Whether it’s for an end-of-the-year family gathering, an emergency layover, or just a casual weekend getaway, everyone wants their guests to feel at home. This is more so that we dedicate special rooms to them so they can have a calm, good night’s rest — rather than having them sleep on the sofa.
Nonetheless, just giving guests a room to sleep in isn’t enough for you and a lot of us out here. As Eleanor Roosevelt put it, “true hospitality consists of giving the best of ourselves to our guests.” Do you want your guests to be happier than when they arrived from just a night’s stay? Here are some essential tips to keep the guest bedroom as comfortable as it can be while also saving yourself some space.
The bed is the most essential part of any guest bedroom, and you want it to be perfect. To start off, you can choose a large mattress that’s fit for two to sleep in and long enough for tall people. You don’t want 6-foot Uncle Sam curling up on the bed just to rest his legs. What if you don’t have extra room for a large mattress or multiple mattresses? This is where guest trundle beds come in.
Trundle beds are built-in to be folded or stored away under another bed. Not only do they utilize the room usually wasted under your mattress, but they reduce the space used up by the bed altogether. The guests only bring them out when they’re ready to sleep and store them away for more room to move around.
The catch, however, is that you need sturdy trundle beds that aren’t too thin for comfort. You can check out BedKingdom’s wide range of guest trundle beds to pick a high-quality build your guests will love.
To complement the bed and mattress, you’ll need to use bedding that is soft on the skin and has temperature-regulating capabilities.
Some tips in picking good bedding material include using sheets made from 100% cotton or silk as they are breathable, using sheets with high thread counts (preferably above 500), and using duvets filled with wool, feathers, or memory foam.
From the mattress itself to the duvets and everything in between, opting for high-quality products can give guests the time (or sleep) of their lives.
Now, with pillows, you want to give your guests options. Why don’t you get wool, feather, and memory foam pillows — in multiple sizes? Guests have different needs when it comes to getting the right posture for sleep. Providing pillow options allows them to choose one or two they’re most comfortable with.
Sometimes, guests don’t just stay for one night and will need somewhere to store their things. Providing closets and drawers with huge storage capacity allows them to settle down well. Understand that we emphasize “huge storage space”.
You don’t know how much guests may pack in and having their closets and drawers overflow wouldn’t be comfortable. Install closets with both hanging rods and shelves to provide ample storage options, and even leave hangers for guests to use.
If there’s enough space in the room, have an area dedicated to reading and relaxation. This would be an area with a soft chair, good lighting, and office supplies where they can comfortably pick up their favorite books to read. You can maybe have a desk and chair setup, making the reading nook double as a work area for those busy business people in the family.
Still in the realm of functional furniture, a bedside table is an excellent consideration. Sadly, it’s one of the elements that are easily overlooked when setting up the guest bedroom. The bedside table gives guests a space to store essential items like a phone, charger, alarm clock, inhaler, bottle of water, and tissue close by.
Give your guests a lot of control over lighting. Don’t just install one huge lightbulb as a single light source — this essentially means they’re either dealing with an excessively lit room or staying in complete darkness. Instead, install multiple cool and warm-toned light bulbs and put blinds/darkening curtains over windows so they can control how much sunlight comes in.
Don’t forget bedside lamps to give guests functional lighting to work with, and install string lights for some extra aesthetic effect.
Sound machines are devices that guests can use to produce calming sounds from serene environments. These include the sound of rain, flowing water bodies, woodland activities, wind blowing, or just calming music. However, their use doesn’t stop here.
They are also called white-noise machines, as they help produce a clear noise that cancels out other sounds in the background. Sound machines have been tested to reduce anxiety and restlessness during sleep, which is exactly what you want from a guest bedroom. Remember that guests find themselves in a new environment with sounds they are probably not used to.
Now, you don’t want guests feeling too hot or too cold in your home. Having a fan or an air conditioner in their bedrooms provides the right amount of ventilation and room temperatures needed for a good night's rest.
Some other great additions to the guest bedroom include neutral color palettes, snacks, a clock, a mirror, sanitizers and toiletries, and an oil diffuser.
From storage to trundle beds, pillows, and lighting, the ultimate essential feature of a guest bedroom is the luxury of choice. All guests aren’t the same, and providing dynamism ensures everyone has access to what’s essential for them — whether they're staying for a day or a week. Also, you can throw a welcome mat in there as a sign of your willing hospitality!