June 3, 2025 • 37 mins
In this episode of Boulevard Beat, Meghan and Krissa take a deep dive into the design and purpose of guest rooms—those often underutilized spaces that, when done right, leave a lasting impression.
As the summer hosting season approaches, they share ideas for crafting rooms that make guests feel not only comfortable but genuinely cared for. From the must-have basics to creative design details, they explore how to transform any spare room into a gracious, stylish retreat—without going overboard.
Whether your guest space is a multipurpose nook or a full suite, this episode will help you elevate the experience with ease and intention.
Street Style Takeaways:
Save 15% site wide at www.houseofblum.com with promo code beat15! Or you can use this link- https://houseofblum.com/discount/beat15!
Connect with the Hosts https://www.instagram.com/boulevardbeatpodcast/
Connect with Meghan Blum Interiors https://www.instagram.com/meghanbluminteriors/
Connect with House of Blum https://www.instagram.com/shophouseofblum/
Connect with Krissa Rossbund. https://www.instagram.com/krissa_rossbund/
Connect with Liz Lidgett https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgett/
Episode Website https://www.blvdbeat.com/about
As the summer hosting season approaches, they share ideas for crafting rooms that make guests feel not only comfortable but genuinely cared for. From the must-have basics to creative design details, they explore how to transform any spare room into a gracious, stylish retreat—without going overboard.
Whether your guest space is a multipurpose nook or a full suite, this episode will help you elevate the experience with ease and intention.
Street Style Takeaways:
- Start with Comfort and Function
A great guest room begins with a solid foundation—think supportive mattress, blackout window treatments, and good lighting. - Design with Intentionality
Don’t treat the guest room as an afterthought or dumping ground. Thoughtful design creates a welcoming energy that reflects the rest of your home. - Avoid the “Hotel Stiffness” Trap
It's not about perfection—it’s about warmth. Add books, a cozy throw, or art that feels personal rather than generic. - Anticipate Guest Needs
Think like a guest: Where will they charge their phone? Is there space for their suitcase? Little conveniences make a big difference. - Layer Personality into the Space
Use the guest room to tell a story—whether that’s family photos, a collected mirror, or a color palette that complements your home's character.
Save 15% site wide at www.houseofblum.com with promo code beat15! Or you can use this link- https://houseofblum.com/discount/beat15!
Connect with the Hosts https://www.instagram.com/boulevardbeatpodcast/
Connect with Meghan Blum Interiors https://www.instagram.com/meghanbluminteriors/
Connect with House of Blum https://www.instagram.com/shophouseofblum/
Connect with Krissa Rossbund. https://www.instagram.com/krissa_rossbund/
Connect with Liz Lidgett https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgett/
Episode Website https://www.blvdbeat.com/about
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to boulevard Beat, a podcast we're life and style intersect.
I'm designer Megan Bloom along with my co hosts, editor
Chrisa Rossbund and gallery owner Liz Legit. This podcast focuses
on the daily highlights instead of the hustle, interviews with
taste makers, and personal conversations on how to highlight achievable style.
You con stroll one street at a time, boulevard Beat
(00:29):
proves the one you should take.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Welcome back, Chrisa.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I am excited to have this conversation today, most importantly
because within this podcast, we want to have goals of
making life at home just a little bit better, and
today we're going to dive into talking about guest rooms,
how to design it, what essentials to include in it,
and how to be more thoughtful hosts without overdoing it.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Well. This is fun and I think it's a great
time because we are approaching the summer months when I
know that a lot of people will be traveling and
we will be opening our homes to guests. So it's
important to have little reminders of what to do to
make that a wonderful experience for your guest and tap
(01:17):
into those things that we overlook sometimes.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Definitely, it's always good just to kind of think through
all those little ways to set up a perfect guest room.
So I'm excited to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Well, let's talk about design first of the guest rooms,
and I know in a bit we're going to get
into the essentials and things you should have and what
to do as a great host. But let's talk about
the design, which I think can be kind of exciting
because in a guest room you can have that moment
of design surprise. It can be that outlier in your
(01:47):
home where maybe you introduce a different color scheme or
different wallpaper. How do you approach guest rooms.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I approach them exactly like that, you know. I think
most often we want our primary suites to be more
RESTful and soothing, and you're a little bit more safe
on some of your design decisions. So I think the
guest room is a perfect place just to go for
it and be a little bold, and go for that
color that you really like but maybe don't want to
(02:16):
wake up to every day personally, the wallpaper that you
just absolutely love, but again it's a little funky, you're
out of your comfort zone. I think those are great
areas to just have some fun with it.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Wallpaper I think is a must for a guest room,
or some sort of fun color, because also that gives
your guests a great experience too, because they're not living
with that every day either, right. I mean, you think
about it.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
How fun is it when you stay at a cute
boutique hotel where each room is different and has its
own little design. I think the idea of letting your
guests feel that way when they arrive, that they get
to walk into this beautiful, well thought through space.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Well, let's talk a moment about the guest room and
the kind of furniture that should be in it, because
obviously there's the bed. But I think it's interesting. I
know at the magazine we have seen, you know, everybody
seems to have a bunk room now, and we've heard
really fun stories about this, like maybe people are at
(03:15):
a stage in life where there aren't a lot of
little kids anymore, but they still want that bunk room.
We had one woman tell us she has a lot
of sisters and they have girls' weekends and that's where
they stay is in the bunk room for fun. So
there's that consideration. How do you address a guest bedroom,
and I guess the most important part is to figure
out what kind of guests people are going to be hosting.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
And that's where I kind of start with as well,
is what do those guests look like? Is it your
parents or grandparents or in laws that are coming for
a long weekend or a week or longer, or is
it more of just the occasional friend that bops into town.
To identify who that guest is first and foremost, and
then what does that room structure look like what makes
(03:59):
the most sense. Is it, you know, twin beds or
is it a queener king I often if there's room.
I think it's really nice to be able to do
a king bed.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Just agreed.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Most people sleep in them, and I know, I know
my husband and I when I end we end up
sleeping somewhere else than a smaller bed. You're kind of
like uncomfortable, you know, And I think that's one little
step where people don't feel quite as comfortable. So I
think the bigger bed is a necessity if there's a
room in the space for sure, well.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
And then if you can having a variety of types
of sleeping arrangements, because you may have a situation where
you have, you know, young parents with a really small
child that they don't want to be separated from a
the child may just be super small, could be a baby.
And then the other half of that, you want the
(04:45):
child to be comfortable and so if they want to
be near mom and dad. So I think you just
have to have a variety of different sleeping accommodations.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Agree, And I also want to say, I don't just
squeeze a king bed into the space. There's nothing worse
when there's not room to move throughout the room. That's
one of the things I think that makes guests that
feel really comfortable is having a space that doesn't feel
overly cluttered and tight.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Well, and we've all, i think been in the situation
where we've gotten up in the middle of the night
and hit our head, knee, some extremity on something, even
in our own homes when we're used to it every night,
So you just want to make sure that it's not
a dangerous experience for your guests well.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
And obviously nightstands are a key. Definitely having them on
both sides of the bed is important. People want to
be able to set a glass of water down, put
their book or their phone down before they retreat for
the night, and on those nightstands, lighting is key. You
want to make sure you give them some lighting and
some lighting options. Overhead Lighting is.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
A part of the room too.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I obviously love it when you can put just a
chandelier in their room, but I know a lot of
people sleep with fans, so that also is an option
as an overhead lighting. I wouldn't do the overhead fan
with a light. I just do it as a fan
if you're going to do one. But again back to
having your guests feel comfortable. You want them to be
able to control temperatures and feel comfortable as they sleep too.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
And it's important to have great seating like a bench
or a chair or something for people to sit down
on before they put on shoes or tights. You just
need a place to sit.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
I definitely agree with that. I love it when you
can get both a bench and a chair in the room.
