Make Friends & Family Feel Welcome: Revamp Your Guest Room

If you’re constantly apologizing to visitors about the state of your guestroom, it’s time to spruce things up. You may want to make your spare room feel less like it belongs in a dorm and more as it’s a part of your house. Transforming your guestroom doesn’t necessarily require a complete overhaul. Just a few small changes can make all the difference in creating a space that feels cozy, bright and most importantly, welcoming.

Add a Bowl of Fresh Fruit

More functional and affordable than a vase of flowers, a small fruit bowl can be easily added to a bedside table or the top of a dresser. You can fill it up with tasty fruits just before your guests arrive. If you live in a location that’s known for a certain type of exotic fruit, be sure to include it in your selection.

Create a Charging Area

Nothing is worse than crawling under the bed or reaching to find an outlet behind a dresser. Help your guests by setting up a charging area for their many devices. Plug-in a simple powerstrip and leave it on the desk or near the bedside tape. Tape Internet access user names and passwords in a visible place so guests can easily use your Wi-Fi network.

Make an Appliance Manual

If your guestroom is equipped with a stereo, personal climate control and DVD player, help your guests utilize the equipment by including a homemade appliance manual. Include information, step-by-step guides and passwords to the TV, computer and alarm clock. If they need to know how to arm or disarm your home security alarm, include information about that, as well. Guests will appreciate not having to bother you to help them watch the nightly news before bed.

Provide Some Reading Material

Casasugar.com recommends including a few books or magazines your guests can read before bed or anytime they just want to relax. Just make sure the magazines are current, so your visitors aren’t stuck reading about Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s new relationship. For bonus points, handpick some books from your own collection that might fit their reading preferences.

Bring in the Outdoors

In a Chicago Tribune article, Kathryn Weber notes, “a clear vase with a leafy branch or a piece of gnarled driftwood on a coffee table can maintain the neutral style of a room while adding an appealing visual punch.” If the gnarled driftwood is a little too close to nature for your taste, adding a small plant (succulents are great low-maintenance choices) will go a long way toward making the space feel more at home.

Give It a Try

With just a few small touches, you can make your guestroom feel like a totally new space. As you decorate, get your feet wet and spend the night in your own guestroom. Experiencing a night in the room may inspire you to make additional changes you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. Don’t forget that the most important thing to consider is your guest’s comfort level. If you keep this factor at the forefront of your mind, your visitors will be so happy, relaxed and well-rested that you may have a difficult time getting them to leave.

By: Stacy Ketchum

Stacy is a writer and painter who lives in Maryland