Christmas can be incredibly stressful. There’s all that list making, and checking those lists not once, but twice, for goodness sake. Here at the MBA studio, we’ve been up to our antlers in festive season styling for clients, decking their halls for up coming celebrations. Often, the celebrations aren’t just for one day, and clients find themselves hosting visitors for anything from a night to a week.*
Do you have visitors coming for the festive season? If your guest room is unused except for during the holidays, show open your windows and let the festive spirit flow through along with some fresh air. If your guest room is used as a dumping ground for the rest of your house, it might be time for a declutter and some styling to make your visitors feel welcome:
Refresh your bedlinen and pillows:
It’s such a lovely feeling at the end of a long day to sink into a comfortable bed with beautiful bedlinen- and is there any day longer in the calendar than Christmas Day, especially with young children eagerly awaiting the visit of the jolly man in the red suit? Have some unused pillows on standby for your guests, and they’ll sleep like the babies should have.
Space to for belongings:
There’s two types of guests- those who like to unpack, and those who are happy to use their suitcases as a wardrobe. It’s a lovely idea to cater for both by having some empty drawers and hanging space available, and an ottoman or a blanket box on which a suitcase can sit off the floor. So too in the bathroom; space for toiletries is always appreciated.
Fresh towels:
Some lovely fresh towels on the end of the bed is a really beautiful touch and saves your guest from having to ask you for the linen cupboard whilst you’re stuffing your turkey.
Styling:
Whilst we don’t recommend draping tinsel across every surface, some small nods to the festive season can be lovely. A beautiful glass Christmas ornament on a bedside table, or a potted poinsettia adds a festive touch. Whilst we’re talking about bedside tables, a lamp for reading in bed as well as some reading material (magazines, novels) is a touch we’re sure your guests would appreciate when it comes time to wind down in the bedroom.
A guest room is an opportunity to create a beautiful space- and not just for guests. Some of our empty nest clients have turned their adult offspring’s bedrooms into wonderful sanctuaries- and we have a gift that celebrates this stage of family life. Take a peek at our Feather that Nest gift– it’s perfect for those of you who still have your childhood bedrooms set up in your parent’s home!
*one of our Aunts has a saying:
‘House guests are like fish- after three days, throw them out’. We may or may not subscribe to this philosophy, but in the interests of being helpful we thought we’d include it for your consideration.
