Getting ready for the winter holidays
It is an appropriate time of year to begin preparations for winter holidays. No need for a sizzling email to complain that it is too early for decorations! That's not what I'm thinking about. Rather, I'm mulling over sleeping arrangements in your guest room or favorite vacation spot, not decorating ideas.
You still have time to order a sleeper sofa. Some furniture manufacturers make sleeper chairs that pull out and make into a twin bed. Over the years, I've heard every complaint possible about sleepers. The latest technology offers a blowup bladder that is sandwiched between outer layers. One of my clients said that the mattress did not hold its firmness throughout the night. You should realize that the mattress will be smaller than the outside dimension of the sofa itself, so plan accordingly. I use a bed in a suitcase, the EZ Bed sold by Frontgate. It collapses into a suitcase with casters. In the interest of full disclosure, I have had two of these nifty devices spring a leak in the past. While it is very easy to inflate and deflate with the electric motor, my most frequent houseguest prefers sleeping on the floor on the memory foam mattress pad that I bought with the bed!
If your cabin or cottage is one open room and the guest bedroom will be in the main part of the house, consider lightweight portable screens for temporary privacy. In this setting, two folding screens could block off the dining table from the instant guest room. Don't forget to provide sheets for whatever provisional bed your have and splurge on a great blanket or comforter. This is a perfect place to apply a little bit of luxury for your guests. You might offer several different types of pillows: Soft down, a firmer Dacron or a supportive neck pillow. This shows intense consideration for the comfort of your guests.
Remember to provide your out-of-towners with a basket of small personal toiletries. Be sure to leave in plain sight extra toilet paper, tissues and folded clean towels. It is lovely to also provide a clean bathrobe on a hook either in the bathroom or right outside in the hall. Other items that demonstrate consideration might be: Hats, gloves, umbrellas, walking sticks, rain jackets or heavier weight jackets. Particularly if your guests hail from another section of the country and don't own their own, you might have a few rain boots or snow boots on hand. A fun idea is to put framed photos of the visiting family members in the guest rooms to make them feel right at home.
Small vacation places can get dirty quickly, especially in the mountains or at the shore. While no one wants to spend vacation time cleaning, it might be useful to have electric brooms or an old-fashioned broom and dustpan on hand in an obvious place. I will never forget a stay in a friend's beach studio that was directly behind the main house. It was dusty and dirty and I had no way to sweep the floor. This was the same place where my husband fell out of bed in the middle of the night - the bed was too small for us and we never went back.
If you rent out your vacation place, you may not wish to have valuable decor left for others. Know that you can fasten wall art with security devices that make stealing anything arduous. Smaller accessory items could be locked away in an owner's closet or in a trunk in the garage or basement. When your guest accommodations are in your own home, you may prefer a review of valuable items that are left in the guest room. If you are a worrier, then remove any temptation from sight.
• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.
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