By CJ
Guest Room, Styled by Spruce + Furn. Image Credit: Steph Goralnick
Some people know how to make a guest room as comfy as your own (and maybe even better). Years ago I was schooled in this by a friend who had so many house guests I wondered if she was going to receive a write up in Travel + Leisure magazine. Every time we vacationed together she would hoard all the soap from the hotel and take it home to put out for her next round of guests. Hmmm, I wondered. Is she on to something? I never have extra room in my suitcase... but I listened closely to her tips.
Here is what I learned that I use to this day:
First, the basics: Lots of pillows, fresh sheets and extra blankets. As long as you have that together, your guests should be pretty comfortable.
Want to really wow them? Try these tricks:
- Decorate sparingly so your guests have space to use in the room as their own.
- Keep the nightstand and dressers clutter free with empty draws and hangers in the closet.
- Lay out bath + hand towels and face cloths for guests. Plus, have a place for them to hang their wet towels.
- A basket of bath essentials (“hoarded” or not) is helpful so guests have what they need and don’t have to come looking for you every time they don’t.
- Lots of pillows are key if there isn’t room for a chair. Most people like to read in bed so the extra pillows double for propping up.
- Good lighting at different levels helps guests get comfortable. (Low light for unwinding doesn’t help when applying mascara.)
- Everyone plugs in these days and crawling behind the bed to find an outlet can take the fun out of snuggling into bed with a good Nook. Run an extension cord if the outlets aren’t easily accessible.
- Share the wifi network and password so they can log on without any trouble. (I recently spotted this fun, framed password-decor idea on the Elegance and Enchantment blog, but even if it’s just written on an easy to spot post-it, you will save guests frustration!)
- Flowers and a candle are always a nice touch.
I’m telling you, this list is all you need. My friend has moved again and now lives a few towns over from me — I still sleep over.
- CJ
PS - If you are on Pinterest, check out Spruce + Furn's Great Guest Rooms board for more tips plus some interior design inspiration.
A former city girl with a degree in graphic design from Parsons, Cynthia Jordan is now based in a suburb of Philadelphia where she is CEO of her household and a contributing writer for Spruce + Furn. She shares tips and tricks for setting up your home, hosting etiquette and her advice for dealing with common domestic challenges - the Right way. Have a question for CJ? Email her at: AskCJ@spruceandfurn.com and she’ll answer your question in an upcoming post!