How to make room for guests

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It’s easy to see the need for a room for guests, but how does that serve us the rest of the year? This is the case of the guest room versus the built-in.

SEPARATE GUEST ROOM OPTION

What constitutes a suitable amount of space? Well, if you’re satisfied with your office, media or crafts area, and there are enough bedrooms for the people that live there, then you’ve got space. You can still use the guest room closets for off-season clothes and storage, as guests won’t be staying that long, and having it already set up saves you time when guests are expected. You can be sure the mattress is comfortable, the sheets are clean and pressed, the coverlet or duvet are in great condition and comfortable. You have to remember your guests left the comforts of home, to spend time with you. That experience should be pleasant.

If you want to be an extraordinary host, pamper your guests with extra creature comforts: a jug of water, a proper glass, blackout window coverings for optimal sleep, both a feather and non-feather pillow (allergies), and don’t forget to include a robe and slippers, especially if the bathroom is shared.

It’s also wise to make sure there is a clock (set to the right time) and alarm, a power bar and plug converter, for all those devices that everyone travels with. If you set the guest room up like this, the only difficulty you’ll have, is getting guests to go home again!

THE WALL BED OPTION

Most people don’t have enough space to devote a whole room to guests that visit a half dozen times a year. The option is that the guest sleeps on a sofa bed or inflatable bed. They have no privacy and you can’t use the great room, for example, until “sleepy head” is up for the day. A Wall Bed, often known as a Murphy bed, (a brand name of a wall bed) is a great solution. You get to have a fully functional room as an office or media centre, while still being sure your guests are comfortable. With many of the wall beds with a built-in desk top, you don’t even need to remove what’s on the desk as it cantilevers
under the bed.

Once the bed is opened, you know that the mattress is going to be comfortable because it’s an actual mattress. When the Murphy bed is out of the wall, you can set it up then. You will have to spend a little more time arranging the pillows and duvet cover, and you may need to do a little ironing of the sheets and pillow cases if you want the bed to look perfect. You can still have some of those creature comforts, but most of them you will have to remember to re-install in the room. When you consider that the room can be well used 355 times a year and only 10 days of the year are allotted for guests, it’s a pretty great solution. I love this option for any small space and/or a bachelor apartment. The wall bed uses very little floor space while providing more than one function.

In the case of separate guest room vs. the wall bed, I would declare a tie. The space you have, should determine what is best for you.

Extensive experience in residential, commercial and hospitality design. Principal of design firm Grafus Design Build, Glen Peloso is frequently in the media as design expert on the Marilyn Denis Show, and CHCH Morning Live, a contributor to Global Morning News, Breakfast Television Toronto, past series with HGTV and the Food Network, along with Radio and Blogs. Reporting on design trends from around the world, his work has been featured in various print publications throughout North America. Twitter: glenpeloso Instagram: glenpelosodesigner

Glen Peloso
Glen Peloso
Glen Peloso is an interior designer and principal of design firm Grafus Design Build.
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