A guest room is often the most neglected room in a house, but it shouldn't be that way. Your guest room is an opportunity for you to have a canvas for decorative self-expression in a room that is likely not used as much as the others in your home. Consider these dos and don'ts when you go to pick furniture for your guest room.
Do Spend Time Envisioning What You Want
Instead of simply going to a store and winging it, take the time to think about the guest room and what you really want from it. For example, you may want a guest room that doubles as a sewing room when the guests aren't there. There's nothing wrong with that, and it can still be comfortable for guests.
Try to balance the practical needs that guests are likely to have with the fun things you'd like for the room. As another example, if you have kids in college and anticipate that their friends from school will be using the room when visiting, you may choose to paint the walls in school colors. In that situation, you may choose to buy a couple of day beds instead of one big bed so multiple friends can stay over.
Don't Get Overly Ambitious
One common mistake that people make with their guest room is trying to make it work for every possible guest. That's impossible. You can't please every visitor that may ever stay in your home. If you try to fit too much into the room, it can just end up uncomfortable for all guests.
Try to simplify things when selecting furniture for the guest room. Consider whether the furniture is aesthetically appealing, comfortable, or useful. If a piece of furniture doesn't fit into any of those categories, you probably don't need it in the guest room.
Do Look at it from the Guest's Perspective
A guest room is typically not meant to be used by a visitor for more than a few nights at most. Since a guest's stay is likely to be brief, it's even more important to make the room memorable and comfortable. That way, the person leaves your home with positive feelings and happy memories of time spent in the room.
When choosing furniture for the guest room, try to envision how you would enjoy the piece if you were a guest staying for a few nights. For example, try to choose a night stand that is big enough for things a guest may bring. You may choose floor-length lamps for extra lighting that isn't too harsh. You may choose a pull-out sofa for the room in case you have multiple guests.
Finally, keep in mind that buying furniture for the guest room needn't be complicated. Take your time to select pieces you genuinely love. When you follow your heart while decorating and buying furniture, you will be on the path to making your guest room one that you want to dwell in yourself. For more information, visit websites like http://www.fickesfurniture.com.
After I moved into my new apartment, I was eager to get it furnished quickly, so I just went to the local furniture store and just chose a few pieces I liked the appearance of. Within a year, my sofa cushions became very uncomfortable and one of my bedroom dresser drawers broke. I learned the tough lesson that you should not choose your furniture based on appearance alone. Soon, I began performing research on how to choose quality furniture. I then chose a new sofa and dresser that I decided was good quality based on my research, and I am happy to say that they are still in perfect shape after five years! I am eager to share what I learned about furniture when conducting my research with anyone who needs the help on my new blog!