apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

How sweet! Our guests have to either stay in our son's bedroom or our living room, neither is very good :s
I wish we had space for a guest room!
http://notyourgoddess.blogspot.com/

This is a beautiful guest room, and some very lovely thoughtful details. Thanks for the profile.

I love the train case idea! You have me on eBay right now searching for one. I have always put together toiletries in a basket for my guests, but putting them in a vintage train case takes it to a whole new level. It's like opening a gift from the past.

My own touches:
1. We redid our guest room in the earthy red warm tone to match Rousillon in France. I loved Provence, and so the room is completely decorated, top to bottom, in a Provencale fashion.

2. Above the guest bed we have vinyl lettering that says, in French: "Family and friends are the flowers in the garden of life."

3. My photos from our trip to Provence adorn all the walls of the room.

4. I found bottled water, with its own cup sealed on top, at a local Marshall's. I bought several of them to put out when guests come.

5. I have a luggage holder, the kind you see in hotels, in the room as well.

6. I lay out an assortment of travel magazines, food magazines, Oprah, etc. for those who want to read.

7. Going the extra mile for "creature comforts" I save the toothbrushes and floss I get at my dentist's visits to include in my baskets for guests. I also have slippers that were laid out for us at boutique hotels, still sealed for guests.

The only problem with all of this fanciness is that guests don't usually *use* it. They tend to want to leave it, as I did, perfect and unused. No one's used the slippers or water, preferring to run downstairs to get their own water in a glass, but I guess it's good to have it out and available.

I always leave an alarm clock by the bed, because I often have friends stay over on weekdays when they have events planned in the city. Wouldn't want them to sleep through their vacation!

If you don't have enough closet space for your guests to hang up their clothes, buy or borrow a rolling rack and set it up with a few hangers. (Bonus: a stainless-steel rack can double as an extra towel bar in a pinch.)

My guests never use my toiletries either! I keep meaning to buy one of those little water pitcher carafes with the glass on top and fill it with fresh water, but haven't gotten one yet.

I like their lighting. It's always nice to have a light that you can reach to turn off from your bed, especially in an unfamiliar place.

I second the vote for a clock. I personally hate when I stay somewhere and there is no clock in the room!

Fresh flowers are always nice too, in the bedroom and bathroom.

Our guests have to stay in our living room, but we have a fold out screen for some privacy, a chair or stool as a sort of nightstand, and make sure there's a lamp nearby. I think our friends/family would think it was fussy and too formal if we had extra toiletries or a guide to the city (don't people just talk to their hosts about what to do around town?), but I would consider doing that if someone is staying at our apartment while we are away.

That is so thoughtful... I love the happy and welcoming yellow color and the turquoise painted chair! It's like a home away from home.

I always make sure there is a reading light on BOTH sides of the bed, plus a night light in the bathroom and the kitchen.

Reading light, yes! And *reading material*. Have accessible a few magazines & books to peruse (perhaps detailing the region's history etc)

this guest room is lovely. i love the vintage suitcase idea.

we recently converted an old artist studio into a stand alone guest house for our visitors. i'm so glad we did it, we have had lots and lots of guests!

http://portlandsunshine.blogspot.com/2008/05/remodel-phase-i.html

For us here, we have a daybed in the home office as guest quarters. Since it's only a single, we only have one nightstand with it's own personal light (excluding the pole lamp near the desk). Though it's soon to be switched for a futon where I plan to try to do two end tables on each side with a pair of lamps.

For guests, we try to have out totally clean linens, fresh towels in the bathroom along with a few extra toiletries in case they are needed (plus when has it hurt to have an extra toothbrush around), and a small area for them to sit their suitcase. We don't do nightlights since well there's a small touch lamp in the hallway already and we tend to sleep with our door slightly open or it gets way too stuff in the bedroom.

I'm now providing a power strip since so many of my friends bring multiple electronics with them (phone, laptop, camera, whoknowswhatelse). It has been very well received!

I just hide it under the bed when it's not in use.

I also have info on the password for our wireless internet.

Wow, I'm ready for my geekiest of guests! :)

I always provide reading material, usually a combination of a magazine or two, an art book (or something else full of pictures), and a book of short stories.

Put fresh flowers in the guest room before they arrive.

It brings warmth like nothing else can.

i'm strangely attracted to that plant in the corner...it looks loved

I like both the idea in the photo and the comment about the chair -- seems to serve both as a nightstand and for seating in a small room. I also like the idea of the "directory" and the powerstrip.

