Holidays bring guests to stay even when you don't have a designated guest room — often making living rooms temporary bedrooms. While "the more the merrier" might be your mantra, it can be a challenge to make everyone feel comfortable when space and privacy are at a premium. As a tribute to all of the generous hosts who open up their homes over the holidays, here are some ideas and tips to help make a temporary guest room work:
1. Welcoming Touches: Guests know that staying in someone's living room is not ideal for anyone, so putting some extra effort into welcoming them goes a long way to ensuring that they feel relaxed and at home.
Here are a few non-verbal ways to say welcome:
• Give them their freedom! Having a set of keys to give them when they arrive, along with a map, transit card and info on all the ways to best contact you sets a tone and sends a message that they are free to come and go as they please, something that makes the visit more relaxed and enjoyable for both of you.
• Welcome them to a freshly cleaned room - vacuumed, dusted and windows/mirrors shining
• Declutter the space - what works for day to day life on the living room surfaces can feel cluttered once someone "moves in" - remove old, outdated magazines/newspapers/mail, tv controllers, the novel you are reading and the netflix dvds that you haven't gotten around to watching yet
• A bunch of fresh flowers never hurts.
2. Bedding: Just because the space and "bed" may be makeshift and temporary, the bedding doesn't need to be. Having a real bed pillow, sheets and enough blankets for your guest is a must. Nothing makes someone feel more like an extra oversized kid at a sleepover than being asked to use throw pillows and an old scratchy sleeping bag instead of actual bedding.
3. Temperature: Another key component to sleeping comfort is temperature. Show your guest how to control the heating/cooling for their room if it is somewhere they can easily access. Asking if they'd like a window open and making sure there is an extra blanket with their bedding are easy ways to send the message that they should make themselves comfortable and are free to adjust things as needed.
4. Privacy : Often, especially in city homes, the window treatments in the living room allow for LOTS of light to come in but may not provide much privacy. If this is the case in your home, providing a temporary fix will be much appreciated. Even if the solution is something that is less than attractive (one of those temporary paper blinds that can be adhered to the inside of the glass or a folding screen or fabric panel placed in front of the windows) adding it into your decor for a few days is worth it to help your guest relax.
Consider discussing what time they plan on getting up the next day just as you are turning in for the night. This conversation sends a message that you plan on giving them their space until that time. If you absolutely must get up and out earlier than they do, letting them know your schedule and ensuring them that you'll just be sneaking past quietly should help. A firm goodnight, sleep well, see you at breakfast tomorrow as you closing the door to your bedroom allows your guest to know that the more public space that they are staying in is now all theirs for the night. Try to avoid going in and out of your bedroom once you've settled in.
5. Lighting: Having to get up and turn off a light switch as you are drifting off to sleep is never fun, so if at all possible, placing a "bedside" light that can be turned on and off from the sofa/sofa bed is a helpful touch.
6. Bathroom & Kitchen Access: Make it clear that your guest should feel at home to use these rooms at any time and ensure that they have what they need, such as a set of towels, hairdryer, a water glass/carafe and a bowl of fruit on the counter for easily accessible midnight snacking.
7. Storage space: This can be a tough one to pull off, especially in a small space, but clearing counterspace in the bathroom for their toiletries bag, emptying a drawer or part of an accessible closet and clearing a surface or floor area to accommodate their suitcase will help keep things organized and let them know that you have planned ahead a bit and don't mind that their belongings are in full view.
8. Plug-in spots: Everyone travels with tech these days, so showing your guest where they can plug in is a nice touch. Knowing where they can set up a phone/camera/iPad charger and/or easily use their laptop (with the cord) is one small thing that helps avoid having your guest rooting around behind furniture late at night, feeling out of place.
9. Make a move: If appropriate, offer your bedroom to your guest and take up residence in the living room yourself. Sometimes this just feels right. Depending on the age of your guest, or the general "formality" of your relationship, this might be the way to go to make EVERYONE feel more comfortable. If you go this route, all of the above applies — make the temporary room as comfortable for yourself as you would for a guest!
10. Speak up: Simply let them know that you are happy they are there — it might feel like a given since you have opened up your home, but hearing it will help them to feel less like they are "in the way" and make the whole experience that much more lighthearted and enjoyable.
MORE HOSTING HELP ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Before & After: A Guest Room on the Quick & Cheap
• How To: Make Guests Feel Welcome
• Double Duty Guest Rooms: Five Ideas
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Comments (18)
Two others:
1. If your guest will be sleeping on a pull-out sofa, it's helpful to have some extra cushioning to put under the bedding, since pull-out mattresses often have little padding.
I have a loveseat with a twin pull-out bed, so when I make up the bed for my guest, I put my sleeping bag on the mattress before putting on the fitted sheet. It helps.
2. If possible, clear out a spot in the shower itself for your guest's toiletries. I've had the joy of staying the night in homes where the host left no space in the shower for me to set down even a travel-size shampoo bottle, and I find it a pain, so I empty out some space on my shower caddy for my guests now.
@Trish1980: Too true about the extra padding. I bought a really fluffy mattress topper for my pull out and it makes a world of difference.
Two fresh bath towels per adults, plus wash cloth and hand towel. At home I only use one towel plus my bathrobe. But I don't travel with a bath robe, which leaves me often wanting a one towel to wrap around my torso and one to wrap around my head.
Also, please provide a place for guests to air dry their towels, whether it's a vacant hook or rod in the bathroom, or a hanger for the guest room, or clothes pins and a drying line. I will always reuse my towel, but I don't want to disturb anyone ele's personal space while trying to find a place to hang it.
I've thought about buying one of those Japanese roll-up futons for guests... has anyone done this? I don't think there's anyway I could store a "regular" American futon mattress in my apartment because they are so heavy and stiff (won't roll up).
