Create a warm, welcoming guest room with bedding from Sferra, available at Block Bros. at Home. Photograph courtesy of Block Bros. at Home

Give your guests options with cellular shades like these — available at Timan Custom Window Treatments, Inc. — which can let in natural light or block it out. Photograph courtesy of HunterDouglas by Timan Window Treatments

By LAURI GROSS
As the weather cools down, your calendar is likely to fill up with guests visiting during the fall and winter holidays. Ensuring they feel pampered will make for a smoother experience for everyone.
First, make sure your guest room has the basics that all visitors will appreciate. This checklist should include nightstands with a lamp, box of tissues and a power strip. If there’s no overhead fan, include a pedestal fan or one that sits on a dresser. Having a remote to control the fan or overhead light is a bonus. Include your wifi password in a nightstand drawer or even frame and display it on the guest-room wall. A tiny chocolate on the pillow or a pretty basket of snacks or toiletries will surely earn your guests’ approval. If there’s a bit of extra floor space in a corner, a stocked mini-fridge will delight visitors.
To accommodate varying guest preferences, it’s best to offer bedding options. Carolyne Bloch, owner of Block Bros. at Home in Pepper Pike says, “In a guest room, since everyone has a different body thermostat, it’s always good advice to layer the bed. Have a duvet cover and a down comforter and layer underneath a nice blanket that coordinates with the color scheme so they can add the blanket or take off the comforter,” she suggests.
Among the many brands that Block Bros. carries, Carolyne mentions Sferra. “It’s a really great, popular and well-loved company,” she says. “They have quite a few new designs that are ideal for the guest room and for making guest rooms comfortable and a happy, warm, comforting place to sleep.” Carolyne explains that Sferra’s many choices fit with any color scheme, from woven jacquard prints to solids with contrasting detail done in embroidery or appliques.
Block Bros. also offers bedding products from Matouk, which Carolyne explains makes fabulous sheets of fine Egyptian cotton for all price points up to 1,000 thread count. “They’re famous for nice clean tailored classic lines and embroidery and appliques,” says Carolyne. “Matouk joined design forces with a 100-year-old family designer, Schumacher,” she continues, as she describes washable bedding with a beautiful designer look. “They design everything from linen tablecloths and linen quilted coverlets to soft Egyptian cotton and percale duvets and sheets, and they have fabulous new colors.”
When choosing pillows for the guest room Carolyne says, “Ninety percent of people choose medium fill. It gives most people the right support and medium fill is typically good for all back and side sleepers. We have a lot to choose from and they are all sourced responsibly: No animals are harmed and they are sterilized 300 times more than required by federal guidelines so they are hypoallergenic.”
All that carefully chosen bedding will need a good mattress to go with it. In addition to a tremendous selection of furniture, Sedlak Interiors in Solon carries mattresses from the 120-year-old Shifman company, known for luxurious mattresses handcrafted with devotion to detail. According to the Sedlak website, Shifman’s primary upholstery material is cotton, which offers breathability plus warmth in winter and coolness in summer. Some models include layers of other luxurious materials like New Zealand wool and pashmina cashmere. Shifman says their mattresses promote correct sleep posture, relieve pressure, improve circulation, relax muscles, reduce pressure on the spine, and ensure a better night’s sleep.
A careful choice of guest room window treatments is also key to providing a comfortable, welcoming guest experience. Adam Timan, CEO of Timan Custom Window Treatments, Inc. says, “Custom window treatments play a crucial role in enhancing the overall ambiance and aesthetics of guest rooms. We feel that we excel in assisting customers seeking to upgrade the appearance of their guest rooms through custom window treatments. By providing a wide array of fabric choices, textures, and styles, we ensure personalized solutions.”
Sheer shades are Among Timan’s many offerings. Adam says these are “an excellent option for guests who prefer a balance of natural light and privacy. These window treatments consist of a layered fabric design that offers a soft diffusion of light while maintaining privacy during the daytime. HunterDouglas by Timan Sheer Shades, such as Silhouette® and Pirouette®, provide flexibility by allowing guests to adjust the vanes to their preferred light exposure.”
To offer the option of letting in natural light or blocking it out, Adam says, “Cellular shades offer exceptional versatility. Due to their unique honeycomb structure, these shades provide insulation while, at the same time, allowing light to filter through. HunterDouglas by Timan’s Duette® and Applause® lines offer cellular shades suitable for guest rooms, providing a diverse range of fabric opacities to meet different light preferences.”
Timan offers personalized, expert advice in consumer’s homes and in their showrooms in Chagrin Falls, Rocky River and Cleveland.