Introduction
Its been a challenging year hasn’t it? We have been locked in our houses for what seemed like forever not even able to see our extended families and now having released us for a few months they have gone and done it again. However that does not mean we can’t plan for better times ahead, so here at London Contemporary we are planning the guest rooms so that at least at Christmas we can see our family for a few days.
The key to a successful guest room is remembering that, in effect for the few days when it is used, it is a “hotel” room. Your guests will need space in wardrobes to hang their clothes, locations to hide a suitcase (plus all those lovely Christmas presents from Santa). Bedside tables are key to allow your guests to put little knickknacks but also a location for a bedside lamp so after the long journey they can lie down, hide from family members for a few hours and read a good book to relax before the festivities start.
Things for the Bedroom
So here are some of our favourite little things that wont break the bank but will allow you to just add those small touches that will make your family and friends feel at home, “away from home”. First of all if your Spare room is full of clutter and empty boxes, clear it, make it back to a room again not a storage area. A good afternoon here will make a world of difference.
Bedside cabinets come in all sorts of sizes and colours, to match your wall coverings, lighting etc. Go for a neutral tone with your cabinets that fit in almost anywhere, John Lewis have a good selection of these online (since we are not allowed to visit stores at the moment). We particularly like this one as it will allow the table to be moved over the bed if needed for that all important Breakfast in Bed. Its simple plain design and colourway will complement any room.
On the bedside table consider putting a favourite photo of Family to make your family feel at home.
Bedside lights are critical in order to create a welcoming space, don’t forget to get ones with switches on the cables or the lights themselves, there is nothing worse than having to get out of bed to turn off a light and then pad back in the dark! Think about how the light will shine when you are lying in bed, you don’t want your guests to be lying staring up at a blazing bulb. This wall light expands from the wall, can be plugged in so no electrician required and swivels so can be positioned as your guest would like.
If you don’t have such lashings of space, with a guest bedroom with a walk in wardrobe etc, (and let’s face it not all of us do) then your guests will need somewhere to hang clothes and put things away in drawers. Make sure that there is space left for them in the wardrobe that’s obvious, not a “push my clothes away and put yours in here” type thing, but actual physical visible space. Clear out two or three drawers (its only for a week or so) so they feel they have their own drawers space.
Wallcoverings, nothing makes or wrecks a room more than wall coverings. A good feature wall behind the bed with plainer walls around will add to the feeling of home from home. in order to choose colours ask our team, who can help you remotely choose the best colour/patterns for your room. All for a remarkably low price. Click HERE to have one of our team contact you.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms are important, if you are lucky enough to have the space to have multiple bathrooms, dedicate one to your guests, this way they can put out their tooth-brushes and other grooming products without having to carry them around in a sponge bag every time they need to use the bathroom (there is nothing worse in my opinion). If you cannot do that then make sure the bathroom is not too cluttered, put things away in a cupboard and golden rule don’t have loads of towels hanging around the place (2-3 is a good maximum). Try to make your Towels all coordinated, a simple single colour is always good and allows you to have “themes” for each week, “this week we will go for Mustard” for example. John Lewis again have a wonderful range of coloured towels with 32 colourways (yes 32) and with prices ranging from £4 these towels really are wonderful. Nothing beats a good quality towel.
