Five Star Treatment

A friend came to me recently and said...

"we have the in-laws coming to stay this Christmas, but the spare room where they'll be sleeping is shameful and needs a bit of attention. Have you got any quick fixes that we can use to give it a new lease of life?"

...I think most people can confess to having a room like this - their room of shame - be it the spare room, box room, or home office that could double as a bedroom if it was planned better. So for all those who have visitors staying this Christmas and are faced with a similar scenario, here's how to do it:

• To start off with de-clutter.
  Take anything out of the room that doesn't need to be there. Even if you need to put it back again afterwards, you'll be amazed how much more spacious and organized a room looks without the clutter - particularly if you can move things off the floor. If storing your clutter is an issue, pack it in lightweight plastic storage crates and put it in the loft temporarily. There's nothing more embarrassing than your guests opening cupboards or wardrobes and all your hidden clutter falling out!
• Freshen and add colour with a new coat of paint on the walls.
  This is always a quick way to transform things with little effort or expense; and it's easily changed afterwards, if you feel like you've made a hasty colour choice that you can't live with long term.
• Change your window dressings.
  If all you have is a blind, put up some curtains for added style, colour and warmth and to co-ordinate the look with your bedding. Miss-matched furnishings just scream 'make do!', so invest in some new bedding to match your curtains and decor. At the very least you could add some matching cushions and a runner on the bed, to say that the look has been 'thought about'.
• Eyelet curtains on poles are quick & easy to install, need no dressing & are very user friendly.
  Go floor length where you can for more impact, just because it's the spare room , it doesn't mean you can't add a bit of wow factor to make your guests feel that they're in a special room instead of the spare room. Similarly if all you have is curtains, consider adding a blind for added colour, texture and light protection. Blackout roller blinds are great if you want to give your guests a good nights sleep and come in many colours and textures these days, for a fully co-ordinated look.

• Consider re-jigging the furniture.
  Obviously, where you place your furniture will largely be dictated by the size of the room and the position of the door and windows. Most important is the bed, decide where that will go first as this will take up the most space. If you already have the bed, don't be tempted to push one side up against a wall or a radiator thinking that you are creating more floor space. This isn't a good look and it's very impractical if two people are sharing it.
• If you are about to purchase a double bed for a fairly small room, consider buying a single bed instead, with a guest or trundle bed underneath.
  Trundle beds are particularly good as they pull out and are raised, on folding legs, to the height of the main bed. This means you leave yourself more space available in the room when the bed is not in use. However, check the assembled size will fit the room as you do tend to end up with a 6' wide bed when assembled.
• Include seating in the room where possible for your guest's comfort.
  A stool, chair, mini chaise or blanket box at the end of the bed that will provide seating as well as storage. Trunks or sturdy, stackable, storage boxes (like decorative hat boxes) are good for spare rooms as they can double up as bedside tables as well as provide storage. A dressing table always gives a more sumptuous feel to a bedroom and is usually a welcome feature with your female guests as well as providing yet more storage space. Always leave some drawers and cupboards empty for your guests. This will make them feel far more at home than living out of a suitcase.
• Lighting is very important and a very easy way to change the mood of the room at the flick of a switch. Table lamps and up-lighters will provide ambient effect as well as adequate reading light. And if we're talking about things that plug in, then plug-in aroma diffusers with warm Christmas spices or fresh floral fragrances will give either a clean and fresh or warm inviting feel to the room too.

• Make your guests feel like they're getting 5 star treatment by putting fresh towels in their room daily. I keep a set of what I call my 'posh guest towels' for such occasions. The ones we use every day are fine, but I like to make my guests feel special with some luxury bathroom linen. It makes a big impression with very little effort and dare I say, is a sure fire winner for impressing the mum-in-law!

• If your flooring needs some attention, consider re-carpeting or invest in a statement rug.
  Rugs are great in a number of ways. If you have laminate flooring they will add warmth for bare feet as well as colour and texture and if you’ve got a weathered carpet but can’t afford to replace it, they are a great way of masking the ‘bad-bits’ or dividing room space. Rugs are stylish and practical in all ways and can be moved around the house for use in other rooms, so make a good investment too. I’ve put a very small selection together here of rugs in the season’s top colour – purple... and a few other seasonal colours such as red, gold, green, black and white, but take a look at our extensive, full range, for more great value rugs to match your decor.

• If you’ve got a tiled or vinyl floor in your bathroom...
  ...or in a guest’s en-suite, simply putting a bath mat down can add instant, extra, warmth and comfort or again, provide the perfect guise for tired flooring. We have a great new range on-line which has made a welcome addition to our homewares section.