How to Turn Your Guest Bedroom into “The Perfect Sleep Sanctuary” this Christmas
As we prepare to welcome friends and family this Christmas, creating a cosy guest bedroom is key to ensuring everyone feels at home and get to rest and unwind inbetween celebrations. Preparing the guest bedroom is going to be high on the priority list for many, making sure everyone in the home is rested for Christmas Day too. However, recent findings from the furniture brand, Barker and Stonehouse, reveal that for 80% of us, our sleep is actually worse over the festive period, and over half don’t enjoy this time as much as we’d like to because of it. With 31% of people attributing their poor sleep to hosting stresses and guests staying over, making sure your visitors have a good night’s rest could translate into a better one for you as well, which is why Magdalena Gierasinska, Head of Product and Displays at Barker and Stonehouse, has shared some of her expert tips on how to make your guest bedroom as sleep-friendly as possible, from utilising soft furnishings to the ideal colour palettes.
Layer breathable fabrics
Wrapping up warm is one of the hallmarks of the winter period, with our bedrooms being one of the locations we’ll be doing this most. However, according to Magdalena, we may not be using our soft furnishings to their fullest. “With those cold winter nights setting in, you’re likely to already have a blanket or two prepared for your guests,” Magdalena explains, “however, making sure they’re the right materials and properly placed can make all the difference.”
Magdalena says, “For a blanket that will be used tandem with a duvet to keep warm, natural, breathable materials are ideal. Wool is often the best choice, trapping in the heat whilst still allowing air to regulate, resulting in a cosy temperature that avoids becoming stuffy and uncomfortable. As it’s also a heavier material, using a wool blanket provides light pressure that many find comforting, an added benefit that again aids in improving your guests’ sleep.”
Layering soft furnishings doesn’t just add to the visual appeal, but also serves a practical purpose, with Magdalena stating, “To add an extra layer of warmth, a lighter, thinner throw blanket can also be introduced. This is best placed towards the bottom of the bed, with a generous overhang that again helps in trapping the heat. As for the best order to layer soft furnishings, the duvet should be the base layer, followed by a larger blanket and finally the throw. This allows each layer to trap heat in the most effective manner, whilst also making the bed look all the more inviting for your guests on a winter’s evening.”
Avoid vibrant colour schemes
Colour psychology is one of the most important aspects to consider for a bedroom, with different shades having different effects on how we relax. “Your colour choices have an impact in every room of the house, but nowhere is this truer than for bedrooms,” Magdalena says. “The colours surrounding us can have a noticeable effect on how we sleep, and understanding which are best for our bedrooms can completely transform our rest.”
“For example, brighter, more vibrant colours and tones such as reds, yellows, and purples, can have us feeling more stimulated and restless compared to other shades, making it far more difficult for us to get to sleep. As a rule of thumb, tones that are darker, earthier, or more neutral are better at signalling our bodies that it’s time to wind down, and so these are what you should be aiming to incorporate into your own bedroom anlongside your guest one.” Magdalena says.
As for which colours the experts recommend, Magdalena suggests, “Sage green, burnt orange, and terracotta are amazing colours to create a relaxing bedroom that also bring a timeless style to the space. These cosy bedroom colours can easily be introduced through bedding and soft furnishings, especially during winter when you’ll be incorporating more throws and cushions.”
Incorporate greenery into the space
Making decisions on how to decorate a guest bedroom can be a difficult process, but these decisions can have a huge impact on the final feel of your room, with Magdalena explaining, “Bedrooms are often filled with spaces for decoration, whether that’s bedside tables, tops of drawers, or shelves, but choosing the right decoration is essential.”
“Plants should be at the top of everyone’s list when it comes to deciding on what additions to make to the space, providing a variety of benefits that can help improve your guests’ sleep.” Magdalena recommends. “Many people find being surrounded by nature to be calming, and that’s exactly what plants can help introduce into a guest bedroom, injecting a splash of colour whilst also creating a relaxing, stress-free environment.”
The colder months may be the perfect time to bring some greenery, as Magdalena continues, “This can especially be the case over winter, when much of the usual greenery outside has disappeared, lending to the feeling of giving your guests their own personal sanctuary hidden away from the cold. Houseplants also help to slightly improve the air quality of the bedroom, which can again help with the overall quality of their sleep.”
Invest in the right mattress
One of the most important factors affecting our sleep is the mattress we sleep on, and this is especially important during winter, when they can also help keep us warm, with Magdalena stating, “To ensure that your guests stay warm during the night, investing in the right mattress can have a noticeable impact. When looking for types of mattresses, memory foam and hybrid are amazing choices for cold weather, moulding to the body and retaining more heat than standard spring mattresses that may have no additional support.”