During this strenuous time of COVID and practicing social distancing we are all anxiously anticipating seeing our friends again. Because of the current circumstances, it seems more likely than ever that you may be hosting guests vs having them at hotels and we wanted to outline some easy and fun steps you can take to ensure guests feel welcome and safe when they come to visit!

Step 1: Consider Every Need

A guest bedroom is a magical place where you can let your creativity flow. As it is not used every day, different rules apply; you can even trade the decor like a stage set, but it must be scrumptious, relaxing, and peaceful.

I like my guest to feel extra special, almost like they are on a luxurious mini holiday. It should feel like a home away from home, only more glamorous. To achieve this it is vital to include both personal touches and luxurious versions of absolute essentials.

Step 2: Think of the Visuals

Add interest with artwork or photographs or the room will look unfinished or even worse, unused. At least one mirror is also essential, particularly if there is no e- suite bathroom, candles, water decanters an alarm clock and some interesting books on the bedside table will ensure your guest feels looked after and adds a personal note.

Step 3: The Bed

The most vital element is a scrumptious bed which should be the focal point. Find one that makes a real statement or use a beautiful fabric on an upholstered headboard. Bed curtains with an amazing wallpaper should add the desired drama to the room. Accessorize with lots of cushions in different sizes…more is always better.

Step 4: The Little Things

And do invest in a very good mattress, adequate reading light, and blackout curtains and blinds to ensure complete darkness and encourage guests to take advantage of valuable time to relax.

Step 5: Storage

Whatever space you have, maximize storage provision. Bedside tables and ample wardrobe hanging space are key, but also consider trunks or under the bed storage. And if there is space, create somewhere for guests to sit such as a sofa or chaise lounge behind the bed.

Step 6: Finish Touches

Leave travel size products in the bathroom in case guests have forgotten theirs. Every time I travel, I bring back samples of shampoo, shower gel, and hand soaps for my guest bathroom. Finally, I always put fresh flowers on the bedside table. 

Using love- warn pieces that you already own to add the extra touches to your guest room ensures that it feels warm and personal. It is also a good way of using artwork and antiques that you have owned for many years and do not quite fit in your current schemes, or drinking glasses that are too good to throw away but no longer form a set.

Now that we have the basics down of what’s required in your guest room, lets dive a bit deeper into a few extra credit areas to consider for the best guest room you can create!

A Scented Sanctuary:

Familiar scents evoke memories and emotions often taking you back to certain times in your life. So, when it comes to creating the perfect guest room, the scent is very important. Often you will desire to set a mood that is calming and inviting, and one of the best ways to achieve this is by using flowers and candles. Roses don’t dominate a room either by their size or their smell. Ideal choices for a guest bedroom are white or cream roses. Arrange them in small vases and display them in silver beakers or crystal vases.

When it comes to using candles, opt for a soft scent, bearing in mind that the guest sleeps in the room so you don’t want it to be too overpowering.

Personalizing a Room with Pattern:

The guest bedroom needs to feel like a little bit of luxury for your visitors, a sanctuary away from home for friends and family to relax. It is essential to have a comfortable chair of some sort to compliment the scheme and to bring in another textile design to add more interest. To achieve balance within the room it is important to consider the size of the print a mixture of different pattern sizes is essential, floral and linear design with differently sized pattern and print such as a toile and a check or ticking stripe used together will prevent a narrowly focused color palette from becoming monotonous. Don’t be afraid of using larger scale designs; I like to do this with wallpapers and interestingly this tends to give the illusion of space, opening the room and giving its structure, whereas smaller prints can sometimes appear a little busy and frenzied.

Keeping bedrooms paler in pallet then other areas of the house gives them a feeling of calm. It’s always nice to bring in some warmer or bolder colors in a quilt or throw and in the cushions. Simple changes can invigorate a room and make it feel alive. By experimenting with scale and color you will grow more confident and create both harmonious and sophisticated interior schemes. And as we mentioned, a pretty but practical mirror is a must for your guest bedroom and always a good bedside table lamp.

Tranquil Palette:

Use a soft palate of pale greens and duck egg blues in a guest bedroom to ensure a fresh and tranquil feel. This soft color scheme is neutral, clean, and timeless, as well as appealing to both male and female guests. It also allows the space to be used multi-functionally without the need for redecorating. When guests come to stay, boost the pallet with interesting decorative cushions.

The golden rule for creating contemporary yet elegant neutral space is to keep to a two-tone or color scheme and pay close attention to rich exquisite finishes; hand and border fabrics will help lift the space and add interest, preventing the color scheme from looking bland. Complementary tones of your chosen neutral color suddenly strengthen the scheme while ensuring the space remains versatile when it is not in use by guests.

It is important to blend beautiful furnishings as seamlessly as possible with the existing minimalist palette as the textures create depth within the scheme rather than the colors alone. Classic beautiful silk draperies and bespoke headboards are great ways of building the various elements of the scheme. Quality crisp white linens and throws will add to the luxurious mood. En-suite bathrooms should also be neutral in tone. Where the scheme is simple, it is important that every part is decorative and attention is paid to detailing, transforming a subtle palette into a scheme with depth.

Luxurious Linens: 

To make your guest bedroom a sanctuary at the end of a long day, buy the best bed linen you can afford – it is always worth it.

The starting point is using the best quality yarn. A thread count is the number of threads in a square inch of fabric and it tells you how closely woven the fabric is. Don’t be deceived into thinking that the higher the thread count, the better the sheet, as different types of bed linen requires a different thread count to produce the desired finished product. Bed linen with a high thread count will not only be more expensive, but it will also be finer and silkier and thus it will need more care when laundering. 

Linen will always have a lower thread count than cotton, however, it is still considered one of the most luxurious fabrics to sleep in. Loved for its coolness and breathability, once you’ve discovered the joy and comfort of sleeping in pure linen, nothing else is quite the same.

Inviting Lighting:

The perfect guest bedroom should be able to be bright in the day and warm and welcoming at night, with lighting on a dimmer switch either on regular rotary dimmers or the ultimate present mood control. The reflected light will make the room look larger. For good general light, LEDs can be used to reflect light off artwork, curtains, and blinds. LED recessed on a separate circuit focused over the bed can create glamour and supplement reading lights. Add a practical light source to illuminate closet interiors when the doors are open.

For a guest, it can be annoying not having good reading lights. Bedside lamps can be a solution if the bottom of the shade is placed at shoulder height, however, a dedicated reading light such as a LED is a better solution allowing the partner to sleep undisturbed.

It is always nice to ensure that there is sufficient switching at the bedside, guests will be grateful not to have to get out of bed to turn off the lights.

Furnish With Care:

As we mentioned above, having a nice bed is essential, along with at least a chair to allow the guest their own space to be alone in the house that isn’t the bed.

 A dressing table is a wonderful addition to a guest room as it can be a stylish focal point and a multi-functional piece, serving as a desk or storage area.

When space allows, a designated dressing area featuring a dressing table is the ultimate in luxury and creates a beautiful focal point. Adding a dressing table or desk at the end of the bed is always a great way to incorporate it into the room.

Conclusion:

Hosting is a wonderful privilege and we are sure you want to create the best experience you can for your guests when they are in your home. By checking off all the steps above and considering the different aspects of furnishings, lighting, fabrics, scent, and functionality you will create a space fit for a king or queen and maybe secretly wishing you could move into that space yourself!

If you know you need to update your guest space but are overwhelmed with where to start, give us a call and we can help set your space up for a successful next visit!