We're building a new home which will have a guest room and I can't wait. I've found if you have a guest room people will visit, and I love that. Our new home is in a very rural area -- no bright lights or big city attractions -- just peace, quiet and the country!

Love these ideas!

We already have incorporated some of them, like the reading materials and lamp. I'm going to get a power strip now.

I try to put a framed photo on the nightstand of the guest. Sometimes from a recent trip or another visit. The best ones are the 5x7 photos of the guest(s) with us having fun somewhere.
I've also made take-home-with-you pillowcases as souvenirs for children. Kids love turning back the bedspread to discover a special pillowcase, just for them.
It takes 20 minutes to sew. If you don't know how to sew, it might take as long as an hour. The best direction for sewing easy pillowcases is here:http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FL_ST_Construction_2006-102pr.pdf

I often have friends house/pet sit for me when we go away. I like to leave a goodie basket with local food, a bottle of wine/water and some of the local weekly newspapers. I always leave a complete directory to our house. I've always thought that perhaps it's a little too detailed, but the guests seem to be grateful for the information.

I put a few stamped postcards on the desk, usually kitschy ones that show local attractions. Who doesn't enjoy getting a real postcard these days?

I have a water carafe from Home Goods, extra tooth brushes, tooth paste, and floss from the dentist, some basic shampoo and soap, fresh towels, Tums, bandaids, ibuprophen, a disposible razor, and a night light in the bathroom. (Our last guest forgot everything for his weekend visit, and he was pretty happy we had stuff.)

Bedroom is for guests but also storage for my craft supplies. But the bed is made with fresh linens, there are two bedside lamps and an alarm clock, and a chair with footstool. So far none of our guests have needed closet space, thank goodness --the closet is stuffed! I hope to thin things out before any longer-term visitors come, but we could manage something now if they needed to hang things. (Over the door hanging hook, maybe.)

I'm toying with getting a one-size-fits-all white terry bathrobe, like hotels have, but I suspect most of our guests would prefer to be fully dressed when roaming the house, so I'm not sure...

Ok I think some of you are going overboard...and if nothing else, will make your guests weirded out after a weekend there.

I know from experience a water carafe will not get used, guests will want to be dressed when roaming a house so a bathrobe is pointless (unless you just want to have one handy in case they spill something on their clothes), take home pillowcases, etc. I think some of that would send some guests running.

The point is to make guests feel welcome in your home like you want them there - not like you are trying to be a hotel, since if they wanted that vibe, obviously they would have stayed in a hotel.

robe is actually a very good idea. when i'm staying at someone else's home - i usually feel kinda weird about breakfast in the morning in my pjs (moreso in mixed company). but i usually forget to pack my bathrobe - i'd be grateful if there was one for me.

i disagree, chrisgal. as a guest, i definitely wouldn't be weirded out if someone had these things available to me. i'd be touched and grateful, especially for little things i always forget, like ibuprofen, and may get a headache in the night, etc. i always get thirsty, too, and i think a water carafe is a great idea.

Well, this has been quite a treat to see my own rooms featured on Apartment Therapy!

I do keep a robe handy because there isn't a separate guest bath and it's nice for guests to be able to dress in their room and not have to lug all their clothing to the bathroom. I know I dislike packing my robe.

Also, I like to provide water as that way the guests have a source of drinking water for prescriptions, etc. and don't have to search for a usable cup (or use the family's cup) in the shared bath.

I have to second the postcard idea, we do that also. The case is filled with the toiletries listed above by others, and I always have some extra diapers in a range of sizes and swim diapers for the any small guests. There's a sound machine/alarm clock/radio, baby monitor, a variety of books and magazines, extra blankets, pillows, and even homemade slippers (made from recycled wool sweaters) available to guests.

Several years ago, we built an outdoor shower so that our guests do not have to stay sandy or travel home with sand in their britches after visitng the beach. I like the stock the shower with similar items of convenience.

We don't have a fancy or huge house, but we try to make it a home with little luxuries. Thanks so much for all the great feedback!

I guess with me, abigailbelle, I feel differently. The people I have over should already know where I keep things (aka ibuprofen is in this certain cabinet) - I would only let someone close to me stay here. So it is silly to sit out so much for them since they already know where I keep it - they would probably tell me that themselves.

On the water carafe, you can't convince me how it's important. If nothing else, if you are one to get thirsty at night, grab a bottle of water before you go to bed. It wouldn't bother me since water doesn't stain anything. The only bathroom is located right next to the guest room, so I don't feel a robe is really neccessary - I wouldn't want to wear a robe used by everyone anyways.