Won’t you be our guest?
When it comes to creating a guest room, comfort is key. Therefore, a guest room should be a warm and welcoming space so include some of the amenities found in a hotel room and have the intimacy and charm of a home. Listed below are 8 of my favorite tips to help you create a comfortable guest room in your home.
When you’re traveling, sometimes you just need a place to escape. Consider the essentials for any road-weary traveler: a luxurious bed, a chair for reading or making phone calls, and those frequently forgotten items such as phone chargers and toiletries. The guest room is also the perfect spot to display sentimental family treasures that you love but may not fit in with your other home decor.
Create a comfortable guest room for your guests to relax and rewind.
- Have a welcome basket
- Make your guests feel at home with a selection of treats and goodies. Know your guest’s favorite treats? Surprise them by adding these to the basket. If not, shop local and put goodies from nearby local shops. In addition to treats, be sure to add water to have with their treats. Add travel-sized toiletries, stain sticks, hair bands, lint rollers or whatever you think your guests may need. Do you have any photos of you with your guest? Add this in a frame as a gift to your guest and as a reminder of happy times together.
- Include an information sheet
- We live in a digital world. So it’s a sure thing that after you’ve had time to catch up your guest will want to plug in their device and check emails. Include your WiFi network name and password. Why not get crafty and put this in a cute little frame?
- Create a place to relax and put their feet up
- A comfortable chair and ottoman create a place to relax and unwind for a little bit without having to sit on the bed.
- Add soft, low-key lighting
- Your guests may want to stay up later than you do. Add low key lighting in the form of a table lamp on the bedside table. This way your guests may read or write before going to sleep. You want your guests to be comfortable and soft lighting makes a room cozier than overhead lights which are often too bright.
- Set out a vase of fresh flowers
- My mother always said, ‘there’s nothing like fresh flowers to say welcome’. Fresh flowers make any room more cheerful. After a long day of travels, a vase full of beautiful, fresh flowers can be more than a welcoming sight. If you know your guest’s favorite flowers or colors, be sure to add these to the vase.
- Make sure your draperies or window coverings open and close
- When your draperies or shades are open, your guest room will be light and cheerful and that’s great for the daytime. Be sure to provide a nice dark room for your guests to get the best possible night’s sleep. Draperies and shades help to block out any exterior lighting and/or noises. Comfort is the key to a welcoming guest room and getting a good night’s sleep will help them relax and refresh.
- Make a comfortable bed
- When making the bed, it’s better to under-make the bed. Be sure to have lots of extra linens in the closet for your guests to use if necessary. For me, there’s nothing worse than an uncomfortable pillow so I also like to have extra pillows in different sizes and fills for my guests to choose from. You know, not too soft, not too hard, but just right!
- Have extra hangers and closet space
- Your guest room closet may be used for storage like mine. However, make sure there’s room for your guests, too. Nobody likes to live out of a suitcase. Clear some space in the closet for your guests to hang their clothes. If you have a dresser in the room, clear some of the drawers too. Having this space will make your guests feel they have a “home away from home” when visiting you.
A chair, fresh flowers, and sentimental family items will welcome to your guests.
Soft lighting on the bedside table, draperies that block out exterior lights and sounds, and photos of you with your guests will make their stay happy and joyful.
What are some other things you like to put in the guest room at your home? Or, what are some things you find helpful when you are a guest in someone else’s home? Please share them with me and for others to read. I’d love to hear from you!
Speaking of comfortable bedding
If you’re like me, you probably want to have new bedding and pillow shams when the guests arrive. Maybe a new Duvet Cover, or a Bed Skirt, and new Pillow Shams.
I’m pleased to say, I’ve got instructions for these available on my website and also over at Kim’s Upholstery website where you can see the step by step video tutorials for these and get your guest room company ready in no time!
12 video lessons to make a Basic Duvet Cover
7 video lessons to Make a Tailored Bed Skirt
6 video lessons To Make A Pillow Sham
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At Designs by Donna, my mission is: To use my passion, gifts, and abilities to bring joy and beauty into the lives of others through exquisite designs, teaching, and sharing.
How may I bring joy and beauty into your life? God Bless.
