Most of us spend a great deal of time on making sure that our living room, bedroom, bathroom, dining room and kitchen are in tip top condition and reflect our personal tastes, but sadly neglect the spare room or guest room, thinking it doesn’t matter as we rarely use it ourselves.

This can be a big mistake however, as it is of course the room in which you will put up your guests, and therefore the room that will leave them with their most lasting impression of your home!

Therefore, it makes sense to put as much time and thought into how you will decorate your guest room or spare room as you would with all the other rooms in your house.

But where to start?

A great tip if this particular room is only very small is to invest in an attractive sofa bed. Sofa beds are ideal for spare rooms as they provide your guests with a comfy place to sleep if they stay overnight, and fold up out of the way when not in use as a bed.

Take your time to browse a sofa sale and find something that will reflect your tastes and complement the colour schemes and the look of the rest of your home. You can find sofa beds in two or three seater versions so consider the available space and how many people you are likely to have staying overnight in the same room at one time.

With so many fabulous designs, materials, colours, patterns and shapes on offer these days, you’ll be spoilt for choice when selecting your new sofa bed. And getting this key piece of furniture right can make all the difference to an otherwise all-too-often neglected room.

Photo: Suman Chakrabarti

When it comes to entertaining outdoors, the time of day becomes very important.  If you entertain during the day, you will want to highlight the home in one manner.  At night, the effects are completely different.  The following are ways you can showcase your home from the outside in both the day and the night.

Use Creative Lighting (night)

There are a number of options when it comes to lighting your yard for an outdoor gathering after dark. Here are a few ideas:

• Brown paper sacks with tea candles
• Tiki torches
• Citronella candles
• Strings of lights
• Mason jars with sand and candles
• Landscape lighting, especially spotlights focused on the house

Colorful Landscaping (day)

The landscaping around your home can help accent the overall aesthetic appeal of your house.  When houses are for sale, buyers often judge the inside of the home based on what they see outside.  The same can be said about your outdoor party.  If the guests see a well kept garden with bright flowers in the landscaping, and tastefully placed accents, they will assume that the inside is just as pleasant and orderly.  Make sure all of the weeds have been pulled, and the grass has been mowed.

Highlight personal style with furniture (day and night)

If you have a defining style within your home, there is no reason you can’t bring that personality into your backyard and onto your patio.  Check out the Kingsley Bate outdoor furniture collections and choose furniture that fits both your style and your seating needs.  If you purchase furniture that features cushions, you may also want to utilize deck storage benches.  These benches can act as extra seats, but they are also good places to store the cushions during colder times or when they are not in use.  Since the cushions will likely be in use during the party, you can use the storage space for guest’s bags and other personal items that they may want to keep close, but out of the way.

Just because you are hosting an outdoor party, you do not have to give up the idea of showcasing your home.  There are plenty of things you can do to enjoy the party and show off your house at the same time.

About the Author

Stan Horst is a former cabinet/furniture maker who now enjoys sharing his knowledge on that topic and many others with the masses.  He also enjoys all things outdoors including activities he can share with his wife and two teenagers.

Photo: jonjohnson

First thing’s first, you need to decide the style you want within your dining room. There are plenty of different pieces of dining room furniture out there and it’s a case of choosing whether you want the space to look casual and homely or fit to host a sophisticate dinner party in.

If you’ve only got a small space to furnish, try not to go for dark wood. This can make it feel smaller than it is, but it can work well in a big space where you want the dining table to exude an inviting feel.

You also need to think carefully about whether the furniture you have in mind will suit the whole of your room. Decide where everything will fit in the space – if you’ve got a kitchen-diner, for example, you need to make sure the furniture doesn’t take up too much of the valuable space.

If you want to create the illusion of more space, it’s best to go for low-back chairs around the room. You’ll want these to complement the rest of the furniture in the room and not look out of place.

When deciding on the size of all the furniture you want, lay down some newspaper or something to mark out points on the floor and see how much space certain tables and chairs will take up. If you often use the dining room for entertaining, you’re bound to want a fairly big table and it makes sense to look for one with extendable parts on it, so it can take up less space when it’s not in use.

