If you love to entertain at home, there’s one thing you well and truly need – a fantastic guest bedroom. Whether it’s for friends coming to visit for a long weekend, or for that one person who’s had a couple too many and needs to rest their head for the night, your spare room is always going to have a purpose. But for a stay-worthy space, everything from the furniture and fittings to the fixtures and decor needs to be perfect to allow your guests to relax and rest at ease. Create that perfect guest bedroom by following this OTTY guide – designed to make your spare boudoir fit for any king or queen. Interior goals Your guest bedroom is an extension of your home, so don’t neglect it when it comes to the overall design and décor. The best piece of advice is to keep it simple – there’s no need to go lavishly over the top with your decorating. Just do the basics well and your spare room will be a welcoming space. Colours such as coral, celestial blue and light pink are all renowned for having a calming influence on the mind, so incorporating these themes into your guest bedroom can help those staying over feel relaxed. When it comes to furnishings and fixtures, it’s definitely a case of less is more. Sort out the base needs, such as a bed, drawers and a wardrobe, first, before introducing a few features points, like a mirror, a picture on the wall or quirky ornaments, which helps to bring character and personality to the room. Having the right mattress, pillows and bedding Anyone who stays in your home will judge their visit on how they slept, so don’t give them any excuse to have a moan about the state of your pillows and mattress! Investing in an innovative mattress that’ll give your guests the perfect night’s sleep is key to keeping them happy. If they stayed in a hotel, they wouldn’t be happy about sleeping on an old, beaten-up bed, so why should they at your house? Complementing the bedroom with deluxe pillows is another tick in the box to becoming the host with most. It’s important to get the right bedding, too. Research has found that cotton with a lower thread count is often softer than that of a higher count, so don’t go out splashing the cash on a 750-thread sheet. Our advice is to have two duvets readily available – one for autumn/winter and one for spring/summer – so your guests aren’t either left shivering in the colder weather or sweating when the temperature rises. Hooks and hangers To make sure your guests feel as at home as possible, you need to provide somewhere for them to hang up any clothes – especially if they’re staying for a few days. Provide a few hangers or hooks for them to pop their clothes on to help eliminate any risks of creasing. And when it comes to clothing storage, putting a cheap wardrobe in your guest bedroom is the best option, or you could even choose a modern clothes rail as a good minimalist alternative. So, if you’ve had a big night out, don’t let your guests be the only thing hanging in your spare room! Keep it light Allowing plenty of light is the makings of a good spare room – you don’t want your guests to think they’re staying in a dungeon! Firstly – the windows. It’s often tricky to select a curtain or blind that looks good in the day, but keeps the light from coming in during the night, and while a Venetian blind may be a stylish option, they don’t always work effectively during sunrise. Either a pulldown blind or a set of minimalist curtains are the most suited and recommended options. For fixtures and fittings, you need something that looks stylish and brings plenty of light when switched on. A floor lamp fits the bill for both – take inspiration from Hooked to Books’ buyer’s guide and you’ll find the best big lamp for your guest room. For something smaller, try an edgy bedside table lamp that fits in with the rest of your room’s décor, so your guests can easily flick it off before hitting the hay. Provide the bathroom essentials Try to save your guests the hassle of having to pack their entire washroom items into their small bag when they’re staying overnight. Fresh towels are a must – having a full-sized towel, as well as a couple of smaller variants and a flannel, in your spare room when they arrive is a good move. Then, depending on how long they are staying for, offer a set of clean ones. Even if they don’t take you up on it, it’s the thought that counts. When it comes to toiletries, some people can get weirded out by using someone else’s toothpaste or shower gel, so eliminate the risk of any bathroom awkwardness by having a fresh set ready for when people stay over. Leave the toiletries out in your guest bedroom, but make sure they don’t ransack them when leaving – these aren’t the complimentary ones like in a hotel! Add something interesting Ever stayed at someone’s house, woken up but daren’t get up until your host rises from their slumber? Yes, we’ve all been there. Make sure your guests aren’t just sitting waiting patiently for you to make the first move by putting a few interesting magazines and books in your spare room. The likes of National Geographicand Lonely Planet guides are good choices, but to go that extra mile, get a magazine that your guest will be interested in. From lifestyle tips to design guides, visit our blog for more inspiration.
