Your summer travel plans are taking shape, and in your absence, your home will be working hard providing an excellent pad for fellow travellers using Airbnb to take in the delights of the country. But how do you create a guest bedroom that is idyllic and welcoming?
Step 1 – Remove all personal items
Your guests know that this is your home and they’ll expect to see various possessions and photos around the place, but the bedroom is slightly different in this respect. By removing personal items, you create a blank canvas against which most guests will feel more comfortable rather than opening a drawer to find your underwear…
Pack away photos, jewellery, personal toiletries and clothing so that your guests have space in the beautiful reclaimed wood furniture for their items.
Step 2 – Cleaning
Spotless. That is the state of cleanliness in your bedroom you are aiming for – in fact, when it comes to the rest of your home, it needs to be spotless too if you are renting out via Airbnb.
Step 3 – Start re-building the bedroom as a guest space
As a guest, what would you expect in a bedroom? By answering this question, you will be able to create a beautiful, relaxing haven for your guests.
- Wardrobe – clear the wooden wardrobe of all items, leaving high-quality wooden hangers for your guests’ clothes.
- Chest of drawers – as well as being empty, adding pretty draw lining paper with a light fragrance to it is perfect for adding a little extra touch to a large chest of drawers.
- Spare bedding – from an extra blanket or two to extra pillows, add essential items such as these to a wooden blanket box. If you don’t have one, the top shelf of a wooden wardrobe makes for a great alternative (and probably the second place people will look if there is no blanket box in the room).
Step 4 – Sumptuous bedding
You want your guests to sleep well in your home, and that means making sure your bed is extra sumptuous.
- Mattress topper – adding a mattress topper adds a layer of softness to your bed but also helps to protect your matters. They work on any mattress and any bedframe, including reclaimed wood low bed frames.
- Pillows – always a bug-bear is the choice of pillows on a bed. Some people sleep with one, almost flat pillow, others are cocooned in a nest of pillows and cushions, while other guests prefer a firm one to a soft one… it could go on an on. Suffice to say, the safest foot forward is to invest in quality pillows with pillow protectors. Add spare pillows to the wooden wardrobe or the blanket box.
- Duvet and sheets – the higher the thread count of bedding, the better quality it is. This makes it softer and looks better too, but also washes better, something you will need to consider as guest bedding tends to be washed more frequently.
Step 5 – The finishing touches
Think 5* luxury. From chocolates left on the pillows to a bowl of fruit on the small side table, the smaller details matter. Information on the local area, where to eat and what to do are the small details that push a 4* review to a 5* one.
