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.
1
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.
3
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!
6
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.
Comment “PIN” and I’ll send over tonight’s Design Board when it goes live. Or find it later in Between the Layers through the link in our bio.
I think people assume designers spend all day choosing furniture. The truth is, we spend a lot more time studying why certain rooms stay with us.
Why one staircase feels timeless. Why a stripe can completely change the feeling of a room. Why adding one modern piece to a traditional home suddenly makes everything else fee more interesting.
That’s what this month’s Design Board explores. It’s a peek inside the ideas shaping our work long before they become finished rooms. Some may be having a moment. But I have a feeling they’ll be just as beautiful ten years from now. That’s always the goal.
Fair warning: you may leave wanting to tent a room. I can’t be held responsible.
We may be a small team, but we’re incredibly mighty. Every project you see is the result of talented people who genuinely care about what they do. They show up every day giving their best, collaborating behind the scenes, solving problems, refining details, and working together to bring each client’s vision to life. It isn’t always easy juggling multiple projects at once, but that’s the beauty of a small business—we’re all invested in the outcome, and we celebrate every finished home together.
Keeping our studio intentionally lean has always been important to me. Each person brings unique strengths, and because we know each other so well, we’re able to work efficiently while giving every project the attention it deserves.
Whether you’re looking for a one-time consultation, our Signature Virtual Design experience, or full-service interior design, our mission is the same: to create homes that feel thoughtful, intentional, and deeply personal.
We recently refined our Signature Virtual Design service to deliver the same level of creativity, detail, and intention as our full-service projects—just structured for clients who are comfortable managing implementation themselves.
Because we truly believe every home deserves good design, regardless of the size of the project.
Grateful doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel about this team. They make the magic happen every single day, and I’m so excited for you to get to know them a little better.
This is your sign to finally create a plan for the room you’ve been avoiding.
I think a lot of people assume they need to wait. Until they have more time. More money. A bigger budget. The entire house figured out.
But I’ve found the opposite is often true... Sometimes all it takes is creating a vision for one space.
One room that feels calmer. More functional. More beautiful. More like you.
Because a home isn’t transformed all at once. It’s shaped through a series of thoughtful decisions over time.
If you’ve been circling the same room for months and aren’t sure what to do next, comment ‘PLAN” (or visit our website to get started) and I’ll send you the link to schedule a one-hour consultation.
If you’ve been circling the same room for months and aren’t sure what to do next, comment ‘PLAN” (or visit our website) and I’ll send you the link to schedule a one-hour consultation.
This is your sign to finally create a plan for the room you’ve been avoiding.
I think a lot of people assume they need to wait. Until they have more time. More money. A bigger budget. The entire house figured out.
But I’ve found the opposite is often true... Sometimes all it takes is creating a vision for one space.
One room that feels calmer. More functional. More beautiful. More like you.
Because a home isn’t transformed all at once. It’s shaped through a series of thoughtful decisions over time.
If you’ve been circling the same room for months and aren’t sure what to do next, comment ‘PLAN” (or visit our website) and I’ll send you the link to schedule a one-hour consultation.
This is your sign to finally create a plan for the room you’ve been avoiding.
I think a lot of people assume they need to wait. Until they have more time. More money. A bigger budget. The entire house figured out.
But I’ve found the opposite is often true... Sometimes all it takes is creating a vision for one space.
One room that feels calmer. More functional. More beautiful. More like you.
Because a home isn’t transformed all at once. It’s shaped through a series of thoughtful decisions over time.
If you’ve been circling the same room for months and aren’t sure what to do next, comment ‘PLAN” (or visit our website) and I’ll send you the link to schedule a one-hour consultation.
This is your sign to finally create a plan for the room you’ve been avoiding.
I think a lot of people assume they need to wait. Until they have more time. More money. A bigger budget. The entire house figured out.
But I’ve found the opposite is often true... Sometimes all it takes is creating a vision for one space.
One room that feels calmer. More functional. More beautiful. More like you.
Because a home isn’t transformed all at once. It’s shaped through a series of thoughtful decisions over time.
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!
