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Orlando Soria Shares 6 Ways to Give Your Guest Bedroom a Refresh

The designer just revealed a new room using Minted and West Elm furnishings.

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By Architectural Digest US | October 25, 2021 | Bedroom

If you’ve been neglecting your guest bedroom of late, Orlando Soria, the host of HGTV’s Build Me Up, is here to help. The L.A.-based interior designer just teamed up with Minted and West Elm to style (and refresh) a guest room using patterned pieces of furniture from the brands’ joint collection, which features 14 upholstered pieces in more than 2,000 silhouette, pattern color, and leg finish options. Fun fact: Each textile is designed by an artist in Minted’s global community.

Here, Soria shares six cost-effective—and stylish—ways to make sure your guests feel right at home when they sleep over.

You can’t go wrong with paint

The paint color can make or break a room, Soria says. “Paint is the easiest way to make a huge transformation in a space without spending a lot of money,” he says.

Tip 1: If you don’t want to paint an entire room, consider painting the trim around the ceilings, windows, or doors. “This gives the space structure,” he says.

Tip 2: Balance your wall color with the rest of the elements in the room. “A general color rule for me: If I go really bold or saturated with a wall color, I want the bedding to be neutral,” he says. “You don’t want too much competition.”

Invest in a good bed and mix-and-match bedding

As a good host, where—and how—your guests sleep should be a priority in the guest room, Soria says. “An upholstered bed is super welcoming and fun,” he says. “It feels youthful and fresh.”

Tip 1: Consider mixing and matching your bedding. “Everyone always compliments me on my bedding, but it comes from everywhere. Some of it is high-quality linen bedding from Tuft & Needle, and some is from IKEA,” he says.

Tip 2: Make the bed with care. “The reason people think my bed is so high-end is that the way I make it is intentional in terms of the number of pillows and even the way the blanket is folded back,” he says. “Having these elements of layers and textures tricks people into thinking the bed is fancy!”

Leave the (right) light on

The best guest rooms have a light switch right near the door and a bedside lamp. “If there’s room, add a standing lamp too,” he says.

Tip 1: The lower the lighting is in a room, the more inviting it will be. “That’s why it’s best to place a lamp on top of a dresser,” he says. “That ensures light isn’t coming straight down from the ceiling.”

Tip 2: Prep the space and turn the nightstand light on prior to your guests’ arrival. “Doing this makes people feel like they’re coming into a cozy space,” he says.

Keep luxe hotel accessories on hand

There’s nothing cheesy about leaving a fresh pair of slippers and a robe in a guest room closet. “This can be such a nice way to welcome your guests even if they don’t use these items,” Soria says. “It shows you put care into the room, and both of these things can really come in handy, if your guests want to run down the hall to take a shower!”

Focus on your floor

For Soria, rugs define a space. “They’re like the placemat of the room,” he says. “It can feel oddly chaotic when there isn’t a rectangular shape on the floor!”

Tip 1: Floor coverings are a must. “Rugs add a lot of softness on the floor and are easier on the feet,” he says. “Plus, the floor is an ideal place to add texture—that’s why I love layering a sisal carpet with a patterned rug on top.”

Tip 2: Don’t limit your space to one rug: Even a room with wall-to-wall carpeting can be enhanced with a rug on top. “I like to have as many rugs as possible,” he says. “This gives a space a rustic, artsy look.”

Curate any and all accessories

Though your guest room is in your home, avoid filling it with too many personal things. “You don’t want your guests to feel like they’re walking into a creepy relative’s room,” Soria says. “So, you wouldn’t want to use a vintage watch as a prop.”

Tip: Your goal? Limit the tchotchkes to items that are useful. “It’s nice to have phone chargers on hand or to place trays or bowls for your guests to use for jewelry,” he says. “The nightstand in my guest room has little vases and a coaster for water glasses, but there’s nothing else in the room that’s personal. You don’t want your guests to feel like they’re sleeping amidst your stuff.”

This was originally published on Architectural Digest US.

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