Getting Guest Bedroom ready for Festive Visitors

Guest Bedrooms

By Lorna Sixsmith

To make your guest bedroom more homely, a collecton of pictures in various different frames adds lots of personality.

14

H

ere are nine ways to make your spare bedroom special and inviting for your guests over the coming festive season

Guest bedrooms are often used for many purposes during the course of the year when you don’t have visitors staying - as a home office, a study area, storage or perhaps it is where the treadmill is kept! But if you have visitors coming for the festive period, here are some tips for ensuring your guest bedroom will make your visitors feel very special. And remember, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune or take a long time - just a few special touches will make all the difference.

4. To read or not to read Leaving a variety of different books and/or magazines adds a homely touch as well as providing your guests with some reading material before going to sleep or for when they have a morning lie in.

5. A Seating Area A small desk or dressing table with a chair and lamp provides a comfortable space for your guest to put out their toiletries and apply their make-up, a place to read or do some work.

6. Colour A lamp and chair at a desk or It is best to decorate your room dressing table creates a homely in a neutral colour and style as space to work, write, read, apply it is going to be used by various make-up. Available online at people. You can change the Ivory Pearl Interiors mood of the room very simply with different coloured bedlinen, cushions and flowers. Blue and white are lovely fresh colours in a spare bedroom - and can still be feminine if a floral design is used.

This guest bedroom looks so inviting with its mix of florals, plains and checks. Note the bedside lamp, the cup and saucer with its early morning tea and the fresh flowers. All fabrics are by Jab and can be ordered at Garrendenny Lane Interiors 1. Hotel touches If your guests have travelled far or flown in, they may not have brought many toiletries or towels so some large fluffy towels, a spare bathrobe and some pretty soaps and shampoos will certainly be appreciated. Think of what a hotel would provide - tissues, water glasses, shower caps etc. Try to provide as many of these little “extras” as you can.

2. Pictures A guest bedroom should be a place of comfort - a home away from home. Making a guest bedroom relaxing and inviting involves more than just providing clean sheets and soft pillows on a comfortable bed. The wall decor can help make the room look and feel comfortable and inviting just as much as fine Egyptian cotton sheets can, and it also has the power to greatly improve or lessen the overall appeal of the room. Using a selection of framed pictures will add a homely touch and make your guest room look charming and stylish. Frames in different styles and sizes add an eclectic, personalized touch too.

Having fresh flowers in a guest bedroom brings a homely and personal touch to the room which will make your guests feel very special.

3. Fresh flowers or scented candles Since guest rooms are used only occasionally, they may feel stale and stuffy. Therefore, leave the windows open for a while. Scented candles and/ or fresh flowers in the room will make it much more welcoming.

7. Pillows & Cushions Lots of decorative cushions and pillows on the bed look great but aren’t necessarily that practical. Provide two pillows per person for comfort and a couple of cushions that can be used to lean against when reading or lounging. When adding more cushions for decorative detail, ensure there is a chair or sofa to place them at night or they will just end up on the floor!

8. Storage We all have a habit of putting our off-season clothes and spare coats in the guest bedroom wardrobe. Make sure there is enough room for your guest’s clothes. There is nothing worse than having to put your clothes on flimsy clothes hangers so invest in some strong ones, or even better, get some scented hangers to make your guests feel special.

9. Some little extras Don’t forget other accessories that may be appreciated by your guests: an alarm clock, a radio, an extra blanket in case they are cold, water glasses, some fresh fruit …..

Create extra storage in a guest bedroom with these large storage chests. £695 from www.sweetpeaandwillow.co.uk

As you can see, many of these are just simple adjustments and additions that will ensure your guest bedroom is warm, welcoming and beautiful. Indeed, your guests may never want to leave!

Shop online and get a 10% discount Lorna Sixsmith is owner of Garrendenny Lane, an online store stocking gifts and home accessories that are beautiful, unusual and good quality at competitive prices.

To celebrate the relaunch of our site, we invite you to use the code PLA2 to receive 10% off this November at www.garrendennylane.ie for your Christmas shopping.

15