The holidays are all about homes full of family and friends. Are you preparing your house for guests? If so, this post is for you! We’re gathering all our favorites and sharing tips for getting your guest room ready. And, as in our case, that could be your kids’ rooms that have to work for both kids and guests! Two of our three are coming home from school, and we have guests coming to stay too. Some may think there’s no way a kids room can double as a comfy, inviting room for guests — but we’re here to tell you it can serve both purposes! Follow these steps and you’ll feel ready and able to entertain guests over the holidays … like a pro.
CLOUZ HOUZ TIP: To make guests feel welcome and comfortable, it’s the simple things ? For example, I like to add travel-sized toiletries to nightstands in case anyone has forgotten items like toothpaste, aspirin, earplugs, charging cord, etc. Also, a carafe of water and a glass for an easy middle of the night sip is always a nice touch. Your guests will appreciate these small gestures!
image: Clouz Houz / Photography: Zee Wendell
Treat whichever room you’re designating as a “guest room” as a special retreat for your guests. Whether it’s a den with a pull out sofa or an office with a blow up mattress, you can create a cozy space for family and friends where they can relax and enjoy their time in your home. See below for some items that we think are not only comfy and inviting, but also practical and budget-friendly. Adding these will make a “5 star hotel” experience in your own home!
CLOUZ HOUZ TIP: We needed a nightstand in our daughter’s bedroom since she took her furniture with her to college. So, we turned a chair into a surface by adding a stack of books. Then we placed a small dish to collect guest’s jewelry, etc. and set out a tray to hold a glass of water or a phone.
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Water Carafe and Glass
Make everything feel special, even a late night sip of water! This water carafe and glass set is so cute. It's the perfect addition to the guest room to make visitors feel like they're truly being spoiled with simple luxuries.
I love this little tree for placing on a nightstand to make your guest's room feel festive. Add lights for a night "glow" in the room, or leave naked for a cute touch to any space. I bought two of these this year, and just ordered a couple more for the kids' rooms. They would also look sweet with ornaments.
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Flannel Sheet Set
New sheets always feel luxurious, and these are sooooooo good! They're inexpensive, but feel really nice on a cold wintery night. And, let's not forget how handsome they are as well! I got a couple of sets or the kids' rooms this year, and they love them. It's a win-win as kids and guests will love to curl in for the night!
We purchased this duvet and these shams for our daughter's room, and now I'm on a mission to get the same ones in the green colorway. The quality of the linen is really really good, and I love the relaxed yet preppy look it adds to her room. I've purchased Serena & Lily bedding over the years, and I have never been disappointed.
If you want to turn a den or TV room into a guest space, I recommend investing in a good air mattress. This particular one has rave reviews, with air-filled coils and a built-in air pump to adjust the firmness of the mattress. Add some nice sheets, a down comforter and fluffy pillows and your guests will feel spoiled all through the night!
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Sheepskin Throw
I use sheepskin throws all the time, whether they're thrown a chair or sofa or as an easy solution to put something cozy and luxurious to the floor! I placed a couple next to the bed in our daughter's bedroom where we will host guests as well. It adds just a little something extra that will feel so good when stepping out of bed in the morning!
We've had the bed in our son's bedroom for years, and I still love it as much as I did the day we got it. It's a classic style -- not too childish, yet relaxed enough to feel casual and comfortable. The natural quality of the rattan goes with many styles of bedding. It looks especially amazing with hotel-inspired bedding, with classic embroidered sheets and beautiful duvets.
I can't say enough about how much I love this floor lamp! I've used it for clients' projects as well in our home. Both our boys have them as a reading light over their beds. I really like the contemporary, cool vibe it gives to their rooms. It has a handy touch sensor for ease in the middle of the night. And, you can't beat the price for the look! It's a great dupe for a designer look.
Your room might not need more furniture. It might just need finished windows.
I will die on this hill. 😂
Window treatments have this incredible way of making everything else in a room feel more intentional—the ceiling feels taller, the architecture feels better, and even furniture you’ve had forever somehow looks more considered.
I shared the window treatments throughout our own home a while back and apparently this struck a nerve because it became one of our most talked-about Between the Layers posts. So, bringing it back for anyone who missed it. I’m sharing what we used, where I spent more, where I absolutely did not, and the little details I think make the biggest difference.
Comment “WINDOWS” and I’ll send you the full post.
