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Meet Missy Tannen, co-founder of Boll & Branch, an online retailer of luxury sustainable textiles, where Tannen oversees the design, manufacturing, photography, packaging, and customer experience. Along with her husband, Tannen founded Boll & Branch to create beautiful products by using 100% organic cotton, and by creating an ethical supply chain, all while cutting out the excessive markups that have become the norm for bedding.
Missy was kind enough to share her very best hosting tips with us. Read on to discover how to prep (and stay prepped!) for your next guests!
What’s the best hosting advice you’ve ever received?
With our family and friends are spread throughout the US, we always love hosting weekend guests. The best piece of advice I’ve been given is to look at where they will be sleeping… it’s the place they’ll come to rest and feel like they are on vacation, but many times the guest room is prime for “hand-me down” master bedroom linens. If you aren’t up for a whole bed makeover, a simple and easy start is to replace the sheets for super soft, comfy ones. It is the single item in your home that your guests will be in most contact with.
What is one guest room item we should all use in our own bedrooms, too?
A guest room should feel like being on vacation. The room is clean, relaxing, and uncluttered. We all should carry that sentiment into our own bedrooms, so that it’s a place to unwind without any distractions and feel refreshed for the next day.
de-clutter your guest space
While cleaning is often the last thing any of us want to do, it will make a huge difference in the comfort of your guests. We’re not talking simply vacuuming the guest room here — it’s time to open up the drawers and closets and empty them out. Your guests don’t want to move your winter sweaters just to find a place to put their pajamas or hang an outfit. Emptying the dressers (and re-lining the drawers if it’s been a while) can immediately give the space a more inviting feel and your guests will feel like the room is their space, not that they’re encroaching on yours.
focus on the bed
The most important ingredient to your guests’ comfort is the place that they lay their heads. Is your 15-year-old mattress shaped like a hammock? Are your linens circa your wedding from 2005? It’s time to upgrade, and you don’t need to break the bank to do it. There are dozens of great companies that sell quality mattresses online for a fraction of what you’ll pay at retail. Of course, we recommend Boll & Branch linens which are as nice (if not nicer) than what you find in a fine hotel — for just a couple of hundred bucks. They’ll last forever!
accessorize and personalize
A few well-placed picture frames and accessories can do a lot to make your guest room feel incredibly homey — and nothing like the hotels you want your house guests to avoid. Here’s a pro-tip: If you have a special guest, consider replacing some of the photos in the room with photos of you and your guest together. It will make them feel special, and most certainly will not go unnoticed.
give them a tv
We’re generally not fans of TV’s in the bedroom, but it can be great for a guest room. Sometimes guests would like to retire to their own space at the end of the day and by giving them a TV in their room, they can be on their own schedule.
stock the fridge with their favorites
Obviously, you will want to pick up groceries before your guests arrive, but a really nice touch is to figure out your guest’s favorites and have them on-hand. It might be a favorite cereal, ice cream flavor, or bottle of wine — whatever it is, the thoughtfulness will be appreciated. See more from Missy atBoll & Branch!