By Merola Tahamtan
Design Time
If you want to be the perfect host, the best way to make a lasting impression is decorating a ‘homey’ guest bedroom. Don’t make the mistake of replicating the blandness of a hotel room — your guest bedroom can have personality, but be careful not to let it become a dumping ground for all your clutter or your guests will feel claustrophobic. The best guest room designs provide all the home comforts you would expect to find in a good hotel, but with a personal touch.
When choosing a bedroom colour scheme, go for either warm hues to create an inviting feel or calming neutral tones. Choose soft soothing shades which must be liked by all. Blue, white, cream, lilac, peach and green colours are best for this room.
If you have a statement piece of artwork or photography that you want to be the focal point, use this as the palette for your colour scheme. Beware of using a family photograph though, as you don’t want your guests to feel like an intruder in somebody else’s life. Pick out accent colours in the wallpaper or bed linen and find one or two decorative objects such as a vase or candle to place on the bedside table or dresser. When designing your guest bedroom, avoid using a style that is overly masculine or feminine as you don’t want to alienate guests of either gender. If you use patterned bedroom wallpaper keep it to the bed head wall and if you choose a floral design keep it bold so it does not end up looking like your grandmother’s spare room.
The important things required for guest rooms are fabric, curtains and covers. After you get it coloured, you need to be careful for bed sheets and curtains.
Bed sheets should match the shade of the wall colour and so as the curtains. It is not always important to take on fabric matching with the wall colour but you can just mix’n’match the shades which will go with all hues.
Choose latest and beautiful designs which would make the guest comfortable in the room. Go for velvet and other soft fabric in covers rather than synthetic and warm fabric.
This room is a place where you need to have different lighting to attract your guest. Be careful while picking out the lights for guest room as it should be adequate for reading and other activities.
Arrange different lights in a triangle to provide enough light around the room and also include on lamp shade with an adjustable three-way bulb.
Guest rooms should also have an emergency light in case they have a power failure.
The bed should be instantly seductive with different textures and tones of fabrics that make you want to jump straight in. A couple of plumped up cushions make a bed look well-dressed and inviting. Fold a silky quilted throw over the foot of the bed to create a luxurious feel and also give your guests and extra layer of warmth that they can choose to take or leave. A couple of extra pillows in the wardrobe mean your guests can make themselves completely comfortable without the awkwardness of having to ask you for anything. Pile up a selection of fresh towels in a matching colour scheme to the room or bed or chair. A thick pile rug by the side of the bed is a treat underfoot when your guest first wakes up. A bedside table and a reading lamp or spotlight are key items and, if you have space, have one on either side of the double bed so that couples can choose to read or sleep independently.
Stock the wardrobe with padded hangers as they may not be practical in a normal bedroom but your guest probably won’t have to many clothes and they are much better for keeping suits and jackets.
Both a full-length mirror and a dressing table with mirror with a good light for putting on make-up are a most, as if you really want your guests to feel at home you need to provide all the essentials that you wouldn’t do without in your own room. An arm chair gives your guest somewhere to put clothes for the next day and somewhere to sit and read. A small table for writing and a dressing table with give your guests a little extra surface space to spread out their belongings.
Give this room a particular time to make the ambience more suitable for you as well as for your guests.
Save the miniature toiletries when you stay the next time in a hotel and keep them in a basket on the dressing table in case your guest forgets to bring anything.
Keep a few classic books and a selection of magazines in case your guest does not bring anything to read.
A unisex dressing gown and a pair of one-size-fits all slippers will be a welcome touch.
A scented candle will take away the stale smell in a room that is not used very often.
And, finally — although it sounds obvious — make sure you’ve given the room a good clean, especially if you don’t use the bedroom very often yourself.
A guest room is a place where your guest rest and it should be in such a way that the guest would love to spend time in his room. The interiors and décor of such rooms must be appropriate in all ways. This room should serve the exact purpose, so prepare yourself to declutter the room and designing a guest room in an ascetic way.
I myself am entertaining friends over this weekend, and will put these tips to use in my own guest room. A personal touch that I enjoy doing, is cutting fresh lavender from my garden and tying with ribbon and placing on top of the towels with a welcoming personal note.
Merola Tahamtan is an Interior Stylist in Home & Business Design, Home Staging, Painting, Colour Consultation, Organization and Window Treatments. You can reach her at 613-561-0244 or merolatahamtandesigns@live.ca.