Last year after we moved into our new home and I finally was able to get the major areas of the house settled in, it was time to tackle the areas I would not regularly live in like the guest bedrooms. Having lived in many homes where extra space was at a premium, I never take spare rooms for granted, I always work really hard at making the places guests will inhabit comfortable and accommodating.
It is not just about fresh linens because honestly through and through I am a practical person. Where to start? Nice bedding is essential along with extra pillows and blankets that are accessible, a good alarm clock, a place to plug in chargers, water bottles, a small snack, tissues, a trash can, and several locations where they can put their bags or empty the contents of their pockets. I also like to leave reading material in the form of magazines or a book I think they might like. In addition, I tend to really pay attention to the bathroom they will be using. Plenty of towels, hand towels, and wash rags (and a clear place to deposit these items after they are used) with extra supplies like tooth paste, floss, tooth brushes, a hair dryer, soaps, body washes, Q-tips, and plenty of toilet paper. Who wants to ask for that?? I make sure there are hooks on the back of my bathroom doors so guest can hang clothes they are taking off or what they will be putting on without taking up valuable counter space.
I suppose all in all I try to look at these areas as if it were a hotel and I am trying to predict what someone just might need. While material things don’t make a visit, the people who dwell in my house do, so if I can do a few little things to add to their ease then it was all the more worth it.