Isn’t it a treat when you stay in the home of a friend or family member who has a wonderful guest bedroom? There is such a difference between a trundle bed that has been wheeled out into the home office and a bona fide guest bedroom that takes your comfort and needs into consideration.
7 Tips for Creating the Perfect Guest Bedroom
Perhaps this is the year you can begin focusing on transforming the “spare bedroom” into a haven where guests can relax, sleep well and feel honored in the luxurious space you have created for them.
- Provide a comfortable bed. Let’s face it, the bulk of guest beds out there are really just the cast-off mattresses from other bedrooms in the house when the residents purchased new ones. Ditch the old mattress and invest in the most comfortable bed you can afford. Consider it a bonus space for your own sleep needs when a spouse is ill and needs the bed to him/herself or when a night of obnoxious snoring is making you a crazy person. It’s a win-win situation for both you and your guests.
- Make it clutter-free. The guest room is often the “Catch All” when you de-clutter the rest of your home. Now, it’s time to de-clutter your guest space. Spend a few hours clearing out everything that isn’t used frequently enough to justify keeping it and donate what you can. Purchase a small desk, an armoire, or a beautiful dresser. These furnishings will help to keep the things you do need to store out of the line of sight.
- Choose a soothing color palette. Odds are, this space will be used most often for sleeping, preparing for outings or for those few hours here and there that guests may want to have a bit of quiet time or reading time to themselves. Choose a soothing color palette, but don’t be afraid to throw in a fun print or a colorful accent wall for interest.
- Create spaces for guest storage. Odds are your guests will have their own things to store, and the more usable space you have for them the better. Consider spaces for them to store clothing, including ample closet space for dresses, pants and jackets so they don’t have to remain folded and wrinkled in the luggage. Purchase a luggage rack or clear enough space in the closet for them to store emptied luggage pieces. Include room for shoes, spaces for jewelry and other what-not items, all will be appreciated for your guests and will keep the space tidy during their stay.
- Toiletry items. Don’t forget to leave out the toiletry basics so they don’t have to hunt. A basket filled with a towel set, robe and extra personal care items is always welcome.
- Do a test run. You don’t want your guests to find out their bedside lamp bulb is burned out or the space heater doesn’t work after you’ve already retired for the evening. Do a test run to make sure everything works well and consider the little extras, like a backup bulb in the nightstand drawer, fresh remote control batteries, etc., so guests don’t have to disturb you once the lights are out.
- Provide entertainment. You don’t have to offer a television (although a small flat screen that can be tucked away won’t go unappreciated), but do offer some interesting reading material, artwork, cards or games that might get used when they are left to their own devices. These come in handy when time differences make for early rising times or later sleeping times until internal clocks have adjusted.