Nothing says “welcome to your home-away-from-home” quite like a comfortable, stylish and well-equipped guest room. Here are 9 essentials for creating a cozy space and a memorable stay for your friends and family this holiday season!
#1 A Swing Arm Lamp
These little Jielde lamps from France are ideal bedside lights as they focus the light straight down on what you are reading without illuminating the whole room (so your guests will be able to read themselves to sleep without worrying about waking up their bed mate (a good thing to consider if they’ve come a long way, as they might have jet lag).
#2 A Soft Carpet Underfoot
A carpet that’s soft underfoot and big enough that bare feet will land on the rug, not the cold floor when they wake up. Adding a rug also helps to dampen sound and floor creaks in older houses so guests can walk without tiptoeing.
#3 100% Cotton Sheets
100% cotton sheets that are crisp and smooth. A freshly made bed (made by someone else no less) is always a treat, so it’s easy to make your guests feel like they’ve just checked into a great hotel by putting a bit of thought and care into the amenities. Click here to shop my collection of 100% cotton sheets!
#4 A Choice Of Pillows
I’m fussy about pillows and assume my guests are the same so I make every bed with one polyester pillow and one soft down (or down alternative) pillow so guests can pile up as many or as few pillows as they like.
#5 Storage Space
Somewhere to put your stuff! A bedside table with a drawer, a large top surface and a cubby or shelf for storage will help guests feel that you’ve given them room to spread out and unpack a bit. Try to limit personal effects and keep knick knacks and clutter to a minimum so the room feels finished but not too busy or personal.
#6 Layers On The Bed
We all run hot and cold sometimes so layer up the bed with an extra quilt or blanket in case they find your home cool. If you don’t put it on the bed as a decorative layer, make sure you tell your guests where to find additional bedding in case it’s needed in the night. I can’t sleep if I’m cold and always want to help my guests get some good zzz's!
#7 A Consistent Colour Scheme
Your guest room doesn’t need to resemble the presidential suite and can be simply furnished, but it shouldn’t look like the land of castoffs, so try to make everything coordinate so it’s inviting to spend time in.
#8 A Comfy Chair
If space permits, I always add a chair to bedrooms. Some guests like to have a bit of quiet time away from your family and giving them a spot to sit and read, or work on a laptop will make them feel at ease.
#9 A Test Drive
My number one rule for every guest room is that you need to have tried it out and feel confident that it is actually well equipped and comfortable. I didn’t realize that the board supporting the mattress wasn’t attached to the frame of the bed until we had a visitor and heard a big crash late one night when the plywood slipped off the frame after being nudged every time the bed was made. trying to reassemble a bed in your PJ’s is not what good hosting is all about... talk about a wake up call!
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For 288 pages worth of décor inspiration, designer insights and family recipes, pick up a copy of my new book At Home: Sarah Style (Simon & Schuster, 2015).
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