COMPANY’S COMING
How to turn your functional home office into a comfortable and welcoming guest room
Hosting house guests can be a challenge under the best of circumstances.
Having a well-designed, private space for them is a huge help, but many homeowners don’t have a dedicated room just for that.
“Realistically, most people don’t have guests every week,” says interior designer Betsy Burnham, founder of Burnham Design in Los Angeles, so many create hybrid guest room/home office spaces, or blend a guest room with a playroom or crafting room.
The challenge is making the space warm and welcoming to guests but functional for other needs.
Here, Burnham, small-space design expert Kathryn Bechen and Brian Patrick Flynn, founder of the design firm Flynnside Out Productions, offer advice:
CREATE A FLEXIBLE SPACE
If your home office will double as your guest room, Flynn suggests designing a creative work station that doesn’t feel like a corporate office. Instead of putting identical nightstands on either side of a bed or sofa bed, try mixing and matching bedside furniture, he says, “letting one of them be a desk or console table to double as a workstation.”
And you may not want a queensize bed dominating your workspace. Burnham notes that there are many comfortable sofa beds these days. Or try a daybed with a trundle attachment. Decorate with structured cushions that give the appearance of a sofa by day, but are easily put aside at night.
One great retro option: Burnham says there are modern Murphy beds with innovative designs that work well in smaller rooms.
COLOUR AND TEXTURE
Another way to make a home office feel like a welcoming guest room is using colour “to personalize the space and draw you in to rest,” says Flynn. “I use bluegreys and grey-greens because they’re soft and relaxing.”
He also suggests using a range of textures in upholstery, bedding and floor coverings. For example, “Mix super-nubby textures like bouclé that feel good on your feet with sleek ones like silk and satin.”
Burnham’s new line of furniture, called Wardrobe, is upholstered in cosy, touch-friendly fabrics like soft linen, chambray and denim. If the room has a sleeper sofa or futon with a less-thanluxurious mattress, add softness with plush blankets, bed pillows and high-thread-count sheets. A sheepskin instantly warms up a guest room floor, Burnham says.
Too many throw pillows on a sofa or bed, however, can be a nuisance for guests to remove each night and rearrange in the morning. So stick with a few luxurious ones that add beauty and comfort.
SHARING THE SPACE
If the room is normally your office, decide whether you’ll completely withdraw from using it while guests are in town. If it’s possible to work elsewhere in the house for a few days, make that easier by keeping an attractive empty box or basket on hand to gather work items for temporary relocation. If relocating isn’t practical, Bechen suggests discussing the subject up front, preferably before your guest arrives.
“A lot of people work from home,” she says. “So the issue is being considerate and sensitive, and having good communication.”
Let your guest know if there are specific hours when you must use the room, so they can plan to go out or just relax elsewhere in your home during that time.
To avoid intruding on your guests at other times of day, Bechen suggests using high-end paper and ribbons to make a hand-crafted “Do Not Disturb” sign for the room’s door.
CLOSET AND STORAGE
If the room includes a closet, leave it partially empty so that guests will have a place for suitcases and other items. Deep shelves in a closet are ideal for a guest’s clothing. And if the closet is deep enough, Flynn suggest placing a dresser inside. Guests can have access to one or more drawers and use the top as a vanity. Also consider adding a storage ottoman or trunk to the room for hiding blankets and pillows, so you won’t have to gather them from elsewhere in the house when a guest is arriving.
All three designers recommend having lots of closed storage so you can stash your things out of sight when someone is visiting.
FINAL TOUCHES
Add an extra power strip so guests can charge digital devices, and print out your Wi-Fi password for easy reference.
If the visitor is an old friend or relative, create a small photo album of images from your shared past and place it on the nightstand.
Bechen suggests adding some of the details you’d find in a luxury hotel room. Put out a basket with sample sizes of good toiletries. Add a bouquet of fresh flowers and a basket of snacks.