I started Between the Layers because I realized there was so much I wanted to share that just didn’t really fit here.
Sometimes it’s design. Sometimes it’s a source I can’t stop thinking about. Sometimes it’s what I would do differently in my own home.
It’s become a place for me to share a little more freely and go a little deeper — and I’ve really loved writing it. If you’ve been following along here for a while and want a little more of the conversation, come join us over there. It lands right in your inbox every Friday. xx
I’m in a season where I feel both incredibly grounded in who I am and also... still figuring out what I want the next chapter to look like.
And I think both can be true.
You can love the life you’ve built and still want to evolve it. You can miss old versions of your life without wanting them back. You can be grateful for where you are and excited to see where you go next.
There’s something really freeing about realizing we’re allowed to keep becoming.
Back in my natural habitat 😂 Plans, samples, a million ideas, and getting to walk through them with our clients IN PERSON
One of my favorite parts of making a new house feel like home is pulling these back out. Although I could do without the reminder of just how quickly it all goes.
Dinner at Southall and I think it officially convinced me I need to make a Tennessee recommendations post.
Just two girls who believe deeply in the importance of breakfast.🥞
Proof that sometimes the answer really is just... paint it yellow. 💛
Soaking up quality time with my char
File under: tiny details that make something incredibly simple feel special.
Came across this old video from one of our campaign shoots at the #High DesertTumaloRanch and it made me a little 🥹
We’re enjoying our family vacation in Sunriver, and I’ve actually been back in Oregon for the past month—catching up with clients, squeezing in site visits and consults, and honestly just loving being here again.
There really is nothing quite like an Oregon summer. Even with the wildfires, which has been heartbreaking to watch become such a normal part of summers here, this place still holds so many special memories for our family and has always felt like a bit of a retreat.
We spent so many good evenings out on this patio, usually with those killer mountain views in the background. Seeing this again brought me right back. Had to share.🤎
It’s never too late to dial in your patio. IMO early fall is still some of the best time to spend outdoors (and let’s be honest, you can find some pretty amazing sales- save now and enjoy later). Let us help you design your outdoor space for any season!
Hiring a designer is a funny thing. You’re essentially handing someone your home your budget, years of saved inspiration, and a pretty intimate look at how your family actually lives-and trusting them to get it right.
That’s not a small thing.
And a good designer’s job is so much more than making your home beautiful. It’s listening closely enough to know when to push you toward something you wouldn’t have chosen on Your ow? when to wark with what you already love, and when to say, Nope, that doesn’t feel You should still recognize yourself in your home when we’re done. Just maybe a version you couldn’t quite figure out how to get to on your own.
That trust takes time, which is why we start every project with a conversation.
If you’ve been thinking about getting some help with your home but aren’t quite sure what that looks like yet, that’s okay. Tell us what you’re working on. We’ll start there.
Discovery calls are always the first step — link in bio or shoot us a DM.
Maybe someone in your life needs to hear this right now. Someone whose life looks completely different than they thought it would. Who’s feeling stuck in their career.
Starting over. Watching their kids grow up and wondering what’s next for them. Or just feeling that little nudge that maybe it’s time for something different.
I’ve been there. And if I’m being truthful, I still have moments where I’m there.
There were seasons of my life I never would have chosen, but they pushed me toward things I’m not sure I ever would have been brave enough to choose on my own. This business. Moving. Starting over. Taking risks when I definitely didn’t have all the answers.
I think we put so much pressure on ourselves to have life figured out when really, we’re supposed to evolve. You’re allowed to change your mind. You’re allowed to want something different. You’re allowed to start the thing you’ve been quietly thinking about for years—even if the timing feels weird or the path there looks nothing like you imagined.
Sometimes you just have to trust the nudge and see where it takes you. 🤎
And while I’m feeling sentimental, thank you for being here and following along through all the different chapters. I’ve loved the support, conversations, and little community that’s grown here more than you know. Send this to a friend who might need that reminder today.
CLOUZ HOUZ TIP: To make guests feel welcome and comfortable, it’s the simple things ? For example, I like to add travel-sized toiletries to nightstands in case anyone has forgotten items like toothpaste, aspirin, earplugs, charging cord, etc. Also, a carafe of water and a glass for an easy middle of the night sip is always a nice touch. Your guests will appreciate these small gestures!
