How can it be November already? With Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night behind us, Christmas is undeniably on its way. Before we know it, we will be feverishly wrapping presents and waiting for family and friends to arrive. But wasn’t it Benjamin Franklin who once said “Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.”?

If your house is anything like ours, the spare room is the ‘everything’ room, filled with boxes and books. An excess storage space where things that aren’t used every day get dumped and quickly forgotten.  Definitely a case of out of sight, out of mind.

More and more often, any extra space we have often has to perform multiple roles. Spare bedrooms may not have the impact of the living room or the comforting pull of the kitchen, but there is no reason not to treat them like any other part of the house. Whether you have the luxury of a spare bedroom or are simply utilising a corner of another room, turning an overlooked space into a cosy escape for your guests needn’t be difficult.

How do you know what your guests would like? Well, it’s most likely exactly what you would too. The first thing to do is get rid of any unnecessary clutter that may be in there (especially if the room doubles as a laundry room, attic or office). This is the perfect opportunity to clear out anything that hasn’t seen the light of day for years, then carefully consider what you want to keep. We are aiming for a calm and uncluttered haven, where your house guests will be able to relax and take a bit of time out. We all know well-rested, relaxed guests make much better company!

 

Who doesn’t love climbing into a comfortable bed, newly made with freshly laundered sheets and fluffy pillows? Layer up the bed with plenty of pillows, cushions and an extra throw or blanket so that your guests can make themselves comfortable.

 

Even sofa beds can look luxurious if you pick your best bed linen to go on them, but if the thought of all that ironing is enough to make you need a lie-down, natural linen with its effortless crumpled appearance is the perfect answer. White always looks beautiful, but gorgeous jewel colours look fabulous too.

In fact, the bed linen is the perfect starting point for your guest bedroom as it can offer you a readymade colour scheme.

Choose paint colours that make you feel good when you’re in the room. If you choose to stay neutral, add colour, texture and pattern to the space by changing the bed linen, throws and cushions. Choose colours that complement your existing wall colours and use them on furniture to create a whole new look and feel in the room.

Delicate colours like Farrow & Ball’s Pale Powder, Teresa’s Green and Green Blue are perfect for creating a calm, relaxed environment. However, if you prefer to make a dramatic statement by going dark, think about using strong colours like Inchyra Blue or Railings to create intimacy and drama. Dark colours work particularly well if your room is very dark anyway. Sometimes it really is best not to fight nature.

But either way, whether you prefer dark or light, using harmonious shades that are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel will result in a relaxing colour scheme.

Finally, small styling details and thoughtful finishing touches will really show your guests that you’ve made the effort and are looking forward to their arrival. Fresh cut flowers, a pile of books or magazines, a good table lamp and fluffy towels. Although, it may mean they keep coming back and/or they don’t want to leave, which, depending on how you look at it, might be a good or bad thing!