CasaSugar

Do You Sleep on the Sofa When You Visit Friends or Family?

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:53 -0800

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my husband and I are staying at his mom's Whidbey Island retreat. Luckily, the house is big enough to allow us the luxury of staying in a guest bedroom. I've spent a good many nights sleeping on sofas, and I don't mind, but a guest bedroom is always a wonderful luxury!

Source: Flickr User jaliyaj

Before and After: Guest Quarters by Mae Brunken

CasaSugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:00:35 -0700

Desire to Inspire recently posted a makeover of the poolside guest quarters of a Pacific Palisades estate by interior designer Mae Brunken, and I was completely floored by the project. As you can see, the space was cramped with large furniture, and it didn't quite make sense. Items were not stored properly, the television was oddly positioned, and quite frankly, the space simply lacked personality. Guest rooms are usually the last place we devote our attention when redecorating, but we should want to treat our pals to a well-designed room when they visit! To see Brunken's fantastic transformation, read more.

I'm simply in love with this room! The soft gray and yellow color palette is splendid, and that rich zebrawood is so unusual. I almost can't believe it's the same room. Just using smaller, shorter furnishings has really made the space seem 10 times larger. The daybed is so versatile and ideal for a guest room. What do you think? Head over to Desire to Inspire to hear more about the project and to see more photos!
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Room Therapy: A Bed For Our Guests

CasaSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:00:31 -0700

Hi, Casa!

I am at a loss, and I'm hoping you or other Sugar readers can help me out. I recently moved from a spacious apartment to a tiny townhouse. My husband and I decided to make the larger of the two bedrooms into a joint guest bedroom/office. The only problem is our guest bed is a queen! We are definitely tight for space in this room, and a pull-out sofa or futon seems like the ideal solution. We've started our search, but everything seems so expensive (after moving expenses, we really can't afford to go over $200 or so on an "optional" piece of furniture). What can we do? We crave our office space and I definitely cannot give up my bookshelves, but we still want friends and family to be able to visit and stay with us. Please advise!

Thanks,
Bethany21

To see my suggestion, and to leave a suggestion of your own, just read more.

Hi Bethany21,

I can totally empathize with you! Moving costs are often exorbitant, and it's so nice of you to already be turning your attention to your guests' comfort. I'm sure that you're a popular household for friends and family to visit, given your outlook on entertaining.

First of all, I'd suggest donating or selling your current guest bed. A queen bed is huge, and it likely dominates the guest room/office. Since you say that you're also attached to your bookshelves, why not set up this second bedroom primarily as an office? For years I put guests up comfortably on a pillow-top full-size aerobed in a room that was primarily an office, and I think that this might be a good option for you as well. I recently slept on one for four nights when I visited a friend, and didn't have an ache or pain anywhere upon waking, so I can wholeheartedly recommend this product. And more importantly, you can deflate, roll up, and store this bed in a closet when you're not entertaining overnight guests. That way you and your husband can optimize the space as an office when guests aren't visiting, rather than as a huge bed-dominated second bedroom/office. I also spotted a Aerobed Peremier Pillowtop Inflatable Bed on sale for $124.95 at Sierra Traders, so that's well within your budget. And if you're absolutely opposed to an Aerobed, check out this morning's Good, Better, Best post for a wrought-iron daybed that's also in your budget.

Anyone else have a suggestion?

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Casa Quickie: Welcome Guests With a Shoe Organizer

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:15:43 -0800

TeamSugar member SweetPeasMom shared a great tip for making your guests feel right at home involving an over-the-door shoe organizer, which she repurposed. She says:

I hang an over-the-door shoe organizer on the back of the door of our guest room. In each of the different clear pockets I may include the following: a map of the local area, sun lotion, soaps and shampoos (usually the free hotel ones or samples), note cards, a good paperback book (with a note saying to take it with them if they haven't finished), candies, a flashlight, a variety of medications and personal items, a couple of stamps, postcards from the surrounding area, etc. My guests seem to really appreciate it. And it's amazing how many of these little things are free or very inexpensive.

