I’ve only had a home with a guest room for a couple years, but already I’m realizing how tricky it can be to keep the room feeling fresh and ready to use. I tend to ignore it for a few weeks, and end up with a musty and stale smell in the room by the time I remember to clean everything up. This is not a good way to impress the company.
I have corrected this by making it a room that I use a little – not often, and not every day, but you can expect to see me in there a time or two each week. That way, it’s a little lived in, which prevents everything from getting stale. For example, I have put a rocking chair in the bedroom that I like to sit in and relax once a week or so. If I’m having a rough day, or I’m feeling especially sleepy for some reason, I’ll go in there, sit down, close my eyes, and rock for about 15 minutes or so. It’s remarkably refreshing, and quickly has me ready for the rest of the day. It’s surprising what a little rocking can do!
I also use the closet of the guest room to hang up my kids off-season clothing. It’s a great place to hide away their heavy winter jackets during the summer, and make more room in their closets when it’s cold out. It’s probably the fanciest guest room closet in the country when it’s full of kids Regatta jackets!
So now that the room sees a little more activity and a little more use, it has a more lively look and feel to it, which may not make sense unless you actually have a guest room. An unused room feels empty, and that’s the last thing I want guests to feel when they stay at my home.