Wouldn't it be lovely to have plenty of rooms in our homes, so we had a spare bedroom made up, ready and waiting for last-minute guests?! However, for those of us lucky enough to have a spare room, many have been using it as an office or even a classroom for at least some time this year. If your spare room is working hard as a home office one minute and a guest bedroom the next, here we look at a few ideas to help make this a quick, pain-free and practical switch.
1) Choosing the right furniture
A matching reclaimed wood bed and desk combo is a great start. The chances are your guest room / office room will be on the smaller side so coordinating furniture is way more sleek than mismatched pieces. A white reclaimed wood desk with a wooden double bed is perfect for a smaller room giving it a more light and airy feel. If you can, position the home office desk next to the bed so it can easily be used as a nightstand by your guests or add a rustic mirror over your home office desk and, voila, you have a dressing table.
Photo featuring: Standford High Reclaimed Bed & Standford Reclaimed Wood Beside Table
2) Clear that clutter
You can stash away a whole lot of what you normally need on your desk in a chest of drawers when you are expecting guests.... and of course, they have somewhere to pop their clothes, so they are not living out of a bag during their stay. Another great storage option is a blanket box, a great place to store seasonal and guest bedding and towels, but also to hide away any office clutter.
Photo featuring: Savannah Reclaimed Wood Blanket Box
3) A touch of comfort
Reclaimed wood furniture, with its character there for all to see, gives a room a homely and warm feel. It matches well with neutral and bold colours and it also works in a traditional or an ultra-modern setting, making it super versatile. For extra cosiness put some scatter cushions on the bed and a bedside lamp on either the desk or a separate nightstand. A coordinating bedroom rug to step onto is also a nice touch. Choose a soothing colour that works as well in an office as it does in a bedroom - blues, greens and grey are great colours to consider.
Photo featuring: Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Desk
4) Little treats
Although you will go out of your way to look after your guests, we love the idea of leaving a little basket of tasty treats in their room. You could leave some peanuts or other savoury snacks out for them, some fresh fruit, as well as some sweet treats, perfect for if they feel a bit peckish before dinner - it also means that you can get on with preparing the main event without worrying if your guests need anything to keep them going until dinner is ready.
5) Toiletries
Generally, people do bring their own preferred products, but if they have forgotten something or are on a flying visit with hand luggage only, it's a really lovely thought to have some toiletries ready for them to use, without having to dash to a shop! Have a little selection of "the basics" in a basket that you can put out along with their wash towels.
