Living in Santa Monica, my husband and I receive a lot of house guests- many of them come from England- many are friends and family from America. It might have something to do with our close proximity to the beach or the beautiful California sunshine, but I can't help but think it's because I've finally mastered the art of keeping a well-appointed guest bedroom.
Every now and then we receive an unexpected or last minute guest and I've learned (the hard way) that I should always have our spare bedroom shining and ready to go. The last time we were in England we had an unexpected house guest stay in our place while we were away- I was in agony wondering what state the guest bedroom was in and vowed to never have to worry about that again.
Here are my tips for creating a cozy guest bedroom.
- A spotlessly clean room, of course. Don't forget the cobwebs in the corners...
- Clean, white sheets, a fluffy duvet and new-ish pillows (get rid of any pillows that sag on both sides when you hold them up with one hand... that means they are full of dust mites and dead skin cells... yuck).
- Ample lighting. We recently installed recessed lights in the ceiling and also have an antique- looking lamp by the bed.
- No clutter. Be ruthless- the eye can become accustomed to seeing a stack of old computer manuals in the corner (this I know from experience *yikes*) Edit. Edit. Edit.
- Plenty of fancy hangers for your guest to hang their clothes on. I like the cloth kind with little bows. Also, at least two empty drawers for them to keep their folded clothes in.
- A few interesting books by the bedside table. If you have a television in the room, a stack of DVDs for them to watch if your guests have jet lag and can't sleep.
- A spotless bathroom, fully stocked with extra tissue paper and extra essential items they might have forgotten like razors, toothpaste etc.
- Fluffy, sumptuous white towels folded and placed at the end of their bed with a new bar of soap. (I also like to have a bottle of body wash in the shower, in case they don't like to use bar soap. Right now I love Nivea body wash in Happiness).
- And finally, if you have time, spend the night in the guest bedroom yourself and see if you notice anything that could use improving...
There you have it. My essential tips for a perfect guest bedroom. Now for all those other rooms in the house...
I would love to hear any tips that you use to keep your guests cozy...
6.24.2009
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12 comments:
Ooh, I have never heard that tip about the pillow before! Just the thought of dead mites and skin cells is pretty awful! I'm going to try that experiment right now! Living in our tiny brick cottage we don't have the space for a guest bedroom sadly. I would love to have one! Perhaps in the future. When we have relatives and guests stay they have to book in hotels nearby. x
Ooooh! I loved this post! Especially since I am expecting a guest from Paris for a weekend somewhere during this summer and I am already fretting about making the spare bedroom as presentable as possible. I love being a good hostess and the spare has seen many guests over the past few years, but perfectionist that I am, the worrying never stops. Here's one of my own little pleasures: I love to leave a good quality scented candle in the spare bedroom with a nice box of matches on the nightstand, so that the guest can create a little atmosphere while reading at night :)
Hi Josephine- There's something to be said about guests having to stay in hotels- at least you wont get tired of them! :)
Hi Divina- How could I forget the candle?! Quite right- that is the perfect finishing touch. As long as they don't burn the house down...
Ummm....should I be worried that your guest bedroom sounds way nicer then my own bedroom?;)
Oh, I should pop over to you and get the fine treatment, LOL! You do seem to take excellent care of your guests.
Those are great tips which I try to follow as well (nothing like sleeping on pristine sheets and having some single-use amenities in the guest bathroom).
But I like to offer a box of biscuits, a pitcher of water too in case they can't sleep and get hungry. It wouldn't do bumbing into them in the night when they're trying to find the kitchen!
Juliana- You are hilarious! I don't know what else to say :)
Helg- That is an excellent idea. I can't tell you how many times I have been a guest in someone's home and have been hungry but don't want to go to the kitchen to rummage around (especially if I don't know my hosts that well)... I am adding this to my list! Thanks xo
wow! you sound like a super host. Agree with the additions but really what you have there is a hotel room and you'd just be adding a mini bar and candles.
I live in England in a lovely country house outside London and we have 2 rooms we use for guests, I agree on the point of spending - at least - one night in your guests' room - things like the heating system pipes making a noise, or the room being too hot etc are impossible to know about until you've experienced it all yourself. And don't expect guests to tell you - here in the UK polite discretion is a national passtime and you'll never know they weren't happy! But my question is, what about a small posy of flowers in the room? Is it bad - pollen, smell and allergies, or good as you've thought about the room and how cosy it looks. All comments on that one welcome! PS - agree on the linen - must always be top notch, and never skimp on a medium firm mattress! People remember a bad night's sleep!
PS - love the candle idea!
PPS - the flowers I'm thinking of putting by the bed are from my cottage garden, that my bedrooms overlook....does this matter?!!?
Dear Anonymous- I think flowers in the guest bedroom is a lovely idea- just as long as they aren't too strongly scented (tuberose would probably not be a good thing- they are gorgeous and I love the scent, but some people find it overpowering). I think flowers from your garden would be such a lovely touch. A tiny bouquet of roses or seasonal flowers like peonies... best of luck!
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