With many travelers opting for guest rooms over hotel suites this holiday season, interior designer Tracy Morris offers her tips on how to turn your extra bedroom into a home away from home
This holiday season, Elisabeth Casey and her family will be hosting a plethora of people in their Arlington home — including her in-laws.
“We tease that this is my in-laws’ room, so if anyone else stays here you’re staying in Faith and Bruce’s room,” said Casey, who’s had up to 12 people stay at her house at once. “They stay here the most because they live in Connecticut, but we’ve had all manner of people stay in this room.”
With so many people staying at Casa de Casey, she’s become an expert in making out-of-town guests feel at home.
But Casey’s just one of millions that will host out-of-town guests this winter. Last year, nearly 64 million Americans traveled more than 50 miles from home for holiday festivities, according to AAA. And with the recession in full swing, it’s likely more of those travelers will be hunkering down in guest rooms rather than hotels this season.
But transforming a space that many homeowners use to store their summer clothes or hide holiday gifts into a hotel-worthy room can be a challenge. Casey herself got a few tips from her Washington-based interior designer, Tracy Morris, on making the guest room in-law-friendly.
Here, Morris shares her tips with The Examiner for turning that extra bedroom into a true “guest” room:
>> Clean it up: It may seem obvious, but in addition to making sure there are fresh sheets and a dust-free nightstand, don’t forget to put that overflowing laundry basket in another room and clear out some space for your guests’ clothes in the closet.
“Really the main thing is just clean,” says Morris. “Just declutter the room.”
>> Decorate!: Oftentimes a guest room is one of the last places to get paint and art on the walls, but a calming color and some conversation-piece artwork can go a long way toward making your guests feel welcome.
Casey painted her guest room a soothing green and hung watercolors from an artist she and her husband discovered while vacationing in Oregon. Fresh flowers are also a simple way to make guests feel special and welcome.
>> Add creature comforts: An extra blanket at the foot of the bed, books for nighttime reading, a television to catch Conan and a bottle of water all add an extra touch of hominess to the room, says Morris.
>> Include the essentials: Just like at a hotel, make sure your company has everything they’ll need, from a bathrobe and plenty of towels to shampoo and a new toothbrush. Store these items in the guest room on the guest bathroom counter or somewhere else in plain sight, says Morris.
“Especially for someone who’s a new guest, they may feel super uncomfortable going through the closet [or bathroom cabinets],” she says. “Just make sure everything is out and available.”
>> Don’t forget the daytime: As hectic as the holidays are, Morris recommends leaving a house key in the guest room so that your company may come and go as they please. And don’t forget to include an alarm clock in the room so they won’t miss out on any early-morning holiday fun!
