Room for guests should have hotel-like feel

"It is equally offensive to speed a guest who would like to stay and to detain one who is anxious to leave." Homer (circa 850 B.C.), Ancient Greek epic poet, "Odyssey" (9th century B.C.)

Let’s talk guest bedrooms today. This is top of mind for me because I’m in the process of redoing my tiny guest room. And I do mean tiny — about 10 feet by 10 feet.

When I moved into my townhouse, I had a vision of entertaining houseguests and tucking them into a perfect little room at the end of the day. Well, it worked to a degree, however, my initial decision to furnish the room with twin beds has now come to haunt me. Hence, the redo.

Many different scenarios played out in my head leading to the purchase of twin beds. I thought, well, what if two girlfriends or my mother and my aunt came to visit? Twin beds made more sense; each could have her own bed and not have to share. And if a couple used to sharing a bed came to visit, well, they could just have a little vacation from stealing covers and being awakened by the other’s tossing and turning.

So, now I’m on a mission to redo the space and install a queen-size bed in lieu of the twins. This is fodder for another column, but do you know how hard it is to get rid of beds? Charities can’t take mattresses, and it’s only through the kindness of friends that I’m able to get them out of my house at all.

After you decide the size of bed you want in your guest room, next comes the preparation.

We’ve all read that you should sleep in your guest room to see how it works. Going through this exercise will ensure that guests have a pleasant stay in your home and that the room functions well. Think of the things you would like to find in a first-class hotel — minus the gym, sauna and maid service!

The room should have a place for their clothes, both hanging space (don’t forget the hangers) and drawers for folding clothes. There also should be a place to stow luggage. You also should make an ironing board and iron available to guests if they need to touch up their clothing.

Night tables should include a good reading lamp, a clock that has an alarm for early-morning flights, and room for any personal items your guests might bring, i.e., their favorite reading materials, any medications or special belongings. Stationery and pens also should be part of the bedside table. This may not work everywhere (let’s face it — not every place is a tourist mecca like our great city), but I try to keep a supply of Las Vegas postcards so guests can send quick notes to friends.

One quick note about putting flowers in a guest room; the best advise is don’t do it. Your guests may have allergies or may just not appreciate having them in their space.

The windows also should be dressed so your guests can have light or air when they want it and darkness when they are trying to sleep.

Now, let’s talk beds: not just size, but quality. A lot of guest bedrooms are furnished with all of the furnishings that nobody else wants, including an old mattress that should have been sent to the graveyard years ago. Try to provide as good a mattress as you can afford for your guests. It doesn’t have to cost thousands, but it should be firm and not saggy.

Next comes bed linens. Again, get the best you can reasonably afford. The linens should, of course, be clean and crisp (if new, please launder before putting on the bed), and the comforter or bedspread should be appropriate for the season. You don’t really need a feather down comforter in the summer, and you certainly want to provide enough blankets and quilts to keep your guests warm in the winter. And, for that special touch, iron your pillowcases. It’s very nice.

If room allows, provide a comfortable place to sit. Some folks just don’t like sitting on a bed; guests may prefer to sit in a chair to read or they may just need a place to put on their shoes, etc.

Phones are not necessary in a guest room, but guests should know where the closest one is located.

Having houseguests is exciting and we want our guests to have the best experience possible. The first step is to prepare a place for them that you would like to stay in yourself. The second step is to get them to go home.

Carolyn Muse Grant is the founding president of the Architectural & Decorative Arts Society, as well as an interior design consultant/stylist specializing in home staging. Her Inside Spaces column appears weekly in the Home section of the Review-Journal. Send questions to creativemuse@cox.net.