Tips to keep your houseguests happy
Unless you’re a practised Airbnb host, chances are you may not have a lot of experience – or space – for accommodating friends and family at your place.
These days, few homes even have a ‘‘spare room’’ in the strict sense of the word. More often, the spare room doubles as a home office, perhaps with a space-saving trundle bed or sofa bed shoved in alongside the desk. This means leaving enough time to spruce up the room, and convert it to a comfy guest space, is all-important.
There’s no shortage of online advice on how to go about it. Clearing the clutter should be a top priority; try to clear drawers or closet space so guests have somewhere for their personal belongings. If possible, move out office-type furniture or anything else that may clash with a bedroom vibe.
Take a leaf out of the Airbnb host approach and think about those little extras to pamper guests. Start with good clean bed linen and towels, then add a couple of co-ordinated bed cushions, a small basket set of toiletries, fresh flowers and a scented candle. It helps to have the bed next to an accessible power point for charging phones, and visitors appreciate a bedside table with a few magazines, and a reading lamp.
It’s a good idea to check that the room door closes and latches properly. Your guests may not appreciate being woken up by pets or small children wandering into their space in the early hours.
Think about those little extras to pamper guests.
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 professional 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-in-law Shayden and Georgia Whipps, who run Christchurch-based home and lifestyle blog Mooch Style. Neutral white (Alabaster) was used for the walls, with a floral pattern chosen for the room’s recessed feature wall.
‘‘It is mostly a blank canvas with the feature cove wall adding that lovely feminine touch.’’
Ashlee searched for a sofa bed, but couldn’t find anything to suit the aesthetic. In the end she opted for a budget self-inflating air bed, which she can simply pull out of the cupboard and pop into the room whenever someone comes to stay.
‘‘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.’’