Now that we are in the month of May, it is time to get your home ready for summer guests, parties, and visitors. With that in mind, I wanted to offer a check list to help you get your guest room ready. Take a moment and look at your guest room, or area that you transform for guests, with fresh eyes and ask yourself, “Would I be comfortable and happy sleeping in this space?â€Â Too often, the guest room becomes the space where all things unwanted and forgotten gets deposited. If this describes your situation, there are some things you can do to ensure that your guests are happy and enjoy a good night’s rest.
Remove clutter and random baubles. If you have old items that you once enjoyed but no longer want to display as a treasure or piece of art, it may be time to get rid of it. If it is an item of value, you may consider selling it on Ebay.com which is not hard to do or donate the items to your local church or donation site.
Spruce the room up. If the bedroom is dark, consider a fresh coat of paint to lighten it up! If you have dark colored night tables, or night tables that you don’t like, consider using a table cloth to cover them.  Also, consider painting them, which could add a whole new look. There is plenty of information on the best way to paint furniture, and depending on the desired look will depend on the process. If you don’t have night tables, consider repurposing pieces of furniture from other areas of your home to serve as nightstands while your guests are visiting.
Is the room comfortable? If you have an older mattress and you’re unable to purchase a new one, consider a mattress topper for added comfort.
Here is a 15 item check list of things to provide to ensure that you have happy and comfortable guests:
- Clean and fresh linens.
- Extra blankets and pillows. Always have two clean and fresh pillows per person available and store extras, with clean linens available for those who need more pillows to sleep.
- Bottled water or a water pitcher and glasses on a lovely tray.
- Proper reading light. If the room has only an overhead light, please provide lamps that your guest can use for reading and general comfort.
- Provide toiletries that may have been forgotten such as lotion, toothpaste, and mouthwash.
- Nightlight.
- Alarm Clock.
- Box of tissues and a trash receptacle.
- Luggage rack – a place for the guests to put their bags that is not on the bed is a great idea. You can use a portable one that may be stored under the bed or closet when not in use and made available for guests.
- Reading chair – providing a reading chair, small table, and light is a nice bonus for your guests who do not want to sit on the bed to read.
- Surge protected power strip and space for your guests to charge their electronics.
- Space – keep in mind that a beautifully decorated theme room that has every surface covered may not be the most comfortable for your guests. Provide space, have a place where your guests may put their things. If the bed has 12 decorative pillows – where will your guests put them when they need to use the bed?
- Window covering – be sure that the window coverings offer the right amount of privacy for your guests as well as light-blocking.
- Add a place to hang things. Provide an over the door hanger or hooks for your guests to hang things. Also be sure to have space in the closet for hung-up things and extra hangers.
- Reading material – some magazines or paperback books are always an excellent option to provide for your guests.
Have some fun, create a lovely space, add fresh flowers and after you ask yourself if you would be comfortable in your guest space, answer with a resounding, “YES!â€Â If you need help picking colors or balancing the guest room or any room, call 610.955.8202 for a redesign appointment with Debbie!
By Debbie Correale, founder and owner of Redesign Right, LLC. You can learn more about her at www.RedesignRight.com. Find her on Facebook.com/RedesignRight, Twitter @RedesignRight, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Houzz and Google+.