The bench is nice because you can pull back. You know,
maybe there's an extra layer betting on there, or extra
pillows that you don't want to use, and that can
just lay on that bench at the end of the
bed nicely.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Sometimes you just want a different seating style and a
chair or a bench or being able to sit upright comfortably,
will we'll satisfy that.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Another part I feel like that's important for a guest
room as well is window treatments and the ability to
really control different lighting scenarios in the room.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
That's so true. And make sure you give you a
or guessed a little lesson, a little one on one
on how to operate those because sometimes if it's an
electric system, not that they're necessarily complicated, but they're not
familiar to everybody. I mean, I don't have electric window treatments,
for instance, and so I don't think they're crazy common,
(07:18):
and so it's important to make sure that your guests
understand how to operate them. Or sometimes I think in
a guest room there are things that maybe are broken
or don't work, and we forget about them because we
don't have to deal with them every single day. And
so you just want to let your guests know that
you know if something's not working, or at least teach
them how to make those window treatments operate so they
(07:40):
can have a comfortable stay. And that's so true.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
I like that tip, just to teach them how to
use them, because window treatments all have their own complexities too,
as far as if they have a chord, if they
lift up, how they pull all those things, So making
them know they have options with that too, and if
you can a lot of people do like to sleep
and jart environments, it's nice to have a little more
blackout as an option in your guest room as well.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
So Megan, I think it's important as hostesses that we
are fairly organized up front and that way our guests
aren't constantly asking for something, and we just really want
them to know that they are welcome in the house
and that at any time if they need something, they
can ask for that. But because we're all adults, I
(08:25):
think that it's safe to say that most people are
okay until they're not, and that they will speak up
when they do need something. On that note, I think
it's time we go through a list of some guest
room essentials. What is this thing I have to ask
on Instagram? And I don't really do TikTok, but TikTok
(08:45):
I know is probably where it initiated. But all of
these people doing these super organized drawers with all of
these little minis of everything.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
I know, right, they are just giving them space in
all of them that you have this whole functioning bedroom
with all all of these extra little amenities.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Here's the thing about that. I think amenities are great,
but I don't think that people should feel like they
have to spend two hundred dollars to outfit bathroom vanity
with every single little thing, because at the end of
the day, I really don't think most people forget their
toothbrush and toothpaste. Sometimes they do, and you should probably
have extras of that sort of thing on hand. But
(09:23):
I think that the what social media is showing us
is a little unnecessary, probably to go to that.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Extreme, right, it is a little extreme. Well, one little
essential that I love. I saw this somewhere and then
I stole the idea. Is I take a cute little
picture frame and I put the Wi Fi password in
it so that way it says bloom Wi Fi and
it has the link to what that is. And then
because that's always one of the things people get to
their room, they're going to get on their phone or
(09:50):
their computer and they don't know how to log into
the network of your house. And I just think it's
a nice touch, just put it in a place on
the nightstand or the dresser that you can easily see,
and it's a fun way to share that information.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Thank you for bringing that one up, because it is
frustrating when you go to somebody's home and ask for
the password and they say, you know, I don't know,
and it's like, okay, right this day and age, how
can you not know your password? And I get it.
Sometimes I'm the really bad person who uses the same
phrase and never changes it ever. But I know that
in a perfect more secure techie world, you're supposed to
(10:25):
have just a random number, variety of numbers and characters
and letters, and I understand that that's difficult to know.
So I do love the idea of having it written
down front and center so they don't have to ask,
or guests, or it's written down so they can follow it,
because that's another thing. Sometimes if you're reading it to somebody,
you get confused and you miss type or something like that.
(10:48):
So here's my little trick because I do the same thing.
I have my WiFi the name of it and the password,
same thing written down on a frame, but my pass
code for the why five is devices off? Please?
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Oh love it?
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I want to tell you what the numbers are afterwards
unless you come to my house and you're welcome anytime,
but that is what my password is. Device is off, please,
because you're with people you know, and we shouldn't be
on our I know it's so hard. I know we're
addicted to those darn devices, but we really, especially when
we're in somebody's home and especially when we're hosting somebody,
(11:25):
to turn those devices off. So it's just a little
reminder when somebody lugs in that I want their attention
and I want to give them mine.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
I love that so much. I might have to steal
that one too, very subtle reminder. You know, you also
talked about in generally you want your guests just to
feel really welcome, and I think the guest room's an
easy area to do that as well. Just something simple
too to welcome them. Maybe it's small flower vases on
the nightstand. Little I'm sure you'll love this, a little
handwritten note for them to welcome them as well.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Oh yes, at flowers are just a lovely touch and
they're easy, they're simple, So always have some flowers for
your guests. It's just a nice little surprise. I don't
think most people expect it so to walk into a
room and think, oh my goodness. I mean, they certainly
don't get fresh flowers in a hotel room. So that's
a nice little personal touch for sure. One other thing
I'm going to go back to the tech part of it,
(12:17):
the technology part of being a guest. Make sure, in
addition to that Wi Fi code, that you have extra
chargers and a power strip. Years ago, I started traveling
with a power strip always because I don't know what
it is about hotel rooms, but they always hide the
outlets and the furniture is so heavy you can't easily
lift the furniture, and so I thought I can always
(12:41):
at least find one outlet. So if I have a
power strip, then that gives me three or four or five.
So you know, maybe that's something to consider too, is
extra chargers in a power strip, just because we know
now that guests not only have a phone, but they
could have wireless headphones, their Apple Watch, so many other
devices that need need that electricity to charge, and sometimes
(13:04):
a laptop too, So it's important to have all of
those outlets easily accessible so they're not searching and can
do multiple things at one time.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
That's so good and makes it just easy for them
to function without bothering you again like you had said
earlier too, so I love that well. Obviously, one of
the keys to a really successful night's sleep is a
good mattress and good bedding and making sure that there's
options for that extra blankets, extra bathed linen, towels and
things like that too, as you just don't know what
(13:34):
people's preferences are.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
I also think it's important to present varying pillow weights
and pillow types. Some people are allergic, so you shouldn't
have down sometimes down. As great as they get, as
much as I love them, they're not the best support always,
So I think that offering your guest a variety of
pillow types, even though it is pretty common to buy
(13:58):
them in pairs, is important. And then when you talked
about blankets of all types, some people sleep hot, some
people I am always freezing. I am freezing in the
middle of July in August, so any blanket that is
offered to me I will take and I will use.
So that's important to offer them not only extras, but
(14:19):
a variety of different types of bedding.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
And along with the betting I do think it's important
to either know how old your mattress is or to
occasionally sleep on it yourself so you know that it's
a comfortable sleep for them too. There's nothing worse when
you it takes you a night or two to get
acclimated to somebody else's mattress and you're a little sore
or you didn't sleep well that very first night. So
just ensuring that the mattress itself is comfortable, or adding
(14:44):
a nice topper onto the top of it just for
some extra cushion too, making it for a RESTful sleep.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Well, I think you brought up an excellent point. Oftentimes
the guest bedroom is where we sort of maybe place
things that are used once we upgrade for ourselves. Right, oh, well,
that can go in the guest room now, And I
think maybe that's the wrong way of thinking, because when
we have a guest, when we're hosting somebody, they're not
on their own pillow, they're not on their own mattress,
(15:10):
they're not in their own environment to begin with. So
it can, even in the best case scenario, take a
night or two to adjust an acclimate, as you said,
So having a fresh mattress in that guest bedroom. It's
not the optimal spot to put the mattress that you're
no longer sleeping on because it's a little lumpy or
it's a little beat down. I think if the mattress
(15:32):
for you is at that point, then it's time to
maybe just toss it and get rid of it and
make sure that the guest bedroom has an equally lovely
mattress for a good night's sleep, because that helps. Boy,
everybody sleeping preferences are so very, very different, and a
mattress that's the key. It's either going to make the
(15:54):
night or break the night. And if it's not comfortable,
it's not good. And I think also, just while we're
on the topic of beds, have really great sheets for
your guests. Again, not the place to put the sheets
that have maybe been around forever. Don't relegate them to
that guest bedroom, but go to the effort to get
(16:15):
really nice sheets, because that there's just nothing better. There's
nothing get better to get freshly made bed with really fabulous,
luxurious sheets.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
I know, there's nothing better than good sheets. And who
wouldn't want their guests to leave and say I hit
the best night's sleep, you know, Just and they were comfortable,
and I think that's the greatest compliment as a host well.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
And now also you can you know, YouTube or on
Instagram all of the ways to make the bed like
the hotels do because I try, I really really try.
