Simply Hosting: Using Books to Personalize a Guest Room
What was the occasion? Who was coming over?
My family hosted two out-of-town family members, my sister and my grandma, at different times in our family's guest room. My sister stayed for a long weekend last Christmas, and my grandma stayed for almost two weeks so she could attend a relative's wedding.
What did you do to prepare for your guests to arrive?
Our guest room decor always stays the same, regardless of what time of year it is or who is visiting. But in these instances, I wanted to make the room a little more personal.
I love to read, and so do my sister and my grandma, so I decided to put some books in the guest room for each of their visits. For my sister, who wouldn't be staying very long so wouldn't have a lot of time for reading, I chose two Christmassy picture books and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. For my grandma, who is a retired elementary school teacher, I chose a few children's chapter books that were lighthearted and fun to read.
How did you feel about the overall state of your home? How did that influence you as a hostess?
The guest room is the one room in our home that is always tidy because it's only used for guests, so I felt confident my sister and grandma would be comfortable there. But I didn’t want them to feel as if they were in a hotel room, which is why I opted for the small but personal addition of books.
What do you remember most fondly from the get together?
My sister enjoyed seeing some of her favorite books sitting out for her. I think the books added to the welcoming feel of the room, and since my sister was visiting over Christmas, they definitely added to the Christmas spirit.
My grandma read almost all the books I had chosen for her. Reading them gave her some quiet time away from everyone else, along with some fun stories to share with us when we were all together.
I really enjoyed talking with my grandma about some of her new favorite stories, which usually reminded her of some story from when she was teaching, and reminiscing with my sister about childhood Christmases and other favorite books. It was such a simple touch, but it gave us something extra to connect over. I definitely wished we had more time to talk about books over tea and sweet treats!
Editor’s note: Thankfully, hosting doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Simply Hosting highlights the simple ways we show others they are welcome, whether for a quick afternoon visit or a long weekend. If you’d like to share how you welcome others into your home, review our Readers Write guidelines here.
