A Well Decorated Guest Room Should Be Like A Fine Hotel

Ultimately, a guest bedroom’s endgame is to comfort, relax and draw family and friends back for more. And with just a handful of tricks, visitors won’t be able to stay away, according to some in-the-know East End interior designers.

Last week, Residence caught up with a few designers to learn the do’s and don’t’s behind the definitive guest bedroom decor details.

“The basic luxury essentials for a guest bedroom will serve you well, whether you were in India, Paris or East Hampton,” East Hampton- and Manhattan-based interior designer Jeffrey Parker said during a telephone interview. “To me, you have to approach a guest room as if it were a fine hotel room. What is it that you, yourself, would need in a room that is now your nucleus?”

First is a bed—and not just any bed. It needs to be extremely comfortable, Mr. Parker said. He typically uses a Charles H. Beckley custom-made, king-size mattress with a separate down pillow top, which will cost $2,800 and $1,200, respectively.

“Pair that with a nice upholstered headboard, something that doesn’t creak or squeak,” he said, adding “down pillows, a down duvet and good linens.”

He recommends linen or very fine cotton Italian sheets. And when possible, be sure they’re freshly pressed, Mr. Parker said.

“As much as it sounds like a luxury, there’s something about the crispness of a fine, cotton sheet when it’s been ironed and lightly starched that’s the most wonderful sensation when you get into bed at night,” he said.

Use a king-size mattress when possible, both Mr. Parker and fellow interior designer Greg McKenzie, whose office is in East Hampton, said.

But be sure that the room isn’t all bed, Mr. McKenzie added.

Bed size should depend on the scale of the room. If the room is extremely large, a king is appropriate. When in doubt, settle for a queen or double, he said.

In a home with one guest room, Mr. McKenzie suggests utilizing two double or queen beds to avoid any awkwardness between platonic visitors.

“I’m 6 foot 3, so for me to sleep in a twin bed is not so comfortable,” he said during a telephone interview last week. “If you have two guys sharing a room, or two single friends, you could put two beds in there and it turns into an adult twin-bed situation.”

Mr. McKenzie prefers featherbeds on top of a mattress cover to pillow tops, he said. And incredible bedding can turn a guest room from humdrum to high-end, according to the designer.

Full, plush down pillows are key, he said. In case guests have allergies, keep an extra set of foam pillows in the closet, Mr. McKenzie recommended.

“There’s nothing worse than having pillows you can’t sleep on because they’re so flat and there’s no fullness to them,” he said. “I’m, of course, a pillow aficionado. I happen to love pillows. I have seven on my bed—four king-sized pillows, two shams and a decorative pillow. I like shams. They look more inviting and, obviously, you’re going to want your sham to match the duvet color.”

Stick with simple bedding, Mr. McKenzie said, but make it the best kind that’s affordable. A sheet set, a couple of duvets and a throw can run from a couple of hundred dollars to thousands, he reported

The next touch is unrelated to interior design, Mr. Parker explained.

“Second, even though I’m in the design business, is air conditioning,” he said. “Once you have that nice comfortable bed, you don’t want humidity in the room when your guests are sleeping.”

If a guest room doesn’t have central air, Mr. McKenzie suggested purchasing a fan, though it’s difficult to find an attractive one, he said.

“I’m of the decorative school. I don’t like ceiling fans,” he said. “I’d rather have a bike rack in the room.”

Essential accessories include a comfortable chair with an ottoman and a writing table, Mr. Parker said, and keep framed family photos to a minimum, he added.

“It doesn’t matter how small [the table] is. You just need a surface for a laptop, an iPad, cell phone, just a place to be organized,” he said. “And of course, you need a flat-screen television.”

Ideally, empty out the room’s closet, both designers encouraged.

“A good supply of hangers in a closet, to me, is one of the nicest things you can provide for your guests,” Mr. Parker said. “Wood hangers and an ample closet. And if that closet has a combination of shelves and hanging space, that’s everything they need.”

An en-suite bathroom should be as fully loaded as its adjoining bedroom: stocked with an abundance of towels and accoutrements including fresh soaps, shampoo, a hair dryer, brush, comb, toothbrush and toothpaste, floss, deodorant and even a cologne or perfume, the two designers suggested.

Especially here on the East End, homeowners may want to include a separate beach towel, sunscreen and leisure reads, such as magazines and lighthearted novels, Mr. McKenzie said. And of course, keeping the room true to its purpose is of the utmost importance, the designer stressed.

“You really want to treat the guest as a guest, where they’re not wanting for anything,” he said. “You want to make the room feel as though it’s not a cast-off room in the house, a place for winter storage. It should be something very special. The most important thing is to make it as comfortable and inviting as possible.”