The Design Collective Group, Inc.
  • Welcome Home
  • Who .
    • Contact Us.
  • In My Humble Opinion
  • What .
  • When .
  • Where .
  • Why .
  • How .
  • Portfolio .
    • Living Spaces
    • Kitchen Spaces
    • Bedroom Spaces
    • Bathroom Spaces
    • Club Design
    • Office Design
    • Other Spaces
    • Recents Spaces
  • Get This Guide
  • Providence Project
  • Condo Project
  • Monte Sereno Project
  • La Quinta Project
  • Rancho Mirage Project
  • An Artful Home Project
  • Testimonials + Awards
  • Client Access
  • mitchscott
  • Project Portfolio
  • thompsonhardesty
  • Alta Residence
  • Phillips
  • Bella Cara Way Residence
  • SilverSands
  • johnstevecabana
  • DunnCapitalFinal
  • NickbargCashen
  • 3D Renderings
  • Makie Residence
  • Sun City Palm Desert
  • 67 Canejo Circle Residence
  • Citrus Renovation
  • WardGade
  • M Bathroom @ Citrus Country Club
  • TrilogyCMCDesignConcepts
  • PCA-Interior Finishes
  • Ledesma Residence
  • Olivier MBath
  • Ritchie Great Room

Giving Your Guest Something and Someplace Special

11/21/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
It’s the season for sharing.  One way to do that is share your home with family and friends during the holiday season.  And to make their time at your place extra special, here are twelve inexpensive touches that can make a difference for a guest and for you. 

But you should be warned:  Do a great job at making them comfortable by giving them a private place and retreat and they may be back every holiday.

• First, plan ahead.   With the anticipation of guests, don’t add to the stress of the season by running around at the last moment to ensure you have taken care of all the details.  As with this season, it is important to make a list and check it twice.  Stock up on supplies include tissues, soap, shampoo and bath essentials. That way you’ll have quality time to spend with your guests once they arrive.

• Next remember the essential basics: Provide fresh flowers in the room( a natural air-freshener) and a tray with a couple of bottles of bubbly or spring water and glasses. 

• Put a personalized welcome note on the pillow along a small bag of dark chocolate kisses.  The chocolate can raise the blood sugar naturally and make your guest feel sleepy, especially something important if your guest experiences a time change.

• Plug in two nightlights, one for the bedroom near the exit door, the other in the bathroom assigned for their use.  These can help them navigate in unfamiliar spaces without having to turn on the room lighting and disturbing others.

• Whether in the desert valley or high in the mountains, a condo loft or estate home, a fluffy robe hanging in the bedroom can be your guest’s personal security blanket plus it adds the warmth at night should the weather turn chilly unexpectedly.

• Create a guest book that resides in the room at all times.  Inside, include favorite local places to see, restaurants to visit and how to use the Internet including passwords and access to the wireless network.  Encourage them to leave a note to leave their own special message for the next guest.

•  Pairs of sleeping pillows stacked together are much better than trying to pile on decorative toss pillows, leaving the guests to figure out where to put them overnight.  In this case, keep it simple and move them to a shelf or chest.

• Nothing is finer than freshly pressed sheets to crawl into after a full day or travel.  You may forgo that luxury for yourself but it can be really something special for a favorite guest so send them out or do them yourself a few days before guests arrive.

• Provide your guest with a key to the house and advise them of any alarms that may be used day or night.  Better to give them that warning than waking up the household by opening up a window or an exterior door.

• Magazines that feature the local culture can be stacked in a market basket along with area maps and special interest publications that your guests may sincerely appreciate for your thoughtfulness.

• If your guest space doesn’t have black-out style window treatments, place a night mask on the beside table or hanging from a hook on the bathroom door.  And slippers by the bed make for an inviting touch especially if the flooring is something other then carpeting.

• And finally, if your guest room is small, offer to take the emptied luggage out of the room for safe keeping someplace else in the house. This will open up the room ( and closet ) and should your guest purchase something to remember their trip, there will be a place to store them easily.


2 Comments
Janice Shore
11/26/2011 12:51:55 pm

Great ideas. Those make it seem easy to design guests such a wonderful experience. What I'd like to know is why should all this "luxury" be wasted on guests.

I want to experience a nice room away from the busy-ness of the season like you pointed out. It would be like my own personal spa. Only thing you might have left out was the massage therapist on call. Have a good holiday and thanks for these.

Reply
Barbara J.
11/26/2011 11:58:24 pm

I really like reading your design blog and this one about guests is very appropriate since it's not always easy to have guests in my house ( because as you know... it is so small ) but my guest room is full of personality and it always seems to welcome friends and family in a nice way. Thanks again Michael and please have a happy and healthy holiday season. I look forward to reading more as the end of the year approaches. -- your faithful follower...Barbara.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Michael A. Thomas, FASID interior designer in Phoenix and Scottsdale, AZ
    ................................................. • Michael A. Thomas, CAPS, FASID is a passionate interior designer that constantly examines the impact design has on the human experience.
    Michael is an award winning interior designer based in Palm Desert, CA. He is a  Professional Member of the American Society of Interior Designers and a member of the ASID College of Fellows.  

    As a Certified Aging In Place Specialist, he creates smart looking spaces that are safe and secure and create homes for a lifetime.

    And with thirty plus years in the profession, he has honed his humor, elevated his passion for design and sharpened his wit to not take anything too seriously except his design work. 
    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Archives

    February 2023
    November 2022
    May 2022
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    June 2019
    September 2018
    March 2018
    October 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    October 2016
    August 2016
    April 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2007

    Categories

    All
    Aging In Place
    Baby Boomers
    Case Study 101
    Design Trends
    Frank Lloyd Wright
    Interior Design
    Kitchen
    Remodeling
    Taliesin West

    RSS Feed

©1996 ~ 2023 The Design Collective Group, Inc. • All Rights Reserved •
​Voice: 760 - 322 - 3784  
 All Photos, Images + Text Are Copyrighted + Cannot Be Used Without First Obtaining Permission.  -- 2022.
  • Welcome Home
  • Who .
    • Contact Us.
  • In My Humble Opinion
  • What .
  • When .
  • Where .
  • Why .
  • How .
  • Portfolio .
    • Living Spaces
    • Kitchen Spaces
    • Bedroom Spaces
    • Bathroom Spaces
    • Club Design
    • Office Design
    • Other Spaces
    • Recents Spaces
  • Get This Guide
  • Providence Project
  • Condo Project
  • Monte Sereno Project
  • La Quinta Project
  • Rancho Mirage Project
  • An Artful Home Project
  • Testimonials + Awards
  • Client Access
  • mitchscott
  • Project Portfolio
  • thompsonhardesty
  • Alta Residence
  • Phillips
  • Bella Cara Way Residence
  • SilverSands
  • johnstevecabana
  • DunnCapitalFinal
  • NickbargCashen
  • 3D Renderings
  • Makie Residence
  • Sun City Palm Desert
  • 67 Canejo Circle Residence
  • Citrus Renovation
  • WardGade
  • M Bathroom @ Citrus Country Club
  • TrilogyCMCDesignConcepts
  • PCA-Interior Finishes
  • Ledesma Residence
  • Olivier MBath
  • Ritchie Great Room