You’ve won a vacation at a resort.  Imagine you get to design your own room and suite!  This is one way you can approach designing guest quarters in or outside of your home.  Designing special guest quarters is a wonderful gift to friends and family.  We have all have gone away and stayed with friends or family or at a resort.  Remember what was really special?  What things could have been better?

    To design your own quarters that reflect or go beyond your own experiences, let’s start at the beginning.  How many guest rooms do you want to provide?  Who will be the primary users?  Friends?  Family?  Are there other guests such as distance relatives who may only come occasionally but whose needs should be accommodated?  The location of your home will have a lot to do with the amount and type of guest quarters you provide.  If you live in or near a traditional community, your needs for guest quarters may be limited.  But if your home is in a ski resort, or on a lake or golf course, guest quarters may take a large role in your planning.  Of course, it will have a lot to do with your situation and personality.  Do you have a large network of friends of family that love to visit?

Will your guests be primarily single or will they be married couples? Will they have children?  What will be their ages?  You will need to decide if the children will need a separate bedroom. A sitting area with a pull out couch can sometimes serve a dual purpose.  Do you have children whose rooms they will share?  You may want to have an area large enough for a play pen. 

    The type of guest visits can influence your design approach.  How long will your guests typically stay?  Will it be primarily for weekends or short term use, or will they be ‘moving in’ for a week or more?  Is your home itself going to be the focus of your guests’ visits?  Or will it be primarily a place to sleep and socialize after skiing, or exploring the region where you live?  For example, ski chalets may simply need lots of beds, but few amenities.  The longer and more home-focused the visits will be, the more rooms and amenities need to be developed.

    How many guests will you have at any one time?  Are there zoning issues that affect how many bedrooms or guest cabins you can provide?  Will extra rooms mean other services and requirements within your home?  For example, if you have multiple guests at one time, how will that impact your kitchen and living areas?  You may need a slightly larger kitchen and separate work areas, or larger appliances. What are the financial implications of providing guest quarters, particularly separate cabins?  There will not only be increased construction costs, but additional property taxes and maintenance costs.  

  

As you get down to the specifics of design you will first need to address floor-planning.  Privacy is perhaps the most important of these.  How will your own family dynamics influence your guests’ stay, and conversely?  You will likely want to separate the guest areas from your private family areas.  Can they be placed on one wing or end of your home?  If your guest quarters are off a common living space, insert a small alcove that will at least help create a psychological sense of separation and privacy.  If you are going to be building a separate cabin or cabins there will still be privacy issues to address, even if it relates to neighbors.  You may want to design a guest suite as a second master bedroom suite on the main floor.  The main floor guest suite can be converted to your primary suite later should you become less mobile in the future.  This option should also add potential resale value to your home.

Once you have determined number, size and location of rooms consider what amenities you want to provide.  Will you provide a private bathroom for your guests or will a family bathroom have to double?  If so, can you have your family’s toiletries separate from your guests?  For a private bath, you may choose a pedestal sink or install your sink in an antique dresser for added character.  A small washstand for toiletries is a nice touch.  Consider the practicality of a shower and the romance of the jetted tub.

    You will also need to determine what additional amenities you will provide.  The nature of the visits, the experience you want to provide your guests and, of course, your budget will help shape the amenities.  Will your guests be spending considerable time on their own or will they mostly be interacting with your family?  The largest and most expensive amenity may be a fireplace.  Others might include microwave, coffee maker, bar fridge. 

    Consider things such as climate control and lighting.  Switching should be intuitive and may be even more important than in the rest of your primary home.  Pay attention to energy conservation.  Provide adequate soundproofing.

    Regardless of your specific answers to planning questions, you will still want to communicate character clearly and simply.  Allow your creativity to flourish.  Have fun.  Pay attention to detail and relish personal touches.  You may want to use a theme such as Victorian or Western.  It doesn’t necessarily need to complement the décor of the rest of your home.  Give yourself more license to experiment.    If you have more than one guest bedroom, you can use different themes or at least choose different color carpets, finishes and furnishings for each room.   They can be complimentary or you can use a common accent color so you can use one color for towels and tissues.

    In general, furnishings need not be extensive but should have character.  While you may not need a large closet, there should be an area to place luggage so it will be accessible yet out of the way.  Full height armoires or wardrobes may be more functional than closets and complement your log home décor.   Log furniture is usually a hit, but it has to be comfortable.  You will likely only need one dresser.   Include a large over-the-dresser tilting mirror.  Queen or king-sized beds with large headboards are often appreciated.  Full drapes can add warmth and softness.  Natural colors, fabrics and textures will complement your log walls. 

If you have the luxury of separate cabins for guests, add a small porch or patio as an extension of the interior space.  Landscaping, exterior lighting, connecting pathways and even parking should be carefully considered.

    While your goal in designing your guest quarters may be as humble and simple as giving your guests a good a comfortable bed for the night, thoughtful attention to the little things can be a wonderful gift your guests will appreciate for years to come.

© Murray Arnott