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Let guests truly exhale in a cozy, inviting space

Visitors will love a thoughtfully planned room - and you, for taking time.

By ELIZABETH BETTENDORF, Times Staff Writer
Published November 28, 2007

The maxim goes like this: "Fish and houseguests smell after three days."

Or so said Benjamin Franklin.

But some people really want out-of-town guests to linger a little longer, or at least feel loved and pampered for the course of their stay, which can sometimes stretch beyond three days, especially in Florida - and especially during the holiday season.

So what's the problem with most guest rooms?

Too often they're a catch-all for clutter and castoffs, confused spaces that typically house an unattractive bed and all the knickknacks and furniture banished from the rest of the house.

How to make a guest room an oasis that begs visitors to kick up their feet and enjoy their visit?

Some experts weigh in on the subject and offer these tips:

Size up the bed

"First look at the architecture of the room. Is it a square or an even size?" asks Christy Knight, a Tampa Bay area interior decorator who owns Tampa Bay Redesign and specializes in redesign and staging. "If so, then turn the bed on an angle so it faces the door. A lot of people think this makes a room look much smaller, but it actually makes it more intimate."

If it's an average- to small-sized room, don't feel like you need to invest in a super-sized bed, says Bianca Russell, who owns After Neiman's, a home boutique at 9660 W Linebaugh Ave.

"In a guest bedroom, a smaller bed is much more intimate and cozy," she says. "Make it up in fresh, beautiful, light-colored linens, which will give the room a sense of cleanness. And be sure to add lots and lots of pillows to make the bed comfortable and give it an inviting look."

Jan Karamitsanis, a Tampa designer and owner of Jankara Fine Designs, says that whether the room is spacious or small, bedding is key.

"Make sure you have nice sheets and fluffy pillows," she says. "Whenever I go into a bedroom, the bed is the first thing I look at."

Shed some light

Forget overhead lights in the room, Russell urges: "Lamps are much nicer and make the room cozier for your guests, drawing them inward."

If you have enough room, create a reading space with a chair, ottoman and lamp, Knight advises. "It's also a nice place for people to get dressed or put on their shoes," she says.

Add candles for intimacy, Knight says, but go light on the scented varieties, "because a lot of people have allergies."

Opt either for unscented or inoffensive scents like vanilla or cinnamon.

Says Karamitsanis: "Even if you have to pull in a lamp from another room, it makes the room a lot more warm and cozy than just a light midceiling."

Drapes, plants, art

Add some draperies, "even if you just use panels from Target," Knight says. "Draperies soften a room and make it feel more inviting, even if you just use one panel on each side of a window."

Also, she says, bring some plants into the room. A well-placed tree in a corner can lend much-needed greenery. "It can also make the room feel much cleaner," Knight notes.

While you're at it, she says, hang a few well-chosen pieces of art to personalize the room and give it character.

Add personal goodies

Wesley Chapel interior decorator Martha Adams says the small things are what make a guest feel welcome or "hotel comfy."

It's all in the doting, says Adams, who owns I Decorate for You, a business that helps people get designer decor without designer prices.

Some examples: 100 percent cotton bath towels, designer linens that you can pick up at discount stores, disposable slippers, a carafe of water by the bed and a couple of books or magazines.

Karamitsanis keeps those thoughtful luxuries on hand, too. She'll stock a cotton robe, an inexpensive magnifying makeup mirror and hair dryer in her guest bedroom. She also likes to drape a throw or an afghan at the end of the bed for her older guests who might want to nap during the day. In a household with young children, it's nice to create a little reading or getaway area in the guest room where guests can retreat for a while, she says.

Adams typically heaps a pretty, guest room basket with shampoo, lotion, and other toiletries for her guests who can't carry those items on an airplane.

"I just leave it on the bed and they love it," she says.

Declutter

Start with the furniture.

"Too often when people are creating a guest room, they feel like they have to buy the whole set of furniture: chest, armoire, dresser, mirror," Knight says.

"But if you can get away with having just a dresser, it really opens up the room. Get rid of excess magazines and junk from the rest of the house, she says, but do leave some reading material bedside.

Adams says decluttering also means emptying drawers and a closet, and outfitting the guest closet with extra hangers.

After the room is clean, clutter free and cozy, Adams takes it an extra step.

She and her daughter like to sprinkle Dove chocolates on the guest bed. Then they leave a handwritten note that says: "We're so happy to have you!"

Elizabeth Bettendorf can be reached at ebettendorf@hotmail.com.

[Last modified November 27, 2007, 21:26:35]