Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26 this year, and for a lot of us that means the guest room (or the pull-out couch in the office) is about to get a workout. Here is the simple checklist we run through every November to help someone feel like they were expected and right at home, just like our short term rental guests. Most of it costs nothing.
Whether you have a true guest suite or a corner with an air mattress, the goal is the same, and it has a lot more to do with comfort and small kindnesses than with a big budget.
Start by sleeping in it
The best guest-room tip we know is also the least glamorous: spend one night in the bed yourself before anyone arrives. You'll find the lamp that's just out of reach, the blinds that let the streetlight in at 6 a.m., the pillow that went flat two winters ago. Ten minutes of fixing beats a guest who's too polite to tell you they didn't sleep. If early light is the culprit, blackout drapes fix it in an afternoon; we like these Liz Linen pleated blackout drapes.
The bed: layers, not one heavy comforter
Everyone sleeps a little differently, so give people options instead of guessing.
Fresh sheets, plus a spare set. Wash them, make the bed, and fold a second set in the closet so nobody has to ask.
Layers. A flat sheet, a light blanket, and a quilt or duvet on top, with one more throw folded at the foot of the bed. Hot sleepers peel back, cold sleepers pile on.
Two pillows per person. One firmer, one softer, if you can. Our go-to for guest beds is the Coop crescent adjustable pillow, because you can add or pull out fill to suit whoever is sleeping on it.
A topper for a tired mattress. If the guest bed is older or it's a sleeper sofa, a memory-foam topper is the cheapest upgrade in the room.
Tell them where the thermostat is. The Sleep Foundation says the best room temperature for sleep is around 65°F, and most of us keep the house warmer than that when it's full of people and a hot oven. (Source: sleepfoundation.org)
The nightstand trio
If you only do three things, do these: a lamp they can switch off without getting out of bed, a way to charge their phone with a stand or cord that actually reaches, and a glass or small carafe for water.
Make the bathroom easy
Towels set out, not hidden. A bath towel, hand towel and washcloth per person, folded on the bed or a shelf, so no one goes hunting through your linen closet.
A small "forgot it" basket. A new toothbrush, travel toothpaste, floss picks, makeup remover wipes, stain wipes, hair ties, a razor and a few feminine products. It's the thing people thank you for later (we've linked the ones we keep stocked below).
A robe on a hook. It feels like a hotel, and it makes a shared hallway bathroom a lot less awkward.
Space for their things. One empty drawer, a few hangers, and a clear spot on the counter.
The little things that say "we were expecting you"
The Wi-Fi password on a card on the nightstand.
A short note: where the coffee is, which shower knob is hot, roughly when the house wakes up.
A place for the suitcase that isn't the floor: a bench, a luggage rack, or a cleared chair.
A soft scent. Open the window for an hour, then light a candle before they arrive (and blow it out before bed). Our current favorite is the scent Rest or the Durham candle from Bright Black, a Black-owned scent studio right here in Durham, with notes of tobacco, cotton and whiskey. A diffuser on low works too.
A night-light in the hallway between the bedroom and the bathroom.
Below are a few things from our shop that make this list easier. None of them are required. Clean sheets and a warm welcome do most of the work.
Guest-room favorites
Intoval 3-in-1 Charging Station
Bright Black "Durham" CandleFor the "forgot it" basket
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However your house fills up this month, from Durham to Topsail Island and everywhere in between, we hope it's loud and warm and full of leftovers. Happy almost-Thanksgiving from all of us at top-notch in NC.
