Guest House Decorating Ideas

Contributor

By LReynolds
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating:

(0 Ratings)

Guest House Decorating Ideas

Anyone fortunate enough to have a guest house can make it a comfortable, inviting refuge for visitors. Whether your budget is modest or ample, your aim should be a retreat that reflects your taste but doesn't overwhelm your guests.

Fit into the Environment

Guest houses should fit into the landscape.
Decorate the exterior of your guest house with shutters, roofing, landscaping and color schemes to fit the flora and fauna or history of its location.

Use Space Wisely

Choose classic-style furniture arranged sparingly---just the basics---to give an air of tasteful simplicity. Arrange furniture in small groups rather than in lines along walls.
Frame windows with pleasant views with sheers and drapes with tie-backs so they can be opened easily.

Make It Look Like It Belongs

Classic furniture gives a resort feel to your guest house.
Paint or upholster cast-off and rummage-sale furniture to match to unify style; the eclectic mix is stylishly informal and invokes nostalgia.

Keep It Clean and Simple

Provide plenty of uncluttered surfaces for guests.
Choose a few singular pieces of artwork--forego bric-a-brac and family photos. Provide chairs for visiting in every room, uncluttered chests or dressers with extra linens and tables on which to put suitcases and sort souvenirs.

Add Guest-Specific Touches

Indulge your guests' preferences when possible.
Hotels send fruit baskets; add plants for gardeners, books for readers, simple fixing's for cooks to make guests feel at home.

Include Intimate Spaces

Provide books and letter-writing materials.
No matter how grand your guest house, travelers need personal space---include little breakfast nooks, "reading corners" with a shelf of summer reading or a letter-writing desk.