But as good as I think my hospital corners are,
they're not as perfected as I would like them to be.
(16:55):
But again, getting into a bed where the sheets are
really tight around the mattress, even if you kick them
off with your feet later on during the night, it's
such a great experience to slip into a bed that's
like that. So I have been studying those ways to
do that on the social platforms because I just I
think it's fun to.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Know well, and we're often so much in a hurry
too of you know, washing the sheets and getting them ready,
that it's easy to just not take that step to
put the sheets on correctly right.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
So outside of the bed meg and I think some
of my things that I think are super important, and
I am a guest in homes a lot when I travel,
is having a place to put jewelry, especially if you
know you're going to have ladies who are visiting you.
A place for jewelry jewelry is a hard because you're traveling,
you're not in your own space, and that's the perfect
(17:46):
opportunity for something to roll away and you forget it
or lose something. So I think having a little tray
where you can corral all of those special pieces that
you know are probably very important and valuable to people,
just making sure that they're protected and gathered well.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
And you're in a space that you're not always comfortable with,
so sometimes you wake up with in your morning and
you're like, where did I take my jewelry off? And
so having that specific spot I think is a wonderful idea.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Something else that I think is super important is to
always consider why your guests are staying with you. Is
it a vacation? Is somebody in town who is there
for work and they're a friend and you wanted to
spend time together, so they're staying with you instead of
a hotel. But the reason I think that that's an
important consideration is because you need to know if they
need an iron or a steamer. And that's something that
(18:36):
we don't always think about when we're greeting our guests
and we're giving each other all the hugs and getting
a drink out so we can catch up. We don't
always think about that, but it's that next morning when
they're waking up at six o'clock because they have to
get out the door to get on the road or
get to a work meeting or something, when they need
that iron. And I think it's important at least to
(18:57):
ask is this something that you think you'll need, and
if it is, take it out and put it in
a room. Maybe the laundry room isn't the best space
for it, but if not, then you know, make sure
that they understand where the iron or where the steamer
is in that laundry space well.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And along those lines. Is similar is that there's a
blow dryer that's easily accessible too in that bathroom, just
that you have easy access to needing it and not
feeling like you need to go around to their other
bathrooms and try and track one down.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Absolutely, I have to say, in the last probably I
don't know, six or seven or eight years, as I've
been traveling, I always call ahead to the hotel or
look online. Oftentimes that will stay there if they have
a blow dryer. But now sometimes they have a straight
iron too, and that's great. That's pretty luxurious when they
have a straight iron or a curling iron, right. I
(19:48):
think those are for all those fancy five star places,
but yeah, that's not every hotel, but it is a
luxury certainly when they have those hair tools as well.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
You know, Chris, that you mentioned earlier about understanding why
your guests are in town, and I think with that too,
is just not neglecting that personal touch as well to
make them feel welcome, whether it's a magazine of interest
to them, let them learn about the cities, if they
need to go travel a little bit on their own
in the afternoon, that they can have a list of
(20:18):
places to go for that sort of a thing, but
just kind of having that personal touch to them.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
I agree. And something that always surprises me is the
lack of knowledge that people have about their own towns,
and that can be problematic when the guests come to visit.
I think that you owe your guests a little bit
of research and knowledge, some basic knowledge about the place
where you live, to bring a little bit of the
ease to their experience. For instance, probably across the country,
(20:47):
a lot of restaurants are closed on Sundays or Mondays,
so find out which restaurants are. And maybe on the
backside of that, if you know that a lot of
restaurants are closed on Mondays, which ones are open on Mondays,
can right off the bat say to your guest, you
know what, You're not going to have any luck here
or there. Save that for another day, but tonight, these
(21:07):
are the three restaurants that are open, so they don't
spend a lot of time wasting time or calling or
waiting for reservations or driving somewhere that was not necessary
for them to travel to begin with. But also, you know,
just some basic things about maybe some museums that they
may want to go see, or parking at a sporting event.
(21:30):
You know where's the best place to do that. I
think if you can come to the hostess experience armed
with information that your guest will really appreciate that, because
there's nothing worse. There's nothing worse than driving all around
downtown to figure out that the parking lot where everybody
usually goes has construction and so you can't get into it.
Those sorts of things matter, and they're big time savers.
(21:51):
And again, make that stay and that vacation or long
weekend even better than it could be.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Well, and I have to say, you know, you mentioned
earlier that sometimes even in our own cities, we don't
know all the things that are going on. That's one
of the perks when you do have friends that come
in from out of town. I feel like you do
sometimes go to some of those different areas of the
city or little streets to do some shopping, or that
museum that you just don't take the time to go
to on a normal everyday weekend. So definitely a bonus
(22:21):
when you get those out of town guests that get
to do that.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Right, So, I think when your guests are coming to stay,
just ask them in advance, you know, what are you
interested in, what do you think you want to do,
And also take the temperature for the kind of guests
that you have. Some people are super independent and they
don't want to schedule at all, and then you have
people who you know, want everything, every detail outlined for them.
(22:44):
So I think just knowing what type of personality you
have coming to visit is the.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Key well, and I think that's just important in general,
is just kind of reading the room sometimes with your
guests and learning to see maybe they need a couple
hours alone in the evenings or how they're more your
tine is of just kind of going with the flow
so they feel comfortable being in your home as well.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Oh, I am the worst toastess because I don't really
sleep a lot, and so I have to remind myself
that people do need to sleep and it is not
their job to entertain me all night by staying up
until four o'clock in the morning chit chatting. That people
do need to shut their eyes. So I am really
(23:26):
really bad about that. I have to remind myself. Yeah,
sure guests need some sleep, so let them go. Let
them go sleep. But it's true, in all seriousness, let
them be, and sometimes people just need an hour to Sometimes,
as guests may want to just take a nap for
a while, and that's okay too, Megan. We've talked about irons,
We've talked about steamers, We've talked about Wi Fi and devices.
(23:47):
I think it's really important to make sure that your
guests understand how small appliances and TVs work. We just
there are so many small appliances. You know, A toaster
seems pretty simp but coffee makers have gotten really, really complicated.
I have a very complicated one, and what's funny about
that is I've never actually tasted coffee in my life.
(24:09):
I'm not a coffee triker, and so i have this
very elaborate coffee maker that I don't know how to operate.
So it's you know, for my guests, it's like, if
you can figure this out, then knock yourself out. I
understand it makes a fabulous cup of coffee, but don't
ask me how to do it. Here is the instruction booklet,
and you can figure it out on your own. But
(24:32):
all of those small clients is that are around kettles,
coffee makers, anything that's for the kitchen, just making sure
that people understand how they operate. And the TV. What
are all those buttons for on the remote? Nobody knows.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Half the time I have to ask my ten year
old to come in and show me or change something
for me. Let alone a guest figure it out. Sometimes, yes,
And kind of with that too, I think it's important
to always even just give your guests a tour as well,
you know, walk them around that kitchen, show them where
the water is and the glasses are, and into the
bedroom as well, and all of like you kind of
(25:06):
mentioned with the window treatments. But just make them feel comfortable,
give them a tour, show them more things, go and
they'll be set up for success as well.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Yes, and when it comes to food in the kitchen,
this is a big one for me because I never
want a guest to be thirsty or hungry in my
home ever, So I think it's a little strange that
people feel like they have to ask. It's like, yeah,
you know my kitchen, Just go for it if you're
But to your point, giving them a tour, especially of
(25:38):
the kitchen, I think is really mandatory. You know, here's
the water, here are the hot drinks, here are the
cold drinks. Here's the sugar and the splendor if you
insist on having that. But also on your part doing
the research ahead of time to make sure you're being
a good hostess by figuring out what they drink and
what they don't. I can't tell you how many times
(25:59):
I've had people and it's so generous, but they'll go
out of their way to buy special coffee for me.
