The Ideal Guest Room
My sister-in-law is coming to town on business this week and will be staying with us for a few days. I am so excited to see her and catch up. Her job is not for the faint of heart as she deals with high demands and a lot of stress. On top of her main career during the week, she is sometimes on call to help out the police force on the streets during the city’s high-profile events. She also has two adorable, young boys that require her attention and energy as soon as she puts on her mom cap after work when she is home. I am hoping that she can leave all of her stress at the door when she gets here and can truly relax. I think it is so important to have a welcoming guest room for your visitors. I have learned over the years what has been missing from the guest rooms in the last four houses I have lived in and I continue to learn what my current guest rooms are missing. I remember my husband’s grandfather visiting us years ago when Jeremy and I were first married. He could not believe we didn’t have a chair in the guest room. He said, “you must have a chair where a person can sit down and put their shoes on”. I figured he could just walk out to the living room, sit on the sofa and put his shoes on but, he felt most comfortable putting his shoes on in the guest room as it was a part of making himself presentable and I get it now. You have to anticipate what your visitor needs and accommodate them in whatever makes them feel most comfortable.
Asking your guest the night before what they would like for breakfast and then serving them breakfast in bed the next morning would be a nice touch.
Some bedside necessities for your guest would be water, an alarm clock, pen and paper, and maybe a little snack.
Toiletries as well as some other grooming items would be useful for when your guest has forgotten something.
A nice mattress and comfortable bedding.
Fresh cut flowers.
I better get to work.
Photos 1-3 Veranda, Photo #4 Phoebe Howard, Photo #5 Room Service Home Catalog
Heather,
You are gifted in many ways. Listening is among your greatest gifts. That’s why you are able to make people feel at home, in your home.
Being a guest in your home is a very lovely experience. You learned from the best….your mom! You both do such an extraordinary job in decorating a room to make your guest feel right at home. The one thing that you do that really pops right out is that you put a picture(s) of the person(s) who are visiting in the room. What a nice touch! Oh, and the bedding is divine!
I’m impressed with your idea of serving your guests breakfast in bed. I have a friend who refuses to stay in a hotel if it does not have a coffee maker in the room. She simply does not want to speak to people until she’s had her coffee.
I have another friend who doesn’t feel comfortable without a bottle of water on her nightstand. And then there’s my dearest friend, who always appreciates a small bottle of wine to sip while she reads before falling asleep.
When I am a guest, it makes me feel very welcome and appreciated when my host has done something special that is obviously just for me.
I love the photos of rooms you’ve posted with lux bed linens. They look so inviting. Hmmm, I want to be a guest!