As most of our Chicago and Indianapolis furniture customers probably know, Christmastime creates the busiest travel days of the year (besides the dreaded Thanksgiving Eve). And between holiday parties with extended family, New Year’s celebrations with old friends, and every other shindig you’d expect an invitation to this December, the team at The RoomPlace is gearing up for houses full of festivities, merriment, and of course, plenty of guests.
If you’ve ever shopped at one of our many furniture stores in the Tinley Park, Schaumburg and Merrillville areas, you probably already know that The RoomPlace is dedicated to providing the best furniture and home accents at affordable prices – all with the goal of helping our customers develop their own personal decorating styles. So this holiday season, why not share your flare for interior design with your house guests in the most inviting way possible? Here, The RoomPlace is happy to offer advice on how to create the most welcoming guest rooms to ensure your friends, family and in-laws give only rave reviews about your holiday hospitality.
Step 1: de-clutter your environment
We get it – the holiday season is busy. With all the last-minute shopping, school plays or concerts, and cookie baking you’ve been taking care of lately, it’s easy to let your guest bedroom devolve into a storage room or glorified dumping ground. But you don’t want your guests feeling like they’ve been thrown in with all the other junk that’s at the bottom of your priority list.
So take a few minutes to organize. Don’t panic, we didn’t say “clean”; just move some of those boxes to the basement and make good use of your closet space (but not the one in the guest room!). Your guests will appreciate the effort when they’re not competing with the extra Christmas decorations for a little wiggle room.
Step 2: spoil your weary travelers
It probably goes without saying that you tend to keep your favorite pieces of furniture in the rooms meant for you and your family, while hiding some of those older, well-loved items in the lower-traffic guest room. There’s nothing wrong with making the most of hand-me-downs, but if you’re not willing to part with that brand-new dresser just yet, at least splurge on a high-quality new comforter, classy full-length bedroom mirror, or some plush towels for your guests’ enjoyment. They might not notice the age of the bed frame, but nobody objects to a little pampering when they’re on vacation.
And don’t forget to provide extra amenities, like hangers, aspirin or toothbrushes. We all know how frustrating it is to forget that one essential thing when packing for a trip away.
Step 3: personalize the treatment
The most important rule of thumb when readying your guest room is to remember that decorating any room should really be all about the designer: in this case, you! Don’t be afraid to add a few personal touches of your own, especially anything that enhances the style you’ve chosen to use in your other home decorating endeavors.
If the rest of your house uses the homespun touches of a comfortable country style, try adding floral curtains to the guest room windows or placing a cozy patchwork quilt on the bed. If you lean more towards a tried-and-true traditional style, you might provide a few velvet throw pillows or consider investing in a comfy, trendy velvet armchair for the corner near the reading lamp. Whatever your interior design style, we hope you get the idea – don’t lose it in the guest room just because it sees less action than the living room or kitchen.
During the holidays, just being near your friends and family is what really matters. But putting a dash of extra effort into your guest room this year will show your guests how much you value their time. And besides, it never hurts to eat, drink, and be merry in style!
The team at The RoomPlace wishes all our furniture shoppers from Chicago, Indianapolis, Tinley Park and beyond a very satisfying and safe holiday season.