Seven Tips For A Great Guest Bedroom

This topic is so timely because the holidays are just around the corner.  If you will have out of town guests traveling to your place to stay over, then this is the perfect short list of hot tips to make their stay fabulous! 

First, before we go any further, close your eyes and envision walking into your favorite hotel room.  This will be your inspiration for your guest room.

REMEMBER-These tips work whether you have a designated room for out of town guests, or a space that doubles as a spare bedroom.

Seven Top Tips: 

1.Paint Palette - Stick to soft creams, grays, or soothing shades of gray blues and greens to keep the room light and airy.  I love Benjamin Moore's Harbor Gray (AC 25) and Sherwin William's Comfort Gray (SW 6205)

2.Lighting - Take your lighting seriously.  Lack of it leads to a lot of stumbling around in the dark, and poor lighting can make a room look unwelcoming.  Be a good host by placing a lamp near the bedroom door if you do not have overhead lighting, AND set a lamp next to the bed that is easy to reach, and easy to use. 

3.Bedding - An easy way to create a luxurious looking bed is to think white! White is crisp, bright, and easy color to replace! Start with a cotton 250+ thread count matching sheet set.  Next, lay a coverlet or quilt down.  Finally add color through a duvet or comforter.  This last layer should be laid out from the foot of the bed to about mid way then folded over, like this:

Designed by Cardea Building Co. 

From Coastal Living

4.Essential furniture Pieces -  A bedside table and chair are essential pieces.  The chair need not be large with arms.  Try an upholstered parsons chair, or an ottoman!  Another great piece of furniture is a desk.

TIP for small spaces-use a desk as the night stand.  This gives your guests more table top space and allows you to do work on it when no guest stays over.

Designed by JMA Interior Decoration

5.Space For Hanging Clothes - If there is a closet in the room, leave hanging space for guest clothing.  If no closet, no problem! Use a large double hook on the back of the room's door, or place a hook on the closet door.

6.'Mirror Mirror On The Wall' - ALWAYS have a mirror in the room to allow guests to check their appearance.

7.Pamper Guests With 'Must Haves' -

-place extra pillow and blanket close by bed in a closet, or in plain site in a basket.  I have been doing this ever since friends who stayed over told me the room gets cold at night.

-On your bedside table place a book and magazines to read.  This will bring so much pleasure to your guests if there is no television in the room.

-Place a bottle of water, fruit, and snack in the room.  So they won't go roaming around your kitchen at midnight in their skimpy PJs.  Also important for any one who needs to take a pill.

-Place a few essential toiletries in a small tray, bowl, or cute box.  I collect the free mini bottles of hair and body soaps, lotions and even shower caps from each of my hotel stays.  I recycle them by giving them to my overnight guests.  I always get compliments about this!

Just stick to this list and your out of town guests will have a memorable stay at your home!

Check out Shosh share her best guest bedroom ideas and tips with viewers on 69 News 

Your Guest Room-A Memorable Over Night Stay

Heidi and Spencer are staying the night at your place and have sent over a list of their usual requests - a king size massage bed and a roll of quarters, blue M&Ms and purple tootsie pops, two million plus count Egyptian cotton sheets in pink, a tanning bed, a 10’x10’ closet for their over night ‘necessities’, a night light, curling iron, tweezers and an eyelash curler for Spencer, 3 bottles of hair spray for Heidi, a full length mirror with a spot light, …and a sleeping bag along with some cheese whiz and crackers for the camera man that follows them around.

Although I kid around about the homecoming king and queen coming over (they are far too busy getting media attention for, well, being themselves)I am wondering how far out of your way you go when you have guests staying the night at your home.

After writing my blog article below titled ‘Elegant And Easy Headboard’ I started remembering the times that I was an overnight guest in someones home. I can recall guest rooms that allowed me to get a good night sleep, and guest rooms that left me tossing and turning only to wake up with a stiff back. A very memorable overnight stay was at a friend’s apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey back in the 1990’s. She had the teeny tiniest apartment and no guest room; I slept in a pull out bed in the living room. BUT she made sure I had a good stay. The sheets were a high-count cotton and she had extra pillows and towels at the end of the bed. There was a place to put my overnight bag and she presented me with a sweet basket full of essential overnight goodies like a tooth brush, toothpaste, wash cloth, and other things that came in handy.

And in the morning I woke up to coffee brewing and bagels. I was so impressed with her hospitality.

When you have a guest stay over night, in the morning do you ask if he or she had a good sleep? Or do you not care. To me, if you are expecting guests who will stay the night, you should not only think about cleaning up for them and preparing yummy food for them- you should care about their sleep. It doesn’t take a lot of work; just some simple planning that makes all the difference. Maybe I should have titled this article ‘Guest Room Etiquette’ because here is my list of guest room necessities so your over night guests have a very relaxing stay:

1. Check your mattress to see if it is comfortable. Try sleeping on it one night. If it is too firm, try fitting it with a mattress pad.

2. Use soft 100% cotton sheets on the bed.
3. Keep a blanket at the end of the bed in case the comforter or duvet is not warm enough.

4. Have extra pillows available that are firmer or softer than the ones on the guest bed. They will appreciate the choice.

5. Place an ottoman, chair or suitcase rack nearby for your guests overnight bag.

6. If you have a closet in the room, leave some hanging space and a few hangers.

7. Have a travel size toothbrush and toothpaste, a wash cloth, floss, lotion, aspirin, band-aids, tweezers, a bar of soap and a brush on a nice tray or in a basket in the guest room, or in your guest bathroom (you can pick these up at discount stores in advance).

8. Neatly fold large towels and present them to your guests at bedtime so they know they are fresh.

9. Have at least one bedside table with a lamp and alarm clock.

10. Have a variety of shampoos and conditioners in the guest bathroom.

11. ALWAYS have extra toilet paper that is easily accessible in the bathroom.

You can also leave a note for your guests telling them how happy you are that they are here. You can place it in an envelope on the bed with some chocolates. I have been known to leave a framed note in my guest room with funny house rules (my sense of humor is too risqué to give you an example). I also try to include a photo of my guests that I may have kept in another room or that hasn’t been out at all.

Two final tips, always tell your guests where things are located before they retire to bed, and ask if they need anything. And remember to ask if they had a good night sleep in the morning. It is the little details that will make your guests remember their night at your home and smile. Your thoughtfulness will make your guests feel so very special.