Tips to keep your houseguests happy
These days, few homes even have a ‘‘spare room’’. More often, the spare room doubles as a home office, perhaps with a trundle bed or sofa bed shoved in alongside the desk. This means leaving time to convert it to a comfy guest space is important.
Clearing the clutter should be a top priority; try to clear drawers or closet space so guests have somewhere for their belongings. Move out office-type furniture or anything else that may clash with a bedroom vibe. Start with good clean bed linen and towels, then add a couple of co-ordinated bed cushions, a basket set of toiletries, fresh flowers and a scented candle.
It helps to have the bed next to a power point for charging phones, and visitors appreciate a bedside table with a few magazines, and a reading lamp. Check that the door closes properly. Guests may not appreciate being woken by pets or small children wandering in.
Beauty room as spare room Invercargill makeup artist Ashlee Whipps has a spare room that doubles as a beauty room.
She and her partner and 2-year-old son live in an older three-bedroom weatherboard home. They recently converted the third bedroom into Ashlee’s makeup and beauty space.
‘‘We still wanted to use it as a guest room as well.
‘‘I’m one of seven so we have lots of people coming to stay,’’ Ashlee says.
‘‘I had an image in my head of what I wanted and that definitely included still being able to use it as a bedroom.’’
When deciding on colours and decor, Ashlee drew inspiration from her brother and sister-inlaw Shayden and Georgia Whipps, who run Christchurchbased home and lifestyle blog Mooch Style.
Neutral white (Alabaster) was used for the walls, with a floral pattern for the room’s recessed feature wall.
Ashlee opted for a budget selfinflating air bed.
‘‘It has been a really good choice and is very easy to inflate. I dress it up with nice linen and people find it so comfortable. I leave some chocolates on the pillows to add that hotel vibe.’’
Ashlee’s beauty room includes a retro velvet couch and a brass-style console table with scented candles and pot plants. These items can also morph into stylish bedroom features.
‘‘As soon as the guests have gone, I deflate the bed and voila, I have my beauty room back again.’’