Be Our Guest . .

The excitement at Rhubarb Cottage is palpable. We have a guest, yes an actual guest, a real life person coming to stay! Who ever knew there would come a time when the ability to have someone stay at your home, would be quite so exciting but after the past year, it is.

Our guest bedroom has been doubling as Mr Rhubarb’s office so it ‘s a sheer pleasure to dress it again as a proper bedroom. I love having guests and even more so, I love getting the guest bedroom ready. My mother was always good at making people feel at home and at ease and I have definitely inherited this instinct from her. I want my guests to feel comfortable and filled with cake at all times so here is my Top Tip List of Thoughtful Guest Room Essentials to make your guests feel welcome.

1/ Fresh Flowers

 Of course, for me this is at the top of the list. Nothing elaborate is required, just something big enough to sit on the bedside table or book case, but flowers always provide welcome cheer to any room. Whether it’s a small posy cut from the garden or just a single bloom.

Handmade Vase in Grey Glaze, Claire Folkes Ceramics, £30

2/ Lovely Bedding

I always opt for a lovely neutral colour for my guest bedroom bed linen to ensure it looks as calm and inviting as possible. I have a white Orla Kiely tiny stem duvet set with an abundance of pillows of all sizes in white pillowcases from The White Company but also with some antique lace ones for extra detail.   A beautiful baby blue herringbone cashmere blanket from Johnstons of Elgin at the bottom of the bed adds a touch of warmth and colour.

3/ A scented candle

 Before any guest arrives, whatever the weather I always open the window to freshen the room but I also always light a scented candle so the room immediately smells delicious as soon as my guests enter the room. Because everyone has different tastes when it comes to candles, I do aim for a gentle scent. Something like the Green Fig candle from Plum & Ashby is perfect.

4/ Reading Material

 I don’t know about you but I rarely am able to settle into a bed that isn’t my own without reading a page or two of something. Even though we have a bookcase in our guest room filled with all sorts of reading material, just in case my guests feel the same I always think about the sort of books they may want to pick up before bedtime and leave a copy or two out. For our guest coming this week she always loves to read my collection of home magazines so I have a left a few of the most recent editions at the end of the bed for her, alongside some classic P.G. Wodehouse novels – always the perfect pre-bedtime treat.

5/ Pillow Spray

I adore my pillow spray and take it everywhere with me when I know I’ll be staying away overnight. I like to leave one by the bedside of our guest bed so that if they want to spray their pillow for a good night’s sleep they can. I always use the Deep Sleep spray by This Works.

6./ A Carafe of Water

 Everyone likes a glass of fresh water by their bedside and I think a carafe freshly filled always looks so thoughtful and is always appreciated. This beautiful one from The Vintage List is perfect – not only does it especially as you can pop it into the dishwasher after.

7/ Fresh towels

 Obviously these are a given – I always like to leave a small pile neatly folded at the bottom of the bed so my guest can immediately see them on arrival and not have to wait to ask you for them in the morning. Make sure to always include two towels, so there is one for their hair.

8/ A Place to Hang Clothes

We don’t have a wardrobe or drawers in our guest room but I have some beautiful Liberty hangers on the back of the door for guests to hang up any clothes that need to be unpacked.