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Living Solutions blog

Ideas & Inspiration

Getting Ready for Guests

February 28, 2012 By Living Solutions Interior Design

This week we are hosting some out of town guests! Unfortunately, our first round of house guests needed to cancel :( But I’ve been working on making our guest room a bit more comfortable. 

Here are some essentials to hosting guests and a comfortable guest room…

~ Privacy
Window treatments are essential in a guest room so your guests can wake up on their own terms. This week, I had Jill (my local seamstress :) hem my Ikea ready made drapes so they just puddled on the floor. She also sewed the panels on the larger sliding glass window together, to make it a more seamless look. Two ready made panels are now one, and guests don’t need to fiddle too much with the drape when pulling it closed. 


~ A Comfortable Bed
That means extra pillows and extra blankets of different weights. Many of our regular house guests like different temperatures from us as well as each other. Make sure you have a few options to make your guests warm (or cool) during their stay. Also, having extra pillows with different firmness is also an added plus. 

~ A Comfy Chair
It’s always nice to have a place to sit to put on shoes, so if you only have room for it, a bench or smaller chair is fine. If your space allows, have a larger, comfier chair to sit and read or relax in. 
 
{Hopefully some really nice house guests will help paint these terrible closet doors and we’ll be able to get some better knobs on their than maple leaves…}
~ Good Lighting
Speaking of reading, great lighting is essential in any room. Make sure your guests have good lighting to read in bed or in the comfy chair. 
 

~ Reading Material
Add some fun reading material in case your guests forgot their books at home. 
 
{My mom always likes to catch up on my old Vanity Fairs while she’s visiting!}
~ A Clock
I’ve been looking for a cute clock that lights up at night. I kind of feel like a bedside clock that you can’t read in the middle of the night is useless, so I’m still on the hunt for this one!

~Fresh Towels and Linens
Try to have a few extra sets. That way you’re not having to launder towels while you have guests if they staying longer than just a couple of days. 

~ Hanging Space and Hangers
I learned last time we had some guests that extra hangers would be appreciated in the closet, as well as some space to hang clothes up. This time around, they’ll get what they asked for :).

~ Drawer Space
If you can, even just one extra drawer for guests is nice to have. 

~ A Place for Luggage
A luggage rack or an extra small chair will do the trick!

~ Extra Hooks
Especially in the bathroom, extra hooks on the wall or the back of the door come in very handy for guests. 
~ Extra Essentials and Some Luxuries
Have some extra toothbrushes, mouthwash, q-tips, etc. on hand as well as some nice soaps as a little luxury for your guests. You could even take it a step further and have a couple of cozy bath robes waiting!

~ A Hamper
An expandable hamper is a great option for a guest room so after your guests head home, you can just collapse your hamper and tuck it away. Over Christmas, my dad had an genious idea and got a couple of those collapsible leaf bags for doing yard work and we used them as our hampers for the week. 

~ Info on Local Attractions
If you will be working while you have guests in town or if your house guests like to have a bit of adventure, provide local maps (not everyone has an iPhone or GPS), info on local museums and attractions, as well as some yummy restaurants recommendations. 

~ The Extra Touch
Some bottled water and some fresh flowers always add a nice, thoughtful touch as well (provided your guests aren’t allergic to pollen!) 
What are your must haves when hosting guests? I know I’m missing something, and I’m sure my guest would appreciate it!

You May also Like:

Tuesday Design Tip-Ready-Made Drapery Treatments It’s January, what’s missing? Before & Afters ~ A Great Room Custom Meets Ready Made

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Design Tips Tagged With: Design Tips, Guest Rooms, House Guests, Window Treatments

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Hi! I'm Gina and welcome to the Living Solutions Blog! I'm a wife, a mom of 4 little kiddos and the owner of Living Solutions Interior Design. My family and I recently moved from San Diego, CA to Nebraska and this blog is where I share inspiration, design tips and ideas, projects and every day life! Thanks for stopping by!

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