It's like, I don't drink coffee. Yeah, thanks that thanks.
I'm sure if I if I tested it, it would be
the best coffee ever. So just having a variety of
drinks on hand, and also something that they can take
into the guest bedroom, So a tray of some sort
(26:22):
a tray that's not too big, because sometimes trays are
just enormous and difficult to manage. But a small ish
tray where they can have a caraffe or you know,
even a can of bubbly water or whatever it is
that can live safely on the bedside table or somewhere
in the room. And then snacks I think are important,
(26:44):
and again find out what snacks they like ahead of time.
I think there's this thing where everybody buys these granola bars. Again, personally,
not a fan for anybody who's listening out there who
I'm going to ever stay with. Don't get me granola bars.
And I don't like all of the chemicals on the
too many ingredients in them. But a variety of options
(27:04):
I think, always some fruit, always something crunchy, something salty.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Yes, so they can just feel comfortable with what they're
going to eat. And you know, like you mentioned earlier,
finding out maybe they have a gluten allergy, you're kind
of what they what they love, just asking that question earlier,
so you're well prepared for that as well. I do
have to say, One little pet peeve I have when
I go into people's guest rooms or spaces like this
(27:30):
is sometimes the guest room becomes a storage room and
it just gets filled with lots of extra things you
don't use very regularly, or just gets thrown on the
bed and then when the guest comes they tuck into
the corner or something like that too. But you want
the space to be clutter free and feel comfortable and
(27:51):
spacious for them.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Well, again, you're talking about spaces that the guests aren't
familiar with. It's a new experience. And as an ad
the traveler, I can tell you when you're not in
your own home, even as much as I travel, you're
just out of your comfort zone, as comfortable as it
may be. And so that's when there's an opportunity to
misplace something because you're not putting it in a spot
(28:16):
that you're used to every day, whether it's jewelry or
papers or a notebook. Again, another key thing I think
to have on a bedside table is working pens and
a notebook. People don't always have those on hand anymore
because they have their devices where they type things into
and I think sometimes you want to write something down,
So I'm just adding that in as another little essential
(28:37):
must have on the bedside table. But back to the
point of clutter, Yes, it should be clutter free because
you just want that room to have clarity and calm.
And as a guest, you're already in a space that
it's just not familiar to you, and so you have
to think a little harder for everything, every component of
(28:59):
your stay. And so if there's stuff all over the place,
if they're books stacked and things aren't clear and picked
up and clutter free, it's just an opportunity again to
lose something, to forget something, to misplace something, and nobody
wants that.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Christ kind of along with that too, that I think
people have varying preferences is sent I always like a
good candle. I love a bedroom to smell good, or
I love a candle to be burning for them when
they arrive. But some people are sensitive to sense as well,
and so I think it's that balance of having a
nice scent but not have it be overpowering that when
(29:36):
they close the door and go to bed for the night,
they feel like they're trapped in this box of a candle.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
I just saw something funny recently on Instagram, and it
was a woman complaining she has two teenage daughters, and
she said their house is one big bath and body
work extravaganza. I remember those days. I remember cucumber, watermelon.
I probably use more than is necessary on any given day.
(30:02):
So yes, people can be sensitive to sense. And I too.
I love a beautiful candle, I love something burning. I
love the flicker of the flame. But then also maybe
asking them does this bother you? Is this something that
you want? Or should I shut this off? If it's
something that's more automated.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And because ultimately no one loves stale, stuffy air either.
So you need some good circulation in there too.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
You do, Yes, you do need some circulation, Megan. It's
so important to have enough hangars too. We've talked about
the variety of you know, pillows and bedding and blankets
and all of those sorts of things, but also making
sure that our guests have plenty of hangers and that
there's plenty of room in those guest room closets and
(30:44):
it's not the space where we've switched out our seasonal
clothes and shoved them all in that guest bedroom and
you know, feel like we don't have to see them
again for many months.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
They are so important because a lot of times you're
going into town for an event or something going on, too,
So you want to get your garments hung up so
that way they're not wrinkly when you get them out.
And I hate it too when there's only like one
or two extra hangers, like, let me have some options.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
I want to be able to hang it all, Megan.
One consideration that I think is necessary for any host
before your guest arrived is to think about how you
want things done after the stay. So think about when
they're leaving, a lot of people will ask do you
want me to take the sheets off and put them somewhere?
Do you want me to leave them on? Same thing
(31:28):
with towels. I always have a little exercise that I
go through. I take all of the towels and I
just make sure that they're all in the bathtub or
all in the shower. A I can sort of, you know,
make it a pleasant experience for whoever's cleaning the room up,
so it's all together, but b it forces me to
sort of shake them out. And because especially in the
hotel room, everything's white usually and so it's easy for
(31:52):
white clothes or other things to get bald up in
those things. So if I can shake them out and
then put them in the shower or the it's my
little ritual. But think about those things for your guests too.
What do you want done with things when they ask?
Because most people will ask, and you know they want
to be respectful and they want to be a good guest.
(32:13):
At the same time, maybe it's not the day for
all the laundry to get done and you just want
to lead the sheets on. So have an answer prepared
and ready when they ask.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
That's a great tip, just to think through that a
little bit before, because yeah, sometimes they want the bed
still just to be made, or you want to make
the bed as a nice guest as you leave, but
maybe they'd rather just have it be left open and
pull the sheets off of it. So just thinking through that,
I think is a really good idea too.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Okay, let's maybe talk about throw pillows too on bed,
because there's a limit to the throw pillows and the
toss pillows that should be on the bed to where
you know you're getting a workout removing all of them.
So I think that maybe limit them and if you
have a lot of those pillows on a day to
day basis for decoration. Maybe just remove some of them
(33:02):
for your guests so there aren't so many.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I always try and keep my be betting a little
more simple in the guest room for that very reason.
It's just people don't want to have to feel like
it's a chore taking their pillows off and all the
extra layers have it look nice, edited and not overdone,
and they.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Get nervous too, you know. I think it's intimidating, especially
from a design perspective, if they think, oh my gosh,
you know, they have this a very specific way, and
now I'm not copying it. You don't ever want your
guest to feel that way. It's like, we'll take care
of that after you leave. It's fine, nobody. There's no
pillow police. So you want them to feel comfortable and
(33:41):
not burdened by having to have the pillows in the
right order.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Casual is key to that comfortability for sure. Well, Chris,
sometimes people have long term guests that might be there
for extended periods of time. Have you ever hosted a
long term guests or any tips for having one?
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Not my choice? No, I say that kiddingly. I haven't
had anybody for a super long time, like a month
or anything of that nature. I really haven't. But I
think if you are going to host somebody for that long,
it's worth a discussion about maybe I don't want to
(34:18):
say ground rules. Again, we're not policing adults, but you know,
talk about when do you wake up? When do I
wake up? A few ground rules and understanding, because I think, look,
we're humans. We can get on each other's nerves quickly, right,
And so I think that you know, a guest situation
is automatically an opportunity where conflict can ensue sometimes, and
(34:45):
so you want you don't want anybody to leave with
a bad experience, and as a guest, you want to
be invited for a return visit. I just think that
my tip for having an extended guest would be just to,
you know, maybe talk about what their needs are going
to be for that month, or for three months, or
however long this day will be. What about you? Have
(35:06):
you ever hosted somebody long term?
Speaker 1 (35:08):
I really haven't, probably more just extended after a baby
was born or something like that, but I haven't had
long term guests at all. I think you're right on it.
Just having clear boundaries, having those conversations what time you
wake up, you know, having a loane time, what do
you want to your morning routine to look like, and
things like that, that you're not in each other's way
(35:30):
or on top of each other. But I think ultimately
probably goes back a little bit too. Having them have
a space that's their own. That is even more important
that they're feel comfortable in more dedicated storage, probably obviously
that they can tuck things away for longer periods of time.
