With the holiday season just around the corner, now is the perfect time to tackle that guest room project you’ve been putting off. At Season & Societe, we are about one thing – Elevated Garden Culture. And a major part of elevated garden culture is making people feel relaxed, rested, and restored. We put emphasis on the guest room, because that is the one way we can best host our guests. The guest room gives you a chance to make someone feel comfortable, feel cared for, feel loved. At S&S we are taking cues from the garden on how to create the ultimate guest room.
Photo Cred: @lleilani
The S&S Guest Room Challenge:
Do you really want to understand what it feels like to be a guest in your home? What better way to find out than to become the guest.
Take the Challenge
1. Pack an overnight bag and go spend the night in your guest room.
Make this experience as authentic as possible – if you typically travel with your significant other take them along with you. The more authentic your experience, the better experience you can provide for guests.
2. ONLY allow yourself to use the guest room and guest bathroom.
3. Do everything you would typically do if you were to stay in a hotel.
Put your things away, read, take a shower, put on your makeup (if that’s something you do), fix your hair, etc. Again, don’t skip something because it seems inconvenient or silly – this experience is to help you figure out what is missing or what could be better.
4. Make a list of anything you needed that was missing.
What items would you have had to ask for? How did you sleep? Was your pillow fluffy enough? Was there light pouring in through the window? What would have made for a better night’s sleep? How were you able to get ready for bed? How were you able to get ready for the day? Did you have space to move around? Were you able to put your things away? Did your experience seem peaceful or hectic?
5. Create an action plan and make some upgrades.
Many of the things that would make for a better experience are simple things that are easy to remedy. Spending a little bit of money can go a long way to create a guest room and an experience your family and friends want to return to.
At S&S we don’t dish out advice we do not also take, so we challenged ourselves and our staff to the same task. Based on our own list of what was missing from our guest rooms, we have created 5 ways you can upgrade your guest room to create the ultimate experience for your guest.
5 Ways to Elevate your Guest Room Experience
The Nightstand Situation.
How was the nightstand situation in your guest room? Was there a nightstand on both sides of the bed? Was it inviting? Did you have space to put your things or was it cluttered with items that collect dust?
Provide nightstands based on double occupancy.
A nightstand is about more than having a piece of furniture for guests to place their watch, phone or a glass of water on (though you will want to make sure you provide space for those things). A nightstand is an opportunity to provide a sense of tranquility and elevate the space.
Add a candle or a plant to elevate the nightstand and add a welcoming touch to the space.
Our fav candle for the guest room is Viridi Herbis by Barratt & Riley.
Not keen on remembering to water a houseplant in the guest room? Order fresh flowers instead. Urban Stems has some great options and they even offer a monthly membership so it is easy to always have fresh flowers on hand. Who doesn’t love that?
The Bed Situation.
Did the quality of linens you have in your owner’s suite match the quality of the guest room?
Did you feel like you were staying in a nice hotel, or staying at your 80 year old grandmother’s house or did you feel like you were at the motel 8? Were you overwhelmed by the amount of decorative pillows? And did you have space to move around once you removed the pillows from the bed?
1. Feel free to use decorative pillows, but keep it to a minimum.
2. Choose colors that are calming and natural tones.
3. Choose linens made from natural fibers.
Our Season & Societe top picks for linens are
1. Parachute.
Both retailers offer linens that are luxurious and cozy in colors that are soft and neutral and their prices won’t break the bank.
The Bathroom Situation.
Did you have easy access to fresh linens and toiletries? Was there space for your toothbrush? Was the counter nice and clean with plenty of space for your use or was it cluttered and chaotic?
1. Provide guests countertop space to work with.
2. Provide organizational accessories for items like toothbrushes.
3. Always have everyday toiletries on hand that guests may have forgotten at home.
Things like a spare toothbrush, a razor, cotton balls, QTips, toothpaste, soap, and shampoo and conditioner are relatively inexpensive and always good to have on hand. Let your guests know where they can locate these items when you show them their room.
CB2 has a great collection of marble and stone countertop organization products.
The Lighting Situation
How was the lighting in your guest room? Did it feel like you were in a dark cave? Did you have a lamp to read at night? Was turning off the lights at night a chore that required you to get out of bed and stumble around in the dark? Once the lights were out, was it dark enough?
At S&S we have a philosophy that natural provides the best settings for your body and your brain. This includes lighting. Based on this, we suggest you:
1. Provide as much natural light as possible during daylight hours.
2. Add curtains or shades that block out any unnatural city light at night.
3. Provide a reading lamp on the nightstand or near the bed.
The Organization Situation.
During your overnight stay, did you have space to put your things away? A space for guests to put their things away helps make guests feel peaceful and keeps the house looking tidy and organized
1. Clean out a spare drawer or hang cubbies in the closet
2. Make space in the closet. Be sure to provide a few extra hangers for guests to hang their clothes.
3. Provide a suitcase stand.
Having a well put together guest room is the perfect way to show guests how much you love and care about them. The guest room sets the tone for their stay and your time together. Keeping guest comfortable is as simple as providing an uncluttered nightstand, quality bedding, a bathroom equipped with the essentials, a bedside lamp and a place to put away their belongings.
Did you take the S&S Ultimate Guest Room Challenge? How did you score? We would love to hear about your experience and see your before and after photos! Post them on Instagram using the #ssguestroomchallenge and be sure to tag us @season.societe.
