Beyond The Basics

Don’t Stop with Standard Creature Comforts Consider Unexpected Pleasures to Welcome Guests

By Cheryl A. Sweet

Are you expecting overnight company? There are many ways to make their stay more comfortable and fun. In addition to stocking the spare room with conventional amenities, such as luxury linens and fresh flowers, here are some simple but clever ideas: 

Celebrate guests’ arrival
A warm hello is always appreciated, but why not add one of these ideas for celebrating a visitor’s arrival?
• Present a 3-D greeting card from Glorious Gifts; the “card” is actually a hand-painted ornament attached to a special message.  
• Include kids: “I always wrap a special gift for kids in homemade wrapping paper—my children run over it with wet paint on their feet,” says Las Vegas interior designer Sandye Abele.
• Leave a box of your guests’ favorite chocolates on the dresser (for aficionados).

Try a themed visit
The difference between an ordinary and spectacular stay is all in the details. Yvette Piaggio, an interior designer in Virginia, suggests these comforts for your Italy-loving friends:
• Biscotti for morning and afternoon coffee
• Picture books of the Italian countryside
• A bottle of Italian wine you can enjoy together
A good rule of thumb is to put yourself in your visitor’s shoes to determine what style, theme  and comforts would help them feel cozy.

Take it to the next level
Assemble a small photo album of pictures with your guests from good times spent together, suggests Robin Rosen, founder of a home staging company in New York. You may also want to lay out stationery with their initials in case they want to drop a note to friends back home during their stay.
Consider these fabulous additions to make an even bigger impact:
• Draping: Hang floor-to-ceiling sheers directly behind the bed. It creates the illusion of a window, suggests television home-improvement expert JoAnne Liebeler. This works especially well if there’s no headboard.
• Petite Fireplaces: Operated by remote control, most are direct-vent gas units that can be tucked into corner cabinets or suspended on a wall.
• Bathrooms: Among the hottest guest-room trends are spa-like amenities. Heighten coziness with heated floors, towel warmers and bathtubs fueled by air bubbles, suggests Gary Lichlyter, owner of Lemont Kitchen & Bath of Chicago.

Leave guests with a plan
Your guests may plan to explore the neighborhood on their own; provide a few of these handy items to get them on their way:
• Menus for area restaurants
• A small laminated card listing local emergency phone numbers, taxi service, a neighbor’s name and your garage code number
• City guides with information on shopping, music, movies, theater and sports

Create the atmosphere with color
If you have the luxury of planning the guest-room decor, remember that color plays a part in setting the tone for rest. “Colors have a vibration,” says Sheree Silver, who holds a Ph.D. in metaphysical philosophy. “By using the correct colors in guest rooms, you can restore harmony and peace.” She suggests considering the facts surrounding chromotherapy, or color therapy:
• Red: Being in the present moment
• Orange: Warmth and intimacy
• Yellow: Confidence
• Green: Balance of mind, body and spirit
• Blue: Self-expression and creativity
• Purple/Violet: Calmness and peace

As you strive to create a guestroom that speaks to your visitors’ special interests and makes their comfort the top priority, remember, as the saying goes, “It’s the thought that counts.” 

Cheryl Sweet regularly goes the extra mile to make her visitors feel at home—although she has yet to paint the guestroom orange.