And maybe it's adding a desk into that guest bedroom,
(35:50):
you know, a little small upgrade that they have a
place to sit and work on their computer or do
some desk work type of things that they don't have
to feel like they're sitting on your kitchen island, that
they have their own space to do that work too.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
We've talked about this a little, but I just think
that the key to being a good host or hostess
is letting your guests know that it's okay not to
spend every waking moments together, that you know, this is
the door, go in use my office when you need
to shut the door, because that is what is uncomfortable
when you are a guest is saying you know what,
(36:24):
I need some downtime. I just need to go retreat. Yeah,
and that's okay.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
Feeling comfortable saying that obviously is important too, So those
clear boundaries for sure. Well, Chris, I think we had
a nice conversation and our listeners hopefully have some good
takeaways for them to enjoy For their guests, whether you're
hosting for a weekend or a month, those small, thoughtful
touches make all the difference. Until next time, keep your
(36:49):
home cozy and your guests happy. Thank you for listening
to this week's episode of Boulevard Beat. If you enjoyed
this episode, please follow along and leave a review on
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you never
miss an episode, And of course, follow your hosts on
Instagram at Megan bloom Interiors, at CHRISA. Rossbund, and at
(37:12):
Liz Legit. We'll be back next week as we take
a stroll down another boulevard
Welcome to boulevard Beat, a podcast we're life and style intersect.
I'm designer Megan Bloom along with my co hosts, editor
Chrisa Rossbund and gallery owner Liz Legit. This podcast focuses
on the daily highlights instead of the hustle, interviews with
taste makers, and personal conversations on how to highlight achievable style.
You con stroll one street at a time, boulevard Beat
(00:29):
proves the one you should take.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Welcome back, Chrisa.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I am excited to have this conversation today, most importantly
because within this podcast, we want to have goals of
making life at home just a little bit better, and
today we're going to dive into talking about guest rooms,
how to design it, what essentials to include in it,
and how to be more thoughtful hosts without overdoing it.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Well. This is fun and I think it's a great
time because we are approaching the summer months when I
know that a lot of people will be traveling and
we will be opening our homes to guests. So it's
important to have little reminders of what to do to
make that a wonderful experience for your guest and tap
(01:17):
into those things that we overlook sometimes.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Definitely, it's always good just to kind of think through
all those little ways to set up a perfect guest room.
So I'm excited to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Well, let's talk about design first of the guest rooms,
and I know in a bit we're going to get
into the essentials and things you should have and what
to do as a great host. But let's talk about
the design, which I think can be kind of exciting
because in a guest room you can have that moment
of design surprise. It can be that outlier in your
(01:47):
home where maybe you introduce a different color scheme or
different wallpaper. How do you approach guest rooms.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I approach them exactly like that, you know. I think
most often we want our primary suites to be more
RESTful and soothing, and you're a little bit more safe
on some of your design decisions. So I think the
guest room is a perfect place just to go for
it and be a little bold, and go for that
color that you really like but maybe don't want to
(02:16):
wake up to every day personally, the wallpaper that you
just absolutely love, but again it's a little funky, you're
out of your comfort zone. I think those are great
areas to just have some fun with it.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Wallpaper I think is a must for a guest room,
or some sort of fun color, because also that gives
your guests a great experience too, because they're not living
with that every day either, right. I mean, you think
about it.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
How fun is it when you stay at a cute
boutique hotel where each room is different and has its
own little design. I think the idea of letting your
guests feel that way when they arrive, that they get
to walk into this beautiful, well thought through space.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Well, let's talk a moment about the guest room and
the kind of furniture that should be in it, because
obviously there's the bed. But I think it's interesting. I
know at the magazine we have seen, you know, everybody
seems to have a bunk room now, and we've heard
really fun stories about this, like maybe people are at
(03:15):
a stage in life where there aren't a lot of
little kids anymore, but they still want that bunk room.
We had one woman tell us she has a lot
of sisters and they have girls' weekends and that's where
they stay is in the bunk room for fun. So
there's that consideration. How do you address a guest bedroom,
and I guess the most important part is to figure
out what kind of guests people are going to be hosting.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
And that's where I kind of start with as well,
is what do those guests look like? Is it your
parents or grandparents or in laws that are coming for
a long weekend or a week or longer, or is
it more of just the occasional friend that bops into town.
To identify who that guest is first and foremost, and
then what does that room structure look like what makes
(03:59):
the most sense. Is it, you know, twin beds or
is it a queener king I often if there's room.
I think it's really nice to be able to do
a king bed.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Just agreed.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Most people sleep in them, and I know, I know
my husband and I when I end we end up
sleeping somewhere else than a smaller bed. You're kind of
like uncomfortable, you know, And I think that's one little
step where people don't feel quite as comfortable. So I
think the bigger bed is a necessity if there's a
room in the space for sure, well.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
And then if you can having a variety of types
of sleeping arrangements, because you may have a situation where
you have, you know, young parents with a really small
child that they don't want to be separated from a
the child may just be super small, could be a baby.
And then the other half of that, you want the
(04:45):
child to be comfortable and so if they want to
be near mom and dad. So I think you just
have to have a variety of different sleeping accommodations.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Agree, And I also want to say, I don't just
squeeze a king bed into the space. There's nothing worse
when there's not room to move throughout the room. That's
one of the things I think that makes guests that
feel really comfortable is having a space that doesn't feel
overly cluttered and tight.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Well, and we've all, i think been in the situation
where we've gotten up in the middle of the night
and hit our head, knee, some extremity on something, even
in our own homes when we're used to it every night,
So you just want to make sure that it's not
a dangerous experience for your guests well.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
And obviously nightstands are a key. Definitely having them on
both sides of the bed is important. People want to
be able to set a glass of water down, put
their book or their phone down before they retreat for
the night, and on those nightstands, lighting is key. You
want to make sure you give them some lighting and
some lighting options. Overhead Lighting is.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
A part of the room too.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I obviously love it when you can put just a
chandelier in their room, but I know a lot of
people sleep with fans, so that also is an option
as an overhead lighting. I wouldn't do the overhead fan
with a light. I just do it as a fan
if you're going to do one. But again back to
having your guests feel comfortable. You want them to be
able to control temperatures and feel comfortable as they sleep too.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
And it's important to have great seating like a bench
or a chair or something for people to sit down
on before they put on shoes or tights. You just
need a place to sit.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
I definitely agree with that. I love it when you
can get both a bench and a chair in the room.
