by Ellen Upton – Rhubarb & Hare
The lovely Ellen from homeware store Rhubarb and Hare gives Eight Tips to Get Your Guest Bedroom Ready!
After a year and a half of barely being able to see people, let alone have them come into our homes, the thought of having a loved one to actually stay in your home is simply beyond exciting. We had our first guest come to Rhubarb Cottage a few weeks back and the sheer anticipation of her stay made us all incredibly giddy.
Like many, our guest bedroom has been doubling as an office so it was an absolute pleasure to dress it again as a proper bedroom. After lockdowns we’re all so keen to see our loved ones that trimmings aren’t needed but I love playing hostess and always want my guests to feel comfortable and filled with cake at all times so here is my Top Tip List of Thoughtful Guest Room Essentials to make your guests feel welcome.
1. Fresh Flowers
I adore flowers so naturally for me this is the top of my list. They are such a simple touch but their impact is immense – they bring cheer to any room. As this is a bedroom you don’t need to create anything elaborate or time consuming. You only need something to adorn a bedside table or windowsill. It could be a small posy of flowers or a single bloom like a rose or a sprig of blossom cut from the garden. Just remember it shouldn’t be too heavily scented.
2. Lovely Bedding
I always opt for a lovely neutral colour for my guest bedroom bed linen to ensure it looks as calm and inviting as possible. I have a white duvet set with an abundance of pillows of all sizes in white from The White Company but also with some antique lace ones for extra detail. A beautiful baby blue herringbone cashmere blanket from Johnstons of Elgin at the bottom of the bed adds a touch of warmth and colour.
3. A scented candle
Even before Covid, I would always open the window to get some fresh air into our guest bedroom before guests arrive. But I also light a scented candle so the room immediately smells delicious when you enter. Even better is a candle that has a delicious scent even when unlit so it perfumes the room for their entire stay. Because everyone has different tastes when it comes to candles, do aim for a gentle, non-overpowering scent.
4. Reading Material
No matter where I am, I can never fall asleep without reading a page or two of something, whether it’s a book or a magazine. We do have a bookcase in our spare room filled with all sorts of reading material but should our guests feel the same as me, I do tend to leave one or two on the bed that they may like. One of our friends loves reading all my home magazines so I always leave a bundle of the latest editions out for her. Or I always love a spot of P. G. Wodehouse before bed so for many people I find a Jeeves & Wooster novel is the perfect pre-bedtime treat.
5. Pillow Spray
I adore my pillow spray and take it everywhere with me when I know I’ll be staying away overnight. I like to leave one by the bedside of our guest bed so that if they want to spray their pillow for an extra good night’s sleep they can. My favourite is the Deep Sleep spray by This Works.
6. A Carafe of Water
I love to dress the bedside table in our guest bedroom. A posy of flowers sat on a couple of books and a carafe of water just finishes it off completely. Everyone likes a glass of fresh water by their bedside and I think a freshly filled carafe looks so thoughtful and is always appreciated.
7. Fresh towels
I do like to leave a small pile of towels neatly folded at the bottom of their bed so my guest can immediately see them on arrival and not have to wait to ask you for them in the morning. For female guests, I always include two towels, so there is one for their hair.
8. A Place to Hang Clothes
These days we are used to living out of suitcases, especially when we are only away for a night or two, but it is always thoughtful to leave somewhere for your guests to put their things. It could be just one drawer in the bedroom or a hook to hang their clothes up if there isn’t a wardrobe in the room. We put a double hook on the back of our door so guests had somewhere to hang up their things. I bought some beautiful Liberty hangers for guests to use. Just a small touch but much prettier than seeing standard hangers and as they’re padded they are lovely and quiet when empty with no rattling or clanging about.
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