The winter holidays bring out the happiest moments. Filled with family time and traditions, the season is filled with cheer. But as any host knows, a lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into making this time magical. If you're entertaining overnight guests, your job doesn't end when the table is cleared. Creating a warm and inviting guest room requires attention to details big and small. Here are some ideas to make visiting family and friends feel right at home. Even if you have the luxury of a guest room, it's often a chore to make it feel like home before your guests arrive. Your guests are just happy to have a place to rest and be comfortable, but you need to make them feel at home with a setup that includes everything they might need.
Clean out the drawers and closets
Many guest room closets tend to hold other long-term storage - oversized suitcases, boxes of decorations, and old children's clothes. If your guests plan to stay for more than a few days, they will want to take their clothes and personal items out of their suitcases.
While house guests tend to overlook this, make sure there is plenty of hanging space in the closet. Keep a variety of empty hangers in the closet, including wooden blazer hangers, a few velvet hangers for delicate garments, and a handful of skirt and pant hangers, and leave the closet floor clear for shoes and bags. Also, provide at least one empty dresser (even if it doubles as a small nightstand) to store folded clothes, and be sure to clear out the dresser drawers.
If your guest room doubles as another room in the house, such as an office or playroom, make sure the room is tidy and that the separate guest area has a comfortable bed, a good lamp, and a small dresser. (A folding luggage rack is also a nice addition.)
Prepare a nice amenity basket
Fill a small basket with a few essentials such as disposable toothbrushes, travel-size soap, shampoo, lotion, a fresh towel, comb, razor or other toiletries. It's a perfect use for those extra hotel toiletries you might have stored deep under your bathroom sink. Like a hotel, it can also fill the gap of something your guests forgot to pack. That way, your guests won't have to bother you if they forgot something at home. Arrange all the products in a pretty basket on their dresser.
Make the bed more comfortable
Don't put an old, squeaky bed in your guest room and expect your guests to enjoy their sleep. The squeak will wake them up. It's also important to change the sheets; fresh linens are the quickest way to make a guest's home away from home soothing and serene. Nothing will help your guests relax more than an inviting bed with soft, clean linens. Freshly laundered sheets leave a scent of cleanliness and comfort that lingers throughout their stay. that you invest in a quality mattress and an assortment of pillows and pillowcases to make the bed as comfortable as possible.
To transform your guest room into a luxurious space, opt for white cotton sheets. A linen duvet cover is also an excellent choice for guest rooms. Its crisp look means your guests won't have to spend time making the perfect bed.
Add fresh flowers for a finishing touch
To bring your guest room to life, add fresh flowers. Adding a bouquet of fresh flowers to your guest room dresser or nightstand is a great touch! These flowers will also give your room a nice scent. Plus, if your room is a little drab, adding fresh flowers will brighten it up.
Choose from one of our two holiday floral arrangements below, or opt to create your own holiday bouquet at home.
- Winter White Flowers:Choose a floral arrangement of white roses or hydrangeas with a few sprigs of fresh garland and greenery to match a light and bright guest room design. Keep it neutral by placing your arrangement in a clear glass or white ceramic vase and placing it on a dresser for your guests to enjoy.
- Classic Red Flowers:If you're keeping a classic holiday theme in your guest room, opt for an arrangement of red roses, red berries, garland and greenery. You could also choose a clear or red glass vase for this arrangement, or if you're looking for something more formal, I would choose either a gold vase or a vintage silver trophy to display your flowers.
Install shades and blinds
Most of people will sleep best in complete darkness. To help create the perfect sleeping environment for your guests, you may need a blackout shades and blinds:
- Blackout blinds can help sleep by shutting out the light at any time of night and day.
- Blackout blinds aren’t just good for shutting out the light – they are great for reducing noise levels from outside as well. Especially for young children and light sleepers.
- Blackout blinds are manufactured from a thicker material than standard blinds, which means that they can also help cut your fuel bills by ensuring lose less of your home’s warmth through your windows in winter.Blackout blinds can also keep a room cool in summer by effectively shutting out the sun’s rays.
- Whichever room you have blackout blinds installed in, you can enjoy far more privacy than you’d be able to with other window coverings.
Now that you know the essentials, you can add some personal touches throughout your guest room. If you need assistance in transforming your guest room or choose a window blinds, talk to one of the grandekor.com reps today.