The bench is nice because you can pull back. You know,
maybe there's an extra layer betting on there, or extra
pillows that you don't want to use, and that can
just lay on that bench at the end of the
bed nicely.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Sometimes you just want a different seating style and a
chair or a bench or being able to sit upright comfortably,
will we'll satisfy that.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Another part I feel like that's important for a guest
room as well is window treatments and the ability to
really control different lighting scenarios in the room.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
That's so true. And make sure you give you a
or guessed a little lesson, a little one on one
on how to operate those because sometimes if it's an
electric system, not that they're necessarily complicated, but they're not
familiar to everybody. I mean, I don't have electric window treatments,
for instance, and so I don't think they're crazy common,
(07:18):
and so it's important to make sure that your guests
understand how to operate them. Or sometimes I think in
a guest room there are things that maybe are broken
or don't work, and we forget about them because we
don't have to deal with them every single day. And
so you just want to let your guests know that
you know if something's not working, or at least teach
them how to make those window treatments operate so they
(07:40):
can have a comfortable stay. And that's so true.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
I like that tip, just to teach them how to
use them, because window treatments all have their own complexities too,
as far as if they have a chord, if they
lift up, how they pull all those things, So making
them know they have options with that too, and if
you can a lot of people do like to sleep
and jart environments, it's nice to have a little more
blackout as an option in your guest room as well.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
So Megan, I think it's important as hostesses that we
are fairly organized up front and that way our guests
aren't constantly asking for something, and we just really want
them to know that they are welcome in the house
and that at any time if they need something, they
can ask for that. But because we're all adults, I
(08:25):
think that it's safe to say that most people are
okay until they're not, and that they will speak up
when they do need something. On that note, I think
it's time we go through a list of some guest
room essentials. What is this thing I have to ask
on Instagram? And I don't really do TikTok, but TikTok
(08:45):
I know is probably where it initiated. But all of
these people doing these super organized drawers with all of
these little minis of everything.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
I know, right, they are just giving them space in
all of them that you have this whole functioning bedroom
with all all of these extra little amenities.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Here's the thing about that. I think amenities are great,
but I don't think that people should feel like they
have to spend two hundred dollars to outfit bathroom vanity
with every single little thing, because at the end of
the day, I really don't think most people forget their
toothbrush and toothpaste. Sometimes they do, and you should probably
have extras of that sort of thing on hand. But
(09:23):
I think that the what social media is showing us
is a little unnecessary, probably to go to that.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Extreme, right, it is a little extreme. Well, one little
essential that I love. I saw this somewhere and then
I stole the idea. Is I take a cute little
picture frame and I put the Wi Fi password in
it so that way it says bloom Wi Fi and
it has the link to what that is. And then
because that's always one of the things people get to
their room, they're going to get on their phone or
(09:50):
their computer and they don't know how to log into
the network of your house. And I just think it's
a nice touch, just put it in a place on
the nightstand or the dresser that you can easily see,
and it's a fun way to share that information.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Thank you for bringing that one up, because it is
frustrating when you go to somebody's home and ask for
the password and they say, you know, I don't know,
and it's like, okay, right this day and age, how
can you not know your password? And I get it.
Sometimes I'm the really bad person who uses the same
phrase and never changes it ever. But I know that
in a perfect more secure techie world, you're supposed to
(10:25):
have just a random number, variety of numbers and characters
and letters, and I understand that that's difficult to know.
So I do love the idea of having it written
down front and center so they don't have to ask,
or guests, or it's written down so they can follow it,
because that's another thing. Sometimes if you're reading it to somebody,
you get confused and you miss type or something like that.
(10:48):
So here's my little trick because I do the same thing.
I have my WiFi the name of it and the password,
same thing written down on a frame, but my pass
code for the why five is devices off? Please?
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Oh love it?
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I want to tell you what the numbers are afterwards
unless you come to my house and you're welcome anytime,
but that is what my password is. Device is off, please,
because you're with people you know, and we shouldn't be
on our I know it's so hard. I know we're
addicted to those darn devices, but we really, especially when
we're in somebody's home and especially when we're hosting somebody,
(11:25):
to turn those devices off. So it's just a little
reminder when somebody lugs in that I want their attention
and I want to give them mine.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
I love that so much. I might have to steal
that one too, very subtle reminder. You know, you also
talked about in generally you want your guests just to
feel really welcome, and I think the guest room's an
easy area to do that as well. Just something simple
too to welcome them. Maybe it's small flower vases on
the nightstand. Little I'm sure you'll love this, a little
handwritten note for them to welcome them as well.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Oh yes, at flowers are just a lovely touch and
they're easy, they're simple, So always have some flowers for
your guests. It's just a nice little surprise. I don't
think most people expect it so to walk into a
room and think, oh my goodness. I mean, they certainly
don't get fresh flowers in a hotel room. So that's
a nice little personal touch for sure. One other thing
I'm going to go back to the tech part of it,
(12:17):
the technology part of being a guest. Make sure, in
addition to that Wi Fi code, that you have extra
chargers and a power strip. Years ago, I started traveling
with a power strip always because I don't know what
it is about hotel rooms, but they always hide the
outlets and the furniture is so heavy you can't easily
lift the furniture, and so I thought I can always
(12:41):
at least find one outlet. So if I have a
power strip, then that gives me three or four or five.
So you know, maybe that's something to consider too, is
extra chargers in a power strip, just because we know
now that guests not only have a phone, but they
could have wireless headphones, their Apple Watch, so many other
devices that need need that electricity to charge, and sometimes
(13:04):
a laptop too, So it's important to have all of
those outlets easily accessible so they're not searching and can
do multiple things at one time.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
That's so good and makes it just easy for them
to function without bothering you again like you had said
earlier too, so I love that well. Obviously, one of
the keys to a really successful night's sleep is a
good mattress and good bedding and making sure that there's
options for that extra blankets, extra bathed linen, towels and
things like that too, as you just don't know what
(13:34):
people's preferences are.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
I also think it's important to present varying pillow weights
and pillow types. Some people are allergic, so you shouldn't
have down sometimes down. As great as they get, as
much as I love them, they're not the best support always,
So I think that offering your guest a variety of
pillow types, even though it is pretty common to buy
(13:58):
them in pairs, is important. And then when you talked
about blankets of all types, some people sleep hot, some
people I am always freezing. I am freezing in the
middle of July in August, so any blanket that is
offered to me I will take and I will use.
So that's important to offer them not only extras, but
(14:19):
a variety of different types of bedding.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
And along with the betting I do think it's important
to either know how old your mattress is or to
occasionally sleep on it yourself so you know that it's
a comfortable sleep for them too. There's nothing worse when
you it takes you a night or two to get
acclimated to somebody else's mattress and you're a little sore
or you didn't sleep well that very first night. So
just ensuring that the mattress itself is comfortable, or adding
(14:44):
a nice topper onto the top of it just for
some extra cushion too, making it for a RESTful sleep.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Well, I think you brought up an excellent point. Oftentimes
the guest bedroom is where we sort of maybe place
things that are used once we upgrade for ourselves. Right, oh, well,
that can go in the guest room now, And I
think maybe that's the wrong way of thinking, because when
we have a guest, when we're hosting somebody, they're not
on their own pillow, they're not on their own mattress,
(15:10):
they're not in their own environment to begin with. So
it can, even in the best case scenario, take a
night or two to adjust an acclimate, as you said,
So having a fresh mattress in that guest bedroom. It's
not the optimal spot to put the mattress that you're
no longer sleeping on because it's a little lumpy or
it's a little beat down. I think if the mattress
(15:32):
for you is at that point, then it's time to
maybe just toss it and get rid of it and
make sure that the guest bedroom has an equally lovely
mattress for a good night's sleep, because that helps. Boy,
everybody sleeping preferences are so very, very different, and a
mattress that's the key. It's either going to make the
(15:54):
night or break the night. And if it's not comfortable,
it's not good. And I think also, just while we're
on the topic of beds, have really great sheets for
your guests. Again, not the place to put the sheets
that have maybe been around forever. Don't relegate them to
that guest bedroom, but go to the effort to get
(16:15):
really nice sheets, because that there's just nothing better. There's
nothing get better to get freshly made bed with really fabulous,
luxurious sheets.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
I know, there's nothing better than good sheets. And who
wouldn't want their guests to leave and say I hit
the best night's sleep, you know, Just and they were comfortable,
and I think that's the greatest compliment as a host well.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
And now also you can you know, YouTube or on
Instagram all of the ways to make the bed like
the hotels do because I try, I really really try.
But as good as I think my hospital corners are,
they're not as perfected as I would like them to be.
(16:55):
But again, getting into a bed where the sheets are
really tight around the mattress, even if you kick them
off with your feet later on during the night, it's
such a great experience to slip into a bed that's
like that. So I have been studying those ways to
do that on the social platforms because I just I
think it's fun to.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Know well, and we're often so much in a hurry
too of you know, washing the sheets and getting them ready,
that it's easy to just not take that step to
put the sheets on correctly right.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
So outside of the bed meg and I think some
of my things that I think are super important, and
I am a guest in homes a lot when I travel,
is having a place to put jewelry, especially if you
know you're going to have ladies who are visiting you.