Take all of these things into account when you’re buying furniture for your dining room and you’ll definitely find pieces which fit well within the style and size of the space.

Photo: Big Grey Mare

If you have a traditional style farm house you are likely to want to keep your furniture matching this rustic theme but you will still need up to date appliances, like a good Westinghouse fridge.

Kitchen
The kitchen really is the heart of a country home.  It is somewhere that neighbours will spend a lot of their time and the agent who comes to sell your livestock.  People really do tend to go visit neighbours and friends more often in the country and spend a lot of time sitting in the kitchen or on the veranda having cups of tea and a few freshly baked scones.  When designing your kitchen for your farm house you want a welcoming atmosphere as well as a functional kitchen.  To make your kitchen easy to work in you need to have your fridge, your stove and your bench within easy reach of each other.  Having stools along the bench is a good idea as people can sit and chat to you while you are cooking or doing other things.

Casual living area
You need a room in your house where it is ok if the furniture gets a little messed up.  If you or your partner work out on your farm then it is more than likely you are going to get dirty.  You may want to have a ‘dirt room’ in your house, where basically you remove any really dirty clothing before you enter the house and then head straight for the shower, but sometimes this is just not that practical.  Having a more casual living area is a good idea in any farm house.  If you have an older lounge put this one in this living area and save the good one for the more formal end of the house.  You will probably find that most of the family will spend the majority of time in this room anyway, particularly if this is where the television is.  This type of space is also good for young children as they have a habit of putting sticky fingers on furniture and spilling things on the carpet.

Design
For the rest of your house you can gain inspiration from one of the many interior decorating magazines that are specifically targeted at country homes.  If you are fortunate to have a home with a wide veranda that is an older style home then you could go for a more provincial style of furniture.  Floral patterns suit this type of home, along with stripes and more old fashioned furniture.  You can even buy taps and sinks called a Farm house style which are perfect for your new farm house.  Your style of home will also depend on whether you want to make it more formal or if you want that country cottage look.

Photo: derMarsmann

Taking their musical tastes as a starting point for creating the right look is a great way to get inspired and involve them in the project too. It might be that a certain band, DJ or group is a favourite and they already project a certain image in terms of colour palette and styling. Perhaps a whole musical genre would work better or simply one gig poster or album cover. Whatever the starting point you can build from there: drop the mattresses onto the floor and paint in blacks and greys for a heavy metal fan, introducing a leather chair perhaps and some chrome and glass furniture.

For something more girlie think pop princess and emulate the Kylie’s of this world with a nod in the direction of glitzy show girl. Feather trimmed lamps and perhaps a canopy over the double beds will look very glamorous. Or maybe your offspring is into dance music and wants something in bright neon’s featuring high gloss clear plastic chairs and pop art inspired prints.

This is a great way to give some freedom of expression whilst creating a design inspired room. The occupant, however slovenly and unmotivated normally, is bound to get on board with the idea and be proud of the results and inspired to tidy up a bit more. You never know, they may even get so carried away they actually pick up a paintbrush and help. Wonders will never cease!

Photo: BrittneyBush

Paint is pretty cheap although do not be tricked into buying the cheapest available – this will merely require more layers and will cost more in the long run. Always apply a few layers however to ensure good coverage and finish. Consider using two alternate colours or just painting one wall in a different colour to make a statement – usually this tends to be the fireplace wall or the wall you push your TV up against.  Colours can dictate and affect the mood of the room. Light colours will make the room appear larger and airier whereas darker colours can make a room cosier and warmer.

The benefit of paint of course is that if you want a change you can simply repaint. Wallpaper on the other hand needs to be stripped and often steamed from the walls. Now you have a new colour scheme you can buy vases, candles, cushion          s and other various accessories to extend it further into the room.

To save even more money consider repainting your existing living room furniture. It’s much cheaper than buying new items and can breathe a new lease of life into tatty, worn chairs, dining room furniture, coffee tables, desks and cabinets.

