Putting together a comfortable guest room for overnight visitors means more than throwing a clean set of Spider-Man sheets on Junior’s bed and adding a handful of extra wire hangers in the closet. On the other hand, you don’t have to perform a total room makeover, either.
Follow these tips to give your guests a comfortable, restful stay.
1. Invest in guest bedding. Buy the best quality, neutral colored sheets you can afford and set them aside for guests. That way, they'll remain pristine. You really don't want your guests sleeping on spotted or worn sheets. Same with the pillows. Keep a pair of fresh pillows just for guests. If you don't have a lot of extra room, put the pillows and guest bedding in Space Bags, suck out the air and stash the pancake-size package out of the way when not in use.
2. Speaking of pillows. Avoid excessive piles of decorative throw pillows on the bed unless you have plenty of space where your guests can put them away. Your guests don't need to fight the pillows for space.
3. An elevated place for luggage. This is critical because it's not a lot of fun for your guests to lug a suitcase onto the bed each time they want a clean pair of underwear. What these folding motel-style racks from The Container Store lack in sex appeal, they more than make up for in convenience. And when not in use, they easily slide under the bed.
4. Drawer space. Give your guests at least one roomy drawer of their own.
5. Speaking of drawers. I like to keep one dresser drawer filled with towels and washcloths for guests. That way, they don't have to ask for clean towels.
6. Look up: Make sure ceiling fan blades are clean and light bulbs aren't burned out.
7. Keep guests connected. Chances are your guests are going to have devices that include cell phones and laptops or tablets that need charging. Free up a convenient outlet, even if it means that you have to move a lamp around or get a short extension cord. And if your outlet isn't near a table or chair, then you could invest $5.99 on the handy Socket Pocket, or a similar item that keeps the charging phone off of the floor.
8. Consider time. Sure, many of your guests will probably have a cell phone, thus a clock and alarm, but having an alarm clock in the guest room is convenient for those who don't use their cell phones as clocks, and it's always good to have a back-up alarm when check-out day comes for those who have to catch a flight. And while not every guest room might have a television, it's a nice touch to provide your guests with a radio so they can catch some news or even weather reports.
9. Fragrance neutral. Save the patchouli candles and ocean breeze room diffusers for another time and place if you have guests with delicate noses.
10. Keep pets out. For a variety of reasons, make the guest room a pet-free zone unless your guests insist otherwise. And if you do have pets around, keep a lint roller in the guest room.