A place for jewelry jewelry is a hard because you're traveling,
you're not in your own space, and that's the perfect
(17:46):
opportunity for something to roll away and you forget it
or lose something. So I think having a little tray
where you can corral all of those special pieces that
you know are probably very important and valuable to people,
just making sure that they're protected and gathered well.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
And you're in a space that you're not always comfortable with,
so sometimes you wake up with in your morning and
you're like, where did I take my jewelry off? And
so having that specific spot I think is a wonderful idea.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Something else that I think is super important is to
always consider why your guests are staying with you. Is
it a vacation? Is somebody in town who is there
for work and they're a friend and you wanted to
spend time together, so they're staying with you instead of
a hotel. But the reason I think that that's an
important consideration is because you need to know if they
need an iron or a steamer. And that's something that
(18:36):
we don't always think about when we're greeting our guests
and we're giving each other all the hugs and getting
a drink out so we can catch up. We don't
always think about that, but it's that next morning when
they're waking up at six o'clock because they have to
get out the door to get on the road or
get to a work meeting or something, when they need
that iron. And I think it's important at least to
(18:57):
ask is this something that you think you'll need, and
if it is, take it out and put it in
a room. Maybe the laundry room isn't the best space
for it, but if not, then you know, make sure
that they understand where the iron or where the steamer
is in that laundry space well.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And along those lines. Is similar is that there's a
blow dryer that's easily accessible too in that bathroom, just
that you have easy access to needing it and not
feeling like you need to go around to their other
bathrooms and try and track one down.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Absolutely, I have to say, in the last probably I
don't know, six or seven or eight years, as I've
been traveling, I always call ahead to the hotel or
look online. Oftentimes that will stay there if they have
a blow dryer. But now sometimes they have a straight
iron too, and that's great. That's pretty luxurious when they
have a straight iron or a curling iron, right. I
(19:48):
think those are for all those fancy five star places,
but yeah, that's not every hotel, but it is a
luxury certainly when they have those hair tools as well.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
You know, Chris, that you mentioned earlier about understanding why
your guests are in town, and I think with that too,
is just not neglecting that personal touch as well to
make them feel welcome, whether it's a magazine of interest
to them, let them learn about the cities, if they
need to go travel a little bit on their own
in the afternoon, that they can have a list of
(20:18):
places to go for that sort of a thing, but
just kind of having that personal touch to them.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
I agree. And something that always surprises me is the
lack of knowledge that people have about their own towns,
and that can be problematic when the guests come to visit.
I think that you owe your guests a little bit
of research and knowledge, some basic knowledge about the place
where you live, to bring a little bit of the
ease to their experience. For instance, probably across the country,
(20:47):
a lot of restaurants are closed on Sundays or Mondays,
so find out which restaurants are. And maybe on the
backside of that, if you know that a lot of
restaurants are closed on Mondays, which ones are open on Mondays,
can right off the bat say to your guest, you
know what, You're not going to have any luck here
or there. Save that for another day, but tonight, these
(21:07):
are the three restaurants that are open, so they don't
spend a lot of time wasting time or calling or
waiting for reservations or driving somewhere that was not necessary
for them to travel to begin with. But also, you know,
just some basic things about maybe some museums that they
may want to go see, or parking at a sporting event.
(21:30):
You know where's the best place to do that. I
think if you can come to the hostess experience armed
with information that your guest will really appreciate that, because
there's nothing worse. There's nothing worse than driving all around
downtown to figure out that the parking lot where everybody
usually goes has construction and so you can't get into it.
Those sorts of things matter, and they're big time savers.
(21:51):
And again, make that stay and that vacation or long
weekend even better than it could be.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Well, and I have to say, you know, you mentioned
earlier that sometimes even in our own cities, we don't
know all the things that are going on. That's one
of the perks when you do have friends that come
in from out of town. I feel like you do
sometimes go to some of those different areas of the
city or little streets to do some shopping, or that
museum that you just don't take the time to go
to on a normal everyday weekend. So definitely a bonus
(22:21):
when you get those out of town guests that get
to do that.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Right, So, I think when your guests are coming to stay,
just ask them in advance, you know, what are you
interested in, what do you think you want to do,
And also take the temperature for the kind of guests
that you have. Some people are super independent and they
don't want to schedule at all, and then you have
people who you know, want everything, every detail outlined for them.
(22:44):
So I think just knowing what type of personality you
have coming to visit is the.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Key well, and I think that's just important in general,
is just kind of reading the room sometimes with your
guests and learning to see maybe they need a couple
hours alone in the evenings or how they're more your
tine is of just kind of going with the flow
so they feel comfortable being in your home as well.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Oh, I am the worst toastess because I don't really
sleep a lot, and so I have to remind myself
that people do need to sleep and it is not
their job to entertain me all night by staying up
until four o'clock in the morning chit chatting. That people
do need to shut their eyes. So I am really
(23:26):
really bad about that. I have to remind myself. Yeah,
sure guests need some sleep, so let them go. Let
them go sleep. But it's true, in all seriousness, let
them be, and sometimes people just need an hour to Sometimes,
as guests may want to just take a nap for
a while, and that's okay too, Megan. We've talked about irons,
We've talked about steamers, We've talked about Wi Fi and devices.
(23:47):
I think it's really important to make sure that your
guests understand how small appliances and TVs work. We just
there are so many small appliances. You know, A toaster
seems pretty simp but coffee makers have gotten really, really complicated.
I have a very complicated one, and what's funny about
that is I've never actually tasted coffee in my life.
(24:09):
I'm not a coffee triker, and so i have this
very elaborate coffee maker that I don't know how to operate.
So it's you know, for my guests, it's like, if
you can figure this out, then knock yourself out. I
understand it makes a fabulous cup of coffee, but don't
ask me how to do it. Here is the instruction booklet,
and you can figure it out on your own. But
(24:32):
all of those small clients is that are around kettles,
coffee makers, anything that's for the kitchen, just making sure
that people understand how they operate. And the TV. What
are all those buttons for on the remote? Nobody knows.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Half the time I have to ask my ten year
old to come in and show me or change something
for me. Let alone a guest figure it out. Sometimes, yes,
And kind of with that too, I think it's important
to always even just give your guests a tour as well,
you know, walk them around that kitchen, show them where
the water is and the glasses are, and into the
bedroom as well, and all of like you kind of
(25:06):
mentioned with the window treatments. But just make them feel comfortable,
give them a tour, show them more things, go and
they'll be set up for success as well.
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Yes, and when it comes to food in the kitchen,
this is a big one for me because I never
want a guest to be thirsty or hungry in my
home ever, So I think it's a little strange that
people feel like they have to ask. It's like, yeah,
you know my kitchen, Just go for it if you're
But to your point, giving them a tour, especially of
(25:38):
the kitchen, I think is really mandatory. You know, here's
the water, here are the hot drinks, here are the
cold drinks. Here's the sugar and the splendor if you
insist on having that. But also on your part doing
the research ahead of time to make sure you're being
a good hostess by figuring out what they drink and
what they don't. I can't tell you how many times
(25:59):
I've had people and it's so generous, but they'll go
out of their way to buy special coffee for me.
It's like, I don't drink coffee. Yeah, thanks that thanks.
I'm sure if I if I tested it, it would be
the best coffee ever. So just having a variety of
drinks on hand, and also something that they can take
into the guest bedroom, So a tray of some sort
(26:22):
a tray that's not too big, because sometimes trays are
just enormous and difficult to manage. But a small ish
tray where they can have a caraffe or you know,
even a can of bubbly water or whatever it is
that can live safely on the bedside table or somewhere
in the room. And then snacks I think are important,
(26:44):
and again find out what snacks they like ahead of time.
I think there's this thing where everybody buys these granola bars. Again, personally,
not a fan for anybody who's listening out there who
I'm going to ever stay with. Don't get me granola bars.