1. Seamless edges. A smooth look all round is a key feature of modern kitchens, hiding the joins between surfaces and employing handle-less cupboards and drawers. Not only does this give a stylish, sleek look but it is hygienic too.
2. Bold accent colours. Whilst cream and white kitchen cabinets are still the most popular at the moment, more and more people are introducing an accent colour to brighten the room. Pick out tiled or glass splash back areas and mirror the colour in fabrics and seating.
3. Going green. A great one to see – designers are incorporating features which save energy and reduce waste. Recycled and reclaimed materials are fashionable and affordable, and can create an individual, bohemian look.
4. Islands in the sun. Island units, breakfast bars and all things sociable are key features this season. Practical and good-looking so if you have a big enough room then definitely include one in your plans.
5. Hi-tech and hi-gloss. Finishes are big news: ultra shiny, ultra sleek for the most up to date looks. Be warned though, these kind of kitchens don’t mix well with sticky fingers so if you have a family be prepared to spend a lot of time wiping and polishing!
6. 1950’s retro inspiration. For a quirky edge and a kitchen with a difference, be inspired by the 1950’s and emulate the shapes and colours of the period. Pale blue is particularly key, and brushed steel will enhance the feel too.

Whatever you go for it is a great time to choose your kitchen elements as there is so much choice. Be inspired and follow fashion or create your own!

Photo: saikofish

Is there physically enough room? To feel comfortable, you can’t be packed into a tight space so the space of your dining room needs to be taken into account when choosing dining room furniture. When you pull out the chairs, you ideally want there to be a good distance before they hit the wall. If not, you may want to consider buying smaller chairs or a thinner table.

An extending dining table is a good option if you want to save some space. The through traffic of the dining room also needs to be thought about. Look around at where the doors are and try to allow as much space as possible; you don’t want people bumping into things and dropping food or drink.

Is your table top left blank? A plain table is not a homely sight so when it is not in use, why not decorate it? This can be achieved by placing a cloth or covering on and putting flowers, potpourri, candles or any other decorations you see fit. Symmetry is key when doing so, as it will make it all fit together. When the time comes to use the table for meals, there should be a storage place somewhere in the room to place these items. A good storage place should ideally be able to store cutlery and tableware also so they are not all in the kitchen, perhaps splitting them between the two.

You need to plan a little though! Make sure whatever stripy element you are introducing to the room that first of all the direction of the stripes is intentional and will enhance the space. For example, to create an illusion of height try long, vertically striped curtains which will look dramatic and lead the eye upwards. For width on a narrow floor, try a broad striped rug which will optically push the walls apart – you get the picture.

In the bedroom you don’t want to over do it with colours that are too ‘busy’ and detract from the restful elements of the room. Divan beds covered in rainbow stripes will not be inviting as a place to relax and dark stripes on the walls will over-power. Try something more subtle – maybe wide horizontal stripes in two shades of cream around the walls, accentuated by pictures mounted within the central stripe: very elegant and not at all intrusive to the eye.

Leave the ceiling alone as well! No-one wants to lie back on their mattresses to be assaulted by the view of a stripy ceiling; I really don’t think anyone could make that work. Be careful with upholstery and carpeting as well, as a striped design will quickly date and will then be expensive to replace. And finally, don’t over do it. Counter-act the vibrancy of stripes with plain, simply designed pieces in the room and the whole look will come together much better. If it’s not a right angle it’s a wrong angle!

There are so many aspects to a perfect kitchen. Islands, if you have the space, can provide a great focal point. They provide food preparation space, often the oven hob and often great storage. Try hanging pans and utensils above. Kitchen islands come in all shapes and can be used as a dining area or a place for the family to socialise.

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When choosing your worktops take into account your circumstances – will you be cooking a lot? Do you mind if the worktops get marked and scratched? Here are some of the options:

Wooden tops are popular and appear in all sorts of kitchen designs. They can be used to prepare food on and paired with most colours and also stainless steel. But they do stain and spills will need to cleaned up quickly.

Composite worktops are very popular as they are easily cleaned and are hard wearing. They can be bought in a variety of colours and finishes. You could opt for a granite worktop which is glossy and expensive. It is easy to clean and is durable against heat and stains.

Will you be eating in the kitchen area? In terms of dining room furniture, an extending dining table can be a great space saver and gives you a lot of flexibility.