It’s almost that season where long-distance relatives make the long journey to disembark on you for several days. Where you’ll dust off favourite board games that come out once a year and that point in the day where you need to force everyone out of the house for a well needed blast of fresh air.
Sound familiar? We’ve got some lovely tips ahead of hosting season, to help make things feel a little easier when it comes to sharing your home with loved ones, as well as making your guest space as cosy and homely as possible.
1. Spritz the space
Before welcoming your guests to stay it might be worth having a bit of a thorough tidy in your guest bedroom/space. If you’re anything like me, our spare bedroom often becomes a little bit of a dumping ground for things that are due to go back into the loft, but seemingly that journey always feels quite the effort…So, before anything else, clear the space of any unnecessary bits and pieces that don’t live there. Then, a good spritz - dusting any cobwebs, cleaning any surfaces and shining mirrors, as well as a hoover, will make the space lovely and fresh.
2. Prepare their bed
Arguably, the most important element of staying anywhere other than your own bed, is the hope you will still get a restful night's kip. When preparing to host guests, it’s important to ensure their bed is as comfortable as possible so they feel wonderfully rested. Our mattress toppers are a great option if you’ve been meaning to refresh the spare mattress but haven’t had the chance, or if you just want to offer an additional layer of natural woollen comfort to your guests.
Next up, duvet and pillows
There’s nothing worse than staying over somewhere where you’ve got a wafer thin duvet to try and cling to. If you can, ensure your duvet and pillows are kept fresh so guests can envelop themselves in cloud-like softness. We offer differing weights in both our pillows and duvet inserts so you can choose what you think is best. Made from merino wool and organic cotton, our inserts are nothing but plush and long-lasting.
Then, fresh bed linen
To ensure guests feel at home, ensure you dress the bedding with fresh bed linen. We offer both linen and cotton options, depending on your preference, but both fabrics are beautiful to sleep in.
Our linen bedding is thermo-regulating, keeping you cool in the summer and super cosy come winter and our cotton bedding is 200 thread-count and smooth to the touch - so, whichever option you choose, your guests will rest easy.
With thirty colourways across our collections, you are bound to find a perfect match to make your guest bedroom really special and coordinate with your existing interiors.
To finish, make it plush
You certainly don’t want guests to get cold in the night, so provide a blanket or two, so they’re able to pull over an extra layer of comfort. Choose woollen blankets for a cosy touch, or a large quilt for a more weighted option. Not only will these provide more comfort for your guests, but also when they enter the room to several thoughtful touches, they’ll know they’re being looked after.
To finish making your beautiful guest bed, add a couple of cushions. You can go super matchy with your bed linen, or opt for bold prints to stand-out. We also recommend pillow shams, as they too are decorative but are great to lean into if guests wish to read in bed.
3. Provide hanging space
If you have guests staying for more than one night, it’s thoughtful to offer hanging space so they don’t have to live out of a suitcase during their stay. You don’t have to provide an entire spare wardrobe, just a small hanging rail would suffice. This is a nice touch, especially if guests have smart options to wear over the festive period.
4. Leave out fresh towels
As like a beautifully freshly made bed, it’s important guests are given clean, fresh towels for their stay. Lay out a couple of options, perhaps differing sizes, like hand towels and bath sheets, so your guests don’t have to ask. If you want to be *extra*, try our towel folding hack for an instant spa-like touch. These finishing touches will go a long way in making your guests feel at home.
5. It’s the little things
When guests come to stay, they may have forgotten a few things such as a phone charger. Leaving a universal cable next to the bedside is a great touch. Equally, it’s worth saving little bottles of toiletries from hotels, so that you can provide guests with shampoo and conditioner throughout their stay.
You could leave a carafe of water and glass next to the bed to save any need for them to get up in the night. And for chilly nights, there’s nothing better than getting into a bed that’s been warmed up with a hot water bottle, so you could always prepare one before they head up to bed.
Candles and room mists are another way of making guests feel comfortable. Cosy scents instantly refresh a space and walking into a bedroom with a lovely candle lit, is instantly relaxing.
6. The wow factor
If you really want to impress your guests, or wish to make their stay even more comfortable, provide pyjamas, cosy socks and a robe. Leaving these in the room for them will make them feel super special. Plus, once you’ve tried sleeping in linen pyjamas, you’ll be hard pushed to sleep in anything else.
