The spare bedroom serves many functions, it can be an overspill storage space, the home office, a hobby room and so much more: but a swanky guest bedroom – it’s not always perfect!
Here are our top tips on getting the guest bedroom ready for guests’ quick sticks.
It’s really simple to get a spare room looking good with very little effort. All it really needs to be is clean and tidy. Layer on a smidge of style and any visitor will feel honoured to have an invite to stay over.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a spare room as these tips double up for making a sleepover possible in the lounge too.
Box Bedding
Keep a clean set of bedding ready. That way you can whip it onto the bed at a moments notice. A big plastic box is ideal. Have the quilt in the quilt cover as this saves time if your guest finds the are a bit squiffy and can’t drive home.
If everything is pre-prepped you can hurriedly make up the room or sofa just like they do in American films. Those guys make it look effortless, but it’s not. Making a bed up quickly can be hard work.
Maybe put fresh towels in that box too and a spare toothbrush for emergency use. Impromptu overnight guests rarely have the essentials with them. This little thoughtful gesture will be appreciated.
The plastic box can also double as a place to stow away personal stuff from the room, especially work documents and confidential stuff which can be moved into your room for safekeeping.
Bedside Lighting
One of the biggest mistakes is not having a bedside lamp. You don’t want your guest to trip and bump into things in the unfamiliar layout. Not everyone thinks about a bedside lamp in the spare bedroom. A small bedside lamp helps guests navigate the room better and it can be turned off when they are safely settled in bed. If there isn’t a plug nearby, try a battery table lamp, these are handy if you make up a temporary bed in the lounge and don’t want to move too much furniture.
Co-ordinated Room Theme
The bedroom maybe mismatched furniture but you can unify the look by making sure there are some colours to highlight the bed area.
With a decorative cushion, throw and matching lamp your room can look super smart with very little cost.
Warm orange is a welcoming old colour and this helps to punctuate through lots of mixed colours. Brighter colours work well with lots of patterns and natural earthy colours can ground a look.
If the room is neutral, mixing in a few textured soft furnishings brings depth.