with Nadine from Journey Home Interiors

It may be too late to completely redecorate your guest room with curtains and furniture in time for Christmas, but there are several must-do things you can do to make your guest rooms ready for holiday visitors.

Firstly, If you have used your guest room to store things, then clear it out, ensuring that you have emptied cupboards and drawers for your guests to fit.  If you’ve ever stayed at relatives, we both know it’s not a holiday but it’s pretty miserable to squeeze into a room filled with junk, boxes and bikes, etc.

From experience, I can tell you that even if you do make an effort, guests who may not be as house proud as you will unfortunately still live out of their suitcase and spread out onto the floor. I suggest a luggage rack or trunk for your guest’s cases, particularly if you have older guests, to save them bending.   In fact, I have a girlfriend who tells her guests staying more than one night to unpack and make themselves at home. It’s so much tidier and more pleasant.

Guest room checklist

Here is my essentials checklist for your guest room to make guests feel at home and save you time when you want to be concentrating on Christmas entertaining:

• Fresh sheets and towels
• Blankets, doonas – sometimes guests from interstate will feel cold in cool Canberra summers
• Tissue box – Canberra is notorious for hay fever!
• Waste paper bin
• Power point or board for charging phones
• Wi-Fi password
• Coasters, trays, placements to protect your furniture.

For a more luxurious experience, treat your guests with:

• Scented candle
• Hand cream
• Tourist guide
• Choice of pillows
• Water glasses and jug
• A tray of those cosmetic samples you never seem to use
• Dressing gowns, robes and slippers – especially if you have a ‘no shoes in the house’ policy.

In the bathroom  

To support your bathroom’s functionality during times of extra guests, add a free-standing towel rack in or near the bathroom or in your guest’s room.

Design tip: When designing bathrooms, don’t skimp on towel rails, whilst knobs are a subtle way to include guest hanging,.

Also be sure to tell your guests which towels to use and where their hanging spot is, it will make them feel comfortable knowing you have thought of their needs and save them from  second guessing where to put things. It will help keep your bathroom neat and avoid wet towels being left on beds or furniture.

Empty a bathroom vanity drawer or two to make space your guests’ toiletry bags.

Waste bins are essential in toilets/bathrooms. Have you ever been in a bathroom and wondered where to put your rubbish? Women, I am sure you get what I am talking about here! 

Ensure toilet paper, cotton wool balls, ear buds, tissues are ready and easy to access.

Show guests where to help themselves to spare loo paper and other bathroom supplies.

Decorating essentials when designing your guest room:

• A bed with a half decent mattress will last for 15 years in a guest room
• Easy to use window treatments for both block-out and privacy
• Bedside tables (clear of clutter)
• Chair or stool
• Mirror
• Chest or console, space permitting
• Hangers and space for clothes
• Luggage rack or stool
• Lamps and lighting