Musings on Guest Spaces

Since my husband is fortunate enough to have a sabbatical, I took three weeks to travel with him in Europe. We’ve stayed at Airbnbs, hotels, a church tower apartment, and a friend’s home. Our chance to explore the world brings to mind ideas about creating a gracious guest space.

Nice linens and a good mattress are no-brainers. Creating space in closets, drawers, and shelves allows your guest to make themselves comfortable, even for a night or two. Good reading light as well as soft, ambient light creates a cozy resting spot for travel-weary guests…all the more if there is a comfortable chair and a place to put feet up. While it’s nice to have guest toiletries available, it’s perhaps even more important to provide easy access to coffee and tea, either in the guest space or in easy common spaces.

A guest space can be very relaxing when sparse and clean with simple lines, but you might consider adding some beauty in art, decorative pieces, or fresh flowers. The church tower apartment where we stayed in Paris (pictured below) was a lovely respite (the 28”-sq shower stall notwithstanding😊). A genuine spirit of warm hospitality, as offered by our hosts on this trip, makes all the difference.