Here at Prosper and Dwell, we love to inspire folks to think creatively about their own home to improve their quality of life. This post takes a little twist on that idea, diving into what makes a guest feel comfortable in your home. Although now days, our house guests are few and far between - the few times I have stayed outside the home at an Air B&B - these amenities made all the difference in the comfort of my stay. It can be stressful to prepare for guests stopping buy for a quick visit, let alone family or friends staying over the course of a couple of days. Aside from cleaning up the house as a whole, these design tips will make your guests feel extra special and taken care of in your home.

1. A Place to Put Their Stuff

If this seems incredibly obvious - it is. Having a either a bench or closet for guests to put their shoes and coat is essential. If your guests are staying overnight, have a landing spot for their luggage in the bedroom. If the bedroom is big enough for two people - or intended for two people - have two spots. Have you ever tried to share a luggage space with your partner? Not happening! If you have the luxury of an extra closet  -- keep some space empty so they can hang their clothes. Better yet, if you have a dresser, save a couple drawers for them to put away their clothes.

2. A Place to Charge Their Phone

This also may be an obvious one but think about where this person going to plug in and charge their phone. Is there a plug nearby so they aren't having to crawl under a nightstand or over an armchair to find a place to charge their device? I'd recommend saving the free dust bunny sweep and running an extension cord to the bedside or take it a step further and place an extra charger out and accessible for guests to use. There are a lot of different options when it comes to wireless charging; however, if you choose a Universal Wireless Charging Pad, it will work for most phones. As an added bonus, write out the WIFI password so your guests don't have to ask you -- and in turn you don't have to go look at the back of your router and recite that 18 number digit combination.

3. A Bedside Lamp

One of my pet peeves is running across the room before bed to turn off the light, sprinting back to the bed with my eyes closed so I don't see anything spooky (--kidding…not really). In the same way you can run an extension cord to the bedside for the phone charger - add a lamp so your guests aren't tripping over themselves trying to shut off the light before bed. Better yet - grab a lamp with a USB port on the base or look for an option with an integrated charging station built in so your guests can plug their charger in right then and there!

4. A Mirror

Nothing is worse than someone hogging the bathroom trying to get ready or sitting in the hallway trying to get ready. Add a mirror to the room that is large enough for an adult human to see themselves at least from the bust up. No cute 3x3 mirrors - although that would make a great accent.

5. Clean Towels and Sheets

This goes without saying, but absolutely put clean sheets on the bed. The fresh laundry smell will fill the room and there is nothing better than diving into a fresh, clean set of sheets. Secondly, set out some towels so your guests don't have to wander around and rummage through your hall closet. As an added bonus, put any extra travel shampoos, mini snacks, or bottle of water out for your guests.

6. Privacy

Sometimes guests want some downtime or need a couple of minutes to resolve a work issue. If you have the space, add a chair to the bedroom —its nice to have some peace and quite in the room without having to lounge on the bed. Better yet, add a side table next to the chair so they can put down their coffee and work on their laptop if needed.

The day will come when we will be able to host each other in our homes again and providing these few amenities for your family and friends will make them feel special and taken care of in your home. Feeling comfortable in someone else's home is a unique design challenge but with these tips you are one step closer to having them love their time in your space! 

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