want to make sure your guests count down the days until their next visit? The crucial is a guest bedroom they’ll never want to leave. Here’s some inside insight from the editors of house & home on how to make a guest’s stay both elegant and welcoming.
“There are a few things I’ve observed all our guests really appreciate in their room: fresh flowers, a bench to put their bag on so it’s not on the floor, books to read in bed, and last but certainly not least, the Wi-Fi code. I can never seem to remember ours, so I wrote it out on a great piece of card stock next to the bed.”
— Emily Evans, associate Editor
Photographer: Alex Lukey
Source: house & home March 2016
Designer: Rachel Fox
“Make sure it’s comfy! You don’t have to get the most expensive everything but make sure you have a respectable mattress and pillows along with soft bedding.”
— Kai Ethier, design Editor
Photographer: Heather Ross
Source: house & home March 2016
Designer: Sophie Burke
“Go the extra mile and leave a special package on your guest’s bed with a thoughtful note and freshly baked cookies (homemade or store-bought). We did this for our out-of-town wedding guests in their hotel rooms and they loved it!”
— Adena Leigh, web Editor
Photographer: M loves M
Source: Courtesy of style Me Pretty
“Call me old-fashioned, but a clock with an alarm is one of the first things I look for when I walk into a guest room, or even a hotel suite. keeping a clock nearby makes sure that your guests won’t miss out on any planned activities, an early-morning flight, or even breakfast!”
— Amanda Tucci, Editorial Assistant
Photographer: Stacey Brandford
Source: house & home June 2011
Designer: Juli Daoust Baker and John Baker, Mjölk
“If you have a new home, spend a night in your guest room before having friends stay over. Otherwise, you’ll never know that the drapes don’t block the morning sun all that well, or that there’s no easily accessible outlet to charge a phone (your very polite guests won’t tell you!).”
— Reiko Milley, associate Editor
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: October 2016
Designer: Kai Ethier and Jennifer Koper
“Guests must always be able to have a good night’s sleep when staying over. I think that an added, soothing touch is putting a kicking back essential oil mist on the nightstand for your guest to spritz in the air or on their pillow. Calm essential oil mist — a blend of frankincense, lavender and bergamot — uses 100% plant based, Canadian ingredients, so there will be no worries about unwanted chemicals.”
— Lauren Petroff, design Editor
Products: Calm mist, Cardea AuSet
“This recommendations comes from being a guest a lot more than hosting guests: the bed is the most crucial thing. have good pillows, great cotton sheets and enough blankets or duvets to make sure guests are warm enough. everyone just wants a good night sleep. For benefit points, make sure there’s a hair dryer and toothpaste in the bathroom.”
— Kimberley Brown, executive Editor
“Good lighting is crucial for your guests — bedside lamps with dimmers are a great touch.”
— Sally Armstrong, senior Editor
Photographer: Virginia MacdonaldSource: house & home April 2016
Designer: Sally Armstrong
“A guest bed shouldn’t be where your old mattress goes to die. invest in quality a mattress, pillows (have density options if possible), and bedding that will last. All the decoration in the world can’t compare to a comfortable and restful sleep. For recent house guest I gotten memory foam pillows that have a “cooling” cover that remains cool to the touch on one side, which is great feature for hot sleepers.”
— Joel Bray, senior design Editor
Products: Iso-Cool Memory Foam Pillow
“A small arrangement of fresh flowers and greenery add life to a room. You don’t have to get fancy, you can snip boxwood cuttings or fern fronds from a garden, or sculptural palm leaves from a houseplant.”
— Wendy Jacob, features Editor
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: house & home April 2013
Designer: Allison Willson
“Decorate sparingly and use easy-to-clean decoration items because you won’t be in there much and things get dusty… so no feather jujus or complex chandeliers!”
— Reiko Caron, Producer
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: house & home October 2015
Designer: Kelvin Browne
“Whenever I’m checking out family or friends overseas, I get overexcited at the prospect of getting some severe reading done and then unavoidably finish my book before I’ve even landed. stocking a guest room with some of your favorite reads or recent magazine issues lets guests feel welcome and keeps them occupied during downtime. A win-win for hosts and houseguests alike!”
— Jessica Flower, assistant Editor
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: house & home February 2017
Designer: James Davie
“Try and have a surface that guests can rest their bags on. Chests of drawers and closets are great if they want to fully unpack, but a surface (that isn’t the bed) where they can rest their purse or bag on while they rifle through it is always appreciated.”
— Jennifer Koper, design Editor
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: house & home September 2012
Designer: Mazen El-Abdallah