Five Tips For Helping Your Guests Feel At Home

1. Focus On Soothing Walls Consider the colors of the walls in your guest room. Some colors are more appropriate for a bedroom than others. Fire Engine Red is not a soothing color that will encourage sleep and a bright yellow might be filled with light, but it isn't sleep-inducing. Instead, consider blue or green as the 'cool' colors and choose warm, neutral tints rather than bright spring green or peacock blue. A paint job is the quickest and cheapest way to spruce up any room so consider upgrading any dingy or dull paint. If the wallpaper is outdated, dirty or coming off in spots, consider replacing it. 2. What About The Floors? Is the carpet worn, matted or dingy? If so, consider a steam cleaning or use area rugs to hide worn spots if the budget won't allow replacement. If the floor is tile or wood, remember that it might be cold to tender feet in the winter months and consider a small rug by the side of the bed. Rugs and carpet also decrease the noise level. 3. Find Some Storage Space Clear out a drawer or two or make some space in the closet where they can hang clothes because most people don't enjoy living out of a suitcase. A very nice touch is to have a chest or bench at the foot of the bed to allow placement of open suitcases. And while you're planning, don't forget the hangers! The wire ones from the cleaners are tacky, so at least invest a couple of dollars in plastic ones which are inexpensive and come in a rainbow of colors. 4. Access To The Bathroom Ideally, a guest room has its own bath, but that isn't the case in many homes. A private bath is truly the ultimate in luxury. However, if this isn't possible, is there a convenient bathroom nearby? Is it free of children's toys and turtles in the bathtub? A great way to let guests know you've been thinking about their comfort is to have towels and washcloths on the bed when they arrive. If they must share a bath with family members, make certain their towels are a unique color, so that there is no uncertainty about which towel belongs to them. And don't forget the elegances of outstanding hotels. You can offer your guests such luxuries as: * Shampoo * Herbal soap * Toothpaste * Hairspray * A small container of deodorant * Disposable razors With very little money, you can pile all of this bounty into a beautiful basket or container. And consider that more unusual items such as rosemary shampoo or lemon verbena soap is especially thoughtful. Very often, we all forget some vital necessity and arrive in a strange location without a basic necessity. Waking up in the morning and realizing with horror that you forgot your toothbrush is extremely unpleasant - not to mention embarrassing as you take care not to breathe on anyone. 5. Homey Touches Sometimes the details can make all the difference in the world. Any of the following additions to your guest room will be much appreciated by all visiting guests. * Alarm clock * TV * Radio * Phone * Reading lamp * Fresh flowers or plants * Recent magazines or books The easiest way to create a fabulous guest room is to think what YOU would like in a room. And the only problem with putting your energy into creating such a welcoming and inviting oasis is that your guests might never want to leave!