If you have a guest room, that’s really something you’ll want to make the most of. It’s not a space that everyone has in their homes, and if you have a spare room that hasn’t been turned into a study or home office and isn’t used to house all the things that don’t have a home anywhere else, for example, then it’s wise to make the most of it. When you have guests over to use that room, you’ll want them to love it and be as comfortable as possible, otherwise they might start to find excuses as to why they can’t stay over anymore!
The good news is that there are loads of things you can do to make your guest room more comfortable, so you’ll be proud to show people where they’ll be sleeping when they come to visit, and they’ll love it so much they’ll be happy to sleep there and visit all the more as a result! If that’s your aim, then keep reading because we’ve got the answers you’ve been looking for when it comes to making your guest room more inviting.
Table of Contents
Comfy Bedding
One thing that everyone is going to appreciate when they stay over anywhere, whether it’s at a friend’s house, a hotel, or anywhere else, is comfy bedding. There’s just something so lovely and luxurious about slipping into a bed with gorgeous sheets and a soft, snuggly duvet cover (and duvet, come to that), not to mention how great it is to rest your head on sumptuous pillowcases. So that’s why it’s crucial to invest in the best quality bedding you can. It’s true that this bedding isn’t going to get used all that often (at least not as much as your own bedding, anyway), so it might feel like a little bit of an indulgence (or even a waste of money), but the truth is that your guests will love it and really feel special, and that’s what inviting people over is all about – you need to treat them well. Besides, if it’s not used very often, it will last for even longer, ensuring it’s definitely value for money.
To make the bedding as comfortable as possible, you’ll want to get some soft sheets, plump pillows, and soft, warm bedding to cover everything. When it comes to the duvet itself, you’ll need to opt for something in the middle, thickness-wise. Too thick, and it’ll be too hot, too think, and it’s too cold; stick to somewhere in between, and it will be just right. Don’t forget to add some throws for the finishing touch (they look great, but they can be a useful extra layer of warmth if it’s needed).
Comfy Bed
We’ve talked about how important the bedding is in your guest room – and it definitely is – but what about the bed itself? That’s going to be the biggest piece of furniture in the room, so it’s going to be the thing that catches the eye. If it’s old and worn or looks frail and lacks sturdiness, or if it could do with a good dust and a clean, then who’s going to want to sleep in it? Would you?
It’s a good idea to buy an attractive bed that matches the rest of the furniture, like your bedside cabinets and chest of drawers, for example. In that way, although it will still be the first thing that people see, it’s not going to be noticed for the wrong reasons. Plus, if it looks nice and strong and it fits in with the room, your guests are going to be much happier to use it and not be worried about it breaking apart or being unpleasant for them to lie in.
Of course, the bedframe is one thing, and as long as it looks great and won’t fall apart, that’s excellent. But then there’s the mattress to consider. The mattress is the most important part of any bed, and it’s often said that it’s better to spend more money on the mattress and much less on the frame because a bad mattress means a huge amount of discomfort and can even lead to problems like back pain, whereas a good mattress, even if it’s on a not-so-great frame, won’t present those issues.
Storage
Again, you might not think that storage is a crucial element of making a guest room comfortable and inviting, but it can make a big difference, and it’s certainly something you’ll want to include. For one thing, when there’s somewhere for guests to put their stuff, like a bedside table, a chest of drawers, or perhaps a wall mounted clothes rail, they’ll be able to feel a lot more at home and relaxed, and they’ll enjoy their stay with you all the more. Plus, they’ll probably keep the room a lot neater and tidier if there’s space for everything (and even more so if it’s neat and tidy to start with), meaning you’ll have less to do once they’ve left and you need to clean everything up after them.
The last thing anyone wants when they go and stay somewhere away from home is to have to live out of a suitcase or even an overnight bag, so giving them somewhere to put everything is kind and smart. They might not want to use the options you’ve offered, but it’s better to have them there than to forget and not give them the option at all.
Neutral Colour Scheme
You might absolutely love colour and your home might be full of it, but perhaps the one room where that aesthetic isn’t going to be a good idea is the guest bedroom. Different colours can bring about different moods and feelings, and having a lot of them – or even just one if it’s the wrong one (red is a bad idea for a bedroom, for example, as it makes people feel more energised, so sleep is hard, and potentially makes them feel angrier than they would too) – might mean your poor guests don’t get much of a good night’s sleep when they stay over.
It’s a better idea to keep the guest room as neutral as possible, with cream or grey walls and a neutral floor, whether that’s floorboards with a nice rug or a full carpet, for example. If that’s already the way you’ve decorated the rest of your home, that makes things really easy, but if you need to hold yourself back from going too far, it’s going to be much more tricky. If that’s the case, check out online design ideas or look at interior design magazines to get an idea of what a neutral scheme would look like.
Make It Smell Good
We’re not saying that if you don’t do this, the room is going to smell bad, but we are saying that if you do do this, the room is going to smell great, so why not try it? What are we talking about? Aromatherapy.
You can use candles, potpourri, incense sticks, or even essential oils in a burner to create a beautiful scent in the room that makes it feel comfortable and inviting. You don’t want to go too far and include all these things, especially if they all have a different scent, but if you can pick the one that’s going to work well and introduce a fresh smell into the room that people will enjoy, then it really will make a difference. Choose your scents wisely, though; some, like lavender, are great for helping people sleep, but others, like peppermint, are about making people feel more awake, and that’s not going to make people feel happy when they stay over.4
