pale gray. For depth and texture, add a folded or draped faux fur throw blanket and velvet or quilted throw pillows. Invest in a new mattress and pillows with stylish and functional upgrades, like the Sealy Frisco 2.0 Medium Euro Pillow Top Mattress, which is ideal for side, back and stomach sleepers and Sleepy's Deluxe Charcoal Cooling Pillow, which helps regulate body temperature and relieve pain and discomfort. Small but impactful design details like fresh flowers, a luggage rack and a sophisticated bedside lamp evoke a boutique hotel stay.
Vintage Vibes: For a throwback seasonal feel, spruce up your guest room with vintage decor like ceramic Christmas trees, jewel-tone baubles and ornaments in a sculptural bowl, holiday village figurines and a tasteful draping of tinsel around the headboard or dresser. Transform thrift store finds into stylish yet functional touches, like repurposing an antique luggage rack into a side table or utilizing a retro bar cart to stock snacks and a water carafe.
Cozy Retreat: To create an extra cozy guest room, focus on quality bedding. Opt for high-thread-count sheets and an all-season, down alternative comforter, then layer in additional texture with a throw blanket in a plush or waffle-weave finish, fluffy throw pillows and a sheepskin throw rug. Add a cozy armchair in an unused corner to invite curling up with a book and consider stocking the bedside table with reading material like a favorite book or local magazine. Temperature control is key for comfort and a good night’s sleep, too—add a portable fan to promote airflow or a humidifier to combat dry air from heating.
Whimsical Touches: Colorful accents and a rainbow palette add a dose of joyful whimsy to kid-friendly and adult guest rooms alike. Hang a rainbow pompom garland on the wall, arrange bottlebrush trees in assorted hues on a dresser or bookshelf or stack books on a shelf or side table in rainbow order. If full rainbow feels like too much, choose one or two focal colors (say red and gold), and experiment with creating an ombre effect by selecting accessories in a range of hues within the color family. For kids’ rooms, conjure a winter forest scene by upgrading bedding to whimsical forest animal prints, adding a large area rug for floor play and installing an inexpensive, collapsible play tent strewn with fairy lights.
Moody Romantic: Think of richness when it comes to creating a moody, romantic vibe for your holiday guest room. Lean into dark jewel tones, like forest green, burgundy and deep purple, whether it’s upgrading sheets and comforters or repainting the walls. Reach for accessories with a variety of textures to create added depth, like a chunky knit throw blanket, brushed velvet pillows or a bedside leather tray. Use dim lighting or an array of flameless candles. Finish the room with design accents within your chosen color palette, like a small, tinted glass vase with faux flowers, branches or berry clusters.
Winter Wonderland: A classic design scheme never goes out of style. Adding an assortment of winter white hues, cozy textures and clean lines helps create an inviting, cozy winterscape inside while opening up the space, which is particularly helpful for smaller rooms. For the bedding, layer crisp white sheets with an ivory brushed cotton comforter and a cream faux fur, shearling or fringed throw blanket. Accents like a white poinsettia, twinkle lights and champagne-hued throw pillows contribute to the cozy chic vibes. To promote après-ski vibes, set up a mini coffee, tea or hot chocolate bar and an array of holiday treats, like wrapped chocolates.
Personal Touches for Holiday Warmth
Adding personal touches is the best way to make a guest feel welcome and make the room your own, too.
- Holiday Ornament: Hang an ornament on the doorknob, like a monogrammed one in a festive shape like a reindeer or snowflake, or a whimsical one that speaks to their preference, like a favorite TV character or food.
- Welcome Note: Write a holiday card with a personalized message for your guest and leave it on their pillow along with an individually wrapped treat, like mint or chocolate. Include your Wi-Fi info for an added thoughtful touch.
- Holiday-Themed Wall Decor: Add festive charm to your guest room with artwork, like a print of your favorite city during holiday time or framed family photos of holidays past.
- Spa Inspo: Invite calmness into their evenings by setting out a tray with aromatherapy products in relaxing scents, such as lavender, cinnamon or orange. Bonus points if you set out slippers (disposable ones are fine) and a fluffy cotton robe.
- Wrapping Station: If guests will stay through Christmas or Hanukkah, consider adding a roll of paper, plus scissors and tape, so that they can take care of last-minute wrapping needs.
- Reading Material: Gather an assortment of reading material, like a novel you recently enjoyed, your local city magazine or favorite holiday books.
- Journal and Pen: Set out a journal or notepad and a writing utensil so that guests have a place to jot down to-do lists, write notes or keep written memories of their stay. Journaling before bed can also encourage a gratitude practice that can help lay the foundation for restful sleep.
Upgrade Your Guest Room for the Season With Mattress Firm
The centerpiece of the guest room is the bed, so it makes sense to focus on the quality and comfort of your mattress. It’s where guests retreat to have some quiet time, sleep off a holiday feast-induced food coma or take a quick nap between family obligations. Plus, the best way to stave off holiday drama is to make sure your guests are well-rested. A few things to consider when buying a guest mattress are: Who will be using the mattress, how long they will be staying and how else is your guest bedroom used?
Two of our favorite all-around mattress picks are the durable Sleepy's By Sealy Hybrid HD Premium Mattress, which has Anti-Sag™ ViscoBoost™+ to prevent mattress sagging and offer more support, comfort and pressure relief, and the Sleepy's By Sealy® Medium Euro Top Mattress, which is ideal for a range of sleep positions and won the Good Housekeeping 2024 Best Bedding Award. For more guidance on shopping for a new mattress, check out our Mattress Shopping Guide. If you’re ready to update your bedframe, this classic wood bedframe with headboard comes in deluxe espresso and pine finishes to match a variety of bedroom color schemes.
And don’t forget the all-important mattress protector—not only will it safeguard your mattress investment, it can also help regulate body temperature and keep things clean for many guests to come.