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Primer: A Well-Equipped Guest Room

CasaSugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:00:17 -0700

Old-fashioned homemaking wisdom says that everyone should sleep in her own guest room at least once, to see how it feels and make improvements. (As the guest in many rooms over the years, I can safely say that most people do not do this.) Of course, if you live in a smallish apartment or house, you may not have a spare room, but that doesn't mean you should ignore your guests' needs, even if they're just crashing on the couch.

So I've put together a quick checklist that covers the basic essentials that any good guest room (or mere guest space) should have. To see if yours is up to par, read more

clean towels, perhaps laid out on the bed
a well-lighted mirror
a bedside table and reading lamp
a few well-chosen books and magazines
a wastebasket
paper and a nice pen
a closet with plenty of free hangers
an alarm clock
a night light, if the room is unusually dark

From there, whatever embellishments you want to add - from fresh flowers to maps of your city - are up to you. Think I'm missing a crucial accoutrement? Tell me below.

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Crave Worthy: 3 Ring Table

CasaSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:30:23 -0800

I love beautiful furniture designs that embrace a sense of possibility. Such is the case with the malleable design of Um Project's 3 Ring Table ($6,000).

The table is made up of three pieces: a low table, a bench, and a play surface. These three pieces can be arranged in a number of ways to accommodate your needs, or the needs of a dinner party or unexpected guests. And of course, you can separate the components to use in different areas or different rooms altogether. This piece is made from jatoba wood, a hard, dense wood, and can be used either indoors or outdoors.

Are you craving a particularly gorgeous piece of furniture or home accent piece? Then join my group Crave Worthy Creations and post about it!

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Casa Quickie: Shut 'em Down

CasaSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:30:31 -0700

If you have a guest bedroom or storage space that you rarely use, keep that room off your Winter heating radar. Do so by closing the heating vents in the room, and closing the door. Use a draft blocker on the door to prevent the room's cold air from seeping into other rooms of your house.

Another good idea? Close closet doors in any room this Winter, since there's no need to heat closet space!

On the Market: Former New Orleans Home of Vampire Enthusiast Anne Rice

CasaSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:00:45 -0700

The former New Orleans home of Anne Rice, author of Interview With the Vampire and the Vampire Chronicles series, is on the market for $3.7 million. The 1850s home has a transitional style, with both Greek Revival and Italianate elements. It boasts double galleries with Corinthian and Ionic columns, massive antique beveled mirrors in the double parlors, antique landscape murals in the dining room, gorgeous millwork, and exquisite plated ceilings.

The house was the inspiration for Mayfair Manor, the Garden District home of the characters in Rice's Mayfair Witches. The home's oak tree, swimming pool, and iron scrollwork side porch figure prominently into the script. Rice and her late husband, poet and painter Stan Rice, lived there from 1989 to 2004. With five bedrooms and seven-and-two-half baths, a pond, a three-car garage, a guest house, a cabana, and a courtyard, it's truly a dream home. And, like any good New Orleans home, its double galleries make a great spot for an evening Sazerac. To take the full tour, read more.

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Before and After: From Scary to Shabby Chic

CasaSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:00:23 -0700

Côté Maison reader Serge purchased a dilapidated retirement home in the Bordeaux region of France after leaving a duplex in Paris. The exterior had already been partially restored but the house still needed a lot of work. Two years and thousands of euros later, he and his wife had redone the roofing, floors, bathrooms, bedrooms, electricity, tiles, garden, pool, and even planted 360 saplings! They also converted an old barn into a photo studio, a small house into a guest room, and a garage and shed into spare apartments.

As you can see, the room above was a scary sight that needed a lot of work, but it did have beautiful, rustic ceiling beams. So, they transformed the space into a calm, shabby chic living room that I'd kill to own. See it when you read more.

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Casa Quickie: Paint Your Home Library

CasaSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:15:00 -0700

If you don't read and you don't want other people to know it, you can fool your guests by painting a faux bookcase on your wall. New York interior designer Amie Weitzman had a trompe-l'œil bookcase put in this sitting room of the New York residence of one of her clients. As you can see, the homeowner appears to have a mighty colorful and extensive book collection that makes a powerful focal point. But if you look closely you'll realize it's not what it seems. Literacy is overrated anyway, isn't it?