If you get caught short on bath linens, then a rinsed and repeatedly wrung-out wash cloth does a surprisingly good job of drying the entire body, other than one towel for long hair. That supposedly was the custom in Japan. Regardless, it works fine and reduces the amount of laundry year-round in my home.
@sturgeongeneral, I folded and stored a "regular" American futon mattress in a closet a while. It took too much space stored and was too difficult to shift. I didn't try those Japanese roll-up futons because they look like they'd be uncomfortable for stiff, heavy adults here. Since becoming middle-aged, my husband and I instead recommend a few nearby good motels.
Even though most the people I'd stay over at actually has a guest room (if they didn't I'd be more to offer to just get a hotel so I'm not in the middle of everything for them), there are still several points above I agree with.
2. I'm almost always wishing for an extra pillow...I've actually gone so far as nab a throw pillow to go under the pillow or use some of my own folded clothes under the pillow.
5. It is just nice not stumbling back to bed after I hit the switch especially if it's somewhere I've never stayed before.
6. Extra towels are always great - though it might be simpler just to point out where the linen closet is in case a guest wants extra towels.
8. I try to keep all tech I bring somewhere else to a minimum, but it's always nice to know where I can plug in the cell phone charger.
When my kids were away at college, their rooms often doubled as guest rooms. Since their closets were still full, I'd place an over-the-door hanging system on the outside of the closet doors so they could hang their stuff. I also provide a tray on the bedside table or dresser so they can keep their wallet, keys, phone, etc. all in one place.
Re: Japanese futon - I have a stellar aero bed that my guests rave about. I love sleeping on it too from time to time! I takes up as much space as a duffel bag.
I like having for my guests:
1. Well lit way to the bathroom at night.
2. Midnight snacks they can easily grab without feeling like they are waking up the house.
3. Plenty of towels.
4. Box of kleenex, paper, and pens by the bed.
5. Space for their coat and boots (Chicago!)
6. Good curtains to block out the light.
6. Bible in the nightstand ... okay, I'm joking about that one. But I do love leaving in their room good short story collections and interesting art and history books. My guests always appreciate getting lost in the good reading material I leave them.
OK, here's a "don't". Don't "put the bed away" before the guest is ready to get up! (I was visiting in-laws once, and while I was in the bathroom, the hide-a-bed was folded up and tidies away. We'd driven all night to get there, I was dead on my feet and had about 3 hours sleep. I just needed another hour!! And nobody asked or offered a different place to nap a while longer.)
(So, as a spinoff of this idea, if you can't actually accomodate the guest so they can rest appropriately, get them a hotel room and call it a day!)
I would add:
Show guests how to use the shower, or any fixtures in your house that may not be intuitive to a stranger. It's always embarrassing to get undressed for a shower only to realize you can't make the hot water work.
@blue_eyes: Good point! It's probably a good idea to point out any quirks the shower might have. For instance, my shower has a very fine line between lukewarm and insanely hot, so I suppose I should warn my guests. :)
Maybe I'm weird, but the only problem I have with using the "strange collection of throws" is when they just aren't warm enough at night. I feel odd sleeping in a strange, fully-made bed. Like I've moved in someplace I don't belong. (Oddly, I don't feel that way about hotels. Maybe it's the juxtaposition of being among someone else's things--as everyone I know has plenty of their own stuff in the guest rooms.)
A point I would add to the above--if you have a computer in the guest room, or you're putting your guest in the computer room, find someway to mask the computer equipment and those awful blinking lights. Talk about bad feng shui.
From moving an office to our home we found ourselves with an "extra" black mini fridge. So we put it in DH's office/guest room. Before a guest comes to spend the night we stock it with bottled water & the guests favorite drinks. They like knowing they don't have to pad to the kitchen in their pajamas worrying about waking us up for a drink of water.
How clever--you could make a motel-style mini-bar filled with such goodies that guests wouldn't want to leave!
We put up a huge curtain that pulls across part of our living room to make a little room for our guests. With a curious, early-waking toddler in the house this was the only way to make sure everyone wasn't roused at 6am against their will. It works quite well, as it allows them some privacy even during "public" hours in our little house.
We stocked it with a reading lamp, and a clock (I hate waking-up in the middle of the night in a strange place and not knowing the time!)
Good call on the map. A friend will be staying with me for two weeks starting tomorrow; she's new to the city and I won't be available during work hours, so this should be handy for her!
Any chance on some info on the folding screen? I love it, and have been looking for something like that for a while now as a sort of headboard.
sturgeongeneral, I have a Japanese futon. We alternate between offering it to guests and using it ourselves while giving our guests the "real" bed, depending on who is visiting.
That thing is pretty awesomely comfortable, IMO. I'm in my late 20's and my partner is in his mid-30's and we both kind of secretly prefer the futon to the real bed, I think. Similarly-aged friends often find the bed quite comfortable, as well. His parents always opt for the bed, because the idea of sleeping on the floor creeps them out on a cultural level, so I can't vouch for how older people do with the futon.
We used to have an air mattress and I'd take the futon over that ANY day, as temporary bedding. It takes up a bit more closet space but it is really just so wonderfully comfortable - none of that weird water-bed-y effect of each movement setting off littler motions, etc. Also the daily pick-up and set-up is easier - no letting the air out and filling it back up again. Just roll and hide, then unroll when ready. We don't even take the sheet off to roll it up, when we're using it on a nightly basis.
I do think that quality matters. I don't know options for futons, like if there are cheap-crap ones or what, but we got ours from a guy who makes traditional Japanese furniture and it's amazing. He said that he started making the futons because when his wife was pregnant she really craved one, and he had a hard time finding "real" ones so he began supplying them. After the baby came they just never switched back because they were both so happy with it.