And I don't like all of the chemicals on the
too many ingredients in them. But a variety of options
(27:04):
I think, always some fruit, always something crunchy, something salty.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Yes, so they can just feel comfortable with what they're
going to eat. And you know, like you mentioned earlier,
finding out maybe they have a gluten allergy, you're kind
of what they what they love, just asking that question earlier,
so you're well prepared for that as well. I do
have to say, One little pet peeve I have when
I go into people's guest rooms or spaces like this
(27:30):
is sometimes the guest room becomes a storage room and
it just gets filled with lots of extra things you
don't use very regularly, or just gets thrown on the
bed and then when the guest comes they tuck into
the corner or something like that too. But you want
the space to be clutter free and feel comfortable and
(27:51):
spacious for them.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Well, again, you're talking about spaces that the guests aren't
familiar with. It's a new experience. And as an ad
the traveler, I can tell you when you're not in
your own home, even as much as I travel, you're
just out of your comfort zone, as comfortable as it
may be. And so that's when there's an opportunity to
misplace something because you're not putting it in a spot
(28:16):
that you're used to every day, whether it's jewelry or
papers or a notebook. Again, another key thing I think
to have on a bedside table is working pens and
a notebook. People don't always have those on hand anymore
because they have their devices where they type things into
and I think sometimes you want to write something down,
So I'm just adding that in as another little essential
(28:37):
must have on the bedside table. But back to the
point of clutter, Yes, it should be clutter free because
you just want that room to have clarity and calm.
And as a guest, you're already in a space that
it's just not familiar to you, and so you have
to think a little harder for everything, every component of
(28:59):
your stay. And so if there's stuff all over the place,
if they're books stacked and things aren't clear and picked
up and clutter free, it's just an opportunity again to
lose something, to forget something, to misplace something, and nobody
wants that.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Christ kind of along with that too, that I think
people have varying preferences is sent I always like a
good candle. I love a bedroom to smell good, or
I love a candle to be burning for them when
they arrive. But some people are sensitive to sense as well,
and so I think it's that balance of having a
nice scent but not have it be overpowering that when
(29:36):
they close the door and go to bed for the night,
they feel like they're trapped in this box of a candle.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
I just saw something funny recently on Instagram, and it
was a woman complaining she has two teenage daughters, and
she said their house is one big bath and body
work extravaganza. I remember those days. I remember cucumber, watermelon.
I probably use more than is necessary on any given day.
(30:02):
So yes, people can be sensitive to sense. And I too.
I love a beautiful candle, I love something burning. I
love the flicker of the flame. But then also maybe
asking them does this bother you? Is this something that
you want? Or should I shut this off? If it's
something that's more automated.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And because ultimately no one loves stale, stuffy air either.
So you need some good circulation in there too.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
You do, Yes, you do need some circulation, Megan. It's
so important to have enough hangars too. We've talked about
the variety of you know, pillows and bedding and blankets
and all of those sorts of things, but also making
sure that our guests have plenty of hangers and that
there's plenty of room in those guest room closets and
(30:44):
it's not the space where we've switched out our seasonal
clothes and shoved them all in that guest bedroom and
you know, feel like we don't have to see them
again for many months.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
They are so important because a lot of times you're
going into town for an event or something going on, too,
So you want to get your garments hung up so
that way they're not wrinkly when you get them out.
And I hate it too when there's only like one
or two extra hangers, like, let me have some options.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
I want to be able to hang it all, Megan.
One consideration that I think is necessary for any host
before your guest arrived is to think about how you
want things done after the stay. So think about when
they're leaving, a lot of people will ask do you
want me to take the sheets off and put them somewhere?
Do you want me to leave them on? Same thing
(31:28):
with towels. I always have a little exercise that I
go through. I take all of the towels and I
just make sure that they're all in the bathtub or
all in the shower. A I can sort of, you know,
make it a pleasant experience for whoever's cleaning the room up,
so it's all together, but b it forces me to
sort of shake them out. And because especially in the
hotel room, everything's white usually and so it's easy for
(31:52):
white clothes or other things to get bald up in
those things. So if I can shake them out and
then put them in the shower or the it's my
little ritual. But think about those things for your guests too.
What do you want done with things when they ask?
Because most people will ask, and you know they want
to be respectful and they want to be a good guest.
(32:13):
At the same time, maybe it's not the day for
all the laundry to get done and you just want
to lead the sheets on. So have an answer prepared
and ready when they ask.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
That's a great tip, just to think through that a
little bit before, because yeah, sometimes they want the bed
still just to be made, or you want to make
the bed as a nice guest as you leave, but
maybe they'd rather just have it be left open and
pull the sheets off of it. So just thinking through that,
I think is a really good idea too.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Okay, let's maybe talk about throw pillows too on bed,
because there's a limit to the throw pillows and the
toss pillows that should be on the bed to where
you know you're getting a workout removing all of them.
So I think that maybe limit them and if you
have a lot of those pillows on a day to
day basis for decoration. Maybe just remove some of them
(33:02):
for your guests so there aren't so many.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I always try and keep my be betting a little
more simple in the guest room for that very reason.
It's just people don't want to have to feel like
it's a chore taking their pillows off and all the
extra layers have it look nice, edited and not overdone,
and they.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Get nervous too, you know. I think it's intimidating, especially
from a design perspective, if they think, oh my gosh,
you know, they have this a very specific way, and
now I'm not copying it. You don't ever want your
guest to feel that way. It's like, we'll take care
of that after you leave. It's fine, nobody. There's no
pillow police. So you want them to feel comfortable and
(33:41):
not burdened by having to have the pillows in the
right order.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Casual is key to that comfortability for sure. Well, Chris,
sometimes people have long term guests that might be there
for extended periods of time. Have you ever hosted a
long term guests or any tips for having one?
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Not my choice? No, I say that kiddingly. I haven't
had anybody for a super long time, like a month
or anything of that nature. I really haven't. But I
think if you are going to host somebody for that long,
it's worth a discussion about maybe I don't want to
(34:18):
say ground rules. Again, we're not policing adults, but you know,
talk about when do you wake up? When do I
wake up? A few ground rules and understanding, because I think, look,
we're humans. We can get on each other's nerves quickly, right,
And so I think that you know, a guest situation
is automatically an opportunity where conflict can ensue sometimes, and
(34:45):
so you want you don't want anybody to leave with
a bad experience, and as a guest, you want to
be invited for a return visit. I just think that
my tip for having an extended guest would be just to,
you know, maybe talk about what their needs are going
to be for that month, or for three months, or
however long this day will be. What about you? Have
(35:06):
you ever hosted somebody long term?
Speaker 1 (35:08):
I really haven't, probably more just extended after a baby
was born or something like that, but I haven't had
long term guests at all. I think you're right on it.
Just having clear boundaries, having those conversations what time you
wake up, you know, having a loane time, what do
you want to your morning routine to look like, and
things like that, that you're not in each other's way
(35:30):
or on top of each other. But I think ultimately
probably goes back a little bit too. Having them have
a space that's their own. That is even more important
that they're feel comfortable in more dedicated storage, probably obviously
that they can tuck things away for longer periods of time.
And maybe it's adding a desk into that guest bedroom,
(35:50):
you know, a little small upgrade that they have a
place to sit and work on their computer or do
some desk work type of things that they don't have
to feel like they're sitting on your kitchen island, that
they have their own space to do that work too.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
We've talked about this a little, but I just think
that the key to being a good host or hostess
is letting your guests know that it's okay not to
spend every waking moments together, that you know, this is
the door, go in use my office when you need
to shut the door, because that is what is uncomfortable
when you are a guest is saying you know what,
(36:24):
I need some downtime. I just need to go retreat. Yeah,
and that's okay.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
Feeling comfortable saying that obviously is important too, So those
clear boundaries for sure. Well, Chris, I think we had
a nice conversation and our listeners hopefully have some good
takeaways for them to enjoy For their guests, whether you're
hosting for a weekend or a month, those small, thoughtful
touches make all the difference. Until next time, keep your
(36:49):
home cozy and your guests happy. Thank you for listening
to this week's episode of Boulevard Beat. If you enjoyed
this episode, please follow along and leave a review on
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you never
miss an episode, And of course, follow your hosts on
Instagram at Megan bloom Interiors, at CHRISA. Rossbund, and at
(37:12):
Liz Legit. We'll be back next week as we take
a stroll down another boulevard
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