GABRIELLA BIEDINGER - HER LIFE Magazine

herlife | homeHeapin’ Helpin’ of Hospitality:by chandra blackwellCreatinga GreatGuest Roomthe difference is all in the details. The things you choose mostly dependon how much you enjoy having overnight guests—and how longyou want them to stay.It usually starts with a futon. The simple, no-frills means of providingovernight accommodations for visiting friends is both affordableand functional (it’s a sofa and a bed!). Once upon a time, itspresence in your living room was your fledgling foray into AdultLiving. From there, maybe you moved to a Jennifer Convertible(mine was red), and then to the next level of adulthood: a spare roomthat served to give your sleepover guests the privacy of a closed doorwhile also serving as your home office/weight room/craft room. Thenone day, it happened—you moved from Adulthood Lite into full-on,grown-up mode as evidenced by one key accoutrement in your life: afully dedicated guest room.But there are guest rooms and then there are guest rooms, andThe Basics (For the One-Night Host)Aside from a bed, there are a few basic items that will make sureyour guests feel comfortable in your home. You may choose to havetowels set aside specifically for guests, or provide their bath timeprovisions from your own stock. But at any rate, towels that are cleanand do not double as sandpaper should suffice. Have an ample stockof bathroom basics. There’s nothing worse than running out of toiletpaper—except for running out of someone else’s toilet paper. Makesure your guests have plenty, as well as a handy supply of otherstaples such as tissues, cotton swabs, etc. Chances that a guest willforget his or her toothbrush are slim—but there is still a chance so itcouldn’t hurt to keep a spare handy (it’s a great use for the “freebies”you get from the dentist). In the rare event of a forgotten toothbrush,you’ll be the hero. And while it’s true that almost everyone these dayssleeps with a smartphone on the nightstand, it’s still a good idea tohave an alarm clock in the room in case the phone battery doesn’tmake it through the night. And some guests do prefer more “oldschool” methods of making sure they get up on time (but you haveour permission to draw the line at providing a live rooster).The Three-Star (For the Three-Night Host)If you still consider guests enjoyable after the first day and wantto up the ante a little, you can include (in addition to the amenitieslisted above) some nice, homey touches that invite them to linger fora couple more days. Consider leaving a small carafe filled daily withfresh water (add cucumber or lemon slices for an added spa-like56 HERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM