The Bed in Bed & Breakfast

There are so many things to consider when furnishing your B&B guest rooms,  I really don't know where to begin.  But just let me say that some times more is less and other times less is more, depending on what it is.

Some B&B's will be purchased furnished.  Some will be a clean slate.  All will call out for your personal touch.  Take time to think about what you like in your own personal space and when you are traveling.  Identify a theme for the house and the rooms.  Don't skimp but spend wisely.  Make practical choices, not emotional ones.  Maybe start off with only one or two guest rooms and expand after you have the experience to know what you and your guests want.  Walk, don't run, until you are familiar with the path you are heading down.

Remember that business plan we talked about?  Hopefully you included a budget for furnishings and you will do your best to stick to it.  We had four guest rooms to furnish and a budget in mind.  We purchased the following and managed to stay almost within the plan:

• Two king size bedroom sets with full size dressers and one night stand each
• Two queen size bedroom sets with full size dressers and one night stand each
• Chairs for seating at least two people in each room (important to encourage people to sit on the chairs and not on the beds which is hard on the mattresses)
• Two  luggage racks for each room
• A writing desk for each room where guests can work or play at 
• Note:  we did not put televisions in our guest rooms (and no one has complained)

In hindsight, if we were to do it all again, I would have done things a little differently.  I would have

• Purchased two king size beds
• Purchased two single size beds for guests traveling together that do not necessarily want to sleep together
• Kept the full-size antique bed that came with the house available for guests who want to experience sleeping in a  beautiful Victorian bed
• Not purchased full-size dressers - guests rarely use them and they only gather dust
• Find room for a night stand on both sides of the beds

However you choose to furnish the guest rooms, the mattress you put on the bed will be your most important decision.  When looking for mattresses, Bob and I literally went around laying (and rolling) on mattresses everywhere.  If your guest can't get a good night's sleep when staying with you, they will never come back. We purchased Anniversary Edition Pillow Top mattresses from Ashley Furniture and we have never had a complaint about them.  We even have one of these on our own bed and, four years later, still love it.

Be sure to not overcrowd your rooms with too many things.  The original Kerr House had room themes that included a room full of teddy bears, a room of hats, a room with dolls and a room filled with walking canes.  Thank goodness there was not a room decorated with clowns!  All the items were vintage and beautiful but a little overwhelming.  Many returning guests have told us that they never realized how large the rooms are and how much they appreciate the open spaces now.  It's important to have themes (we went with the four seasons) but don't overdue it.  It will only create more dusting for you and accidental breakage by guests who want to touch everything.

Finally, have fun when decorating your rooms.  I shopped with a friend, Laura, who always discovered the best treasures and found unique, affordable items.  When guests ask me about some little thing, I always have a story to tell about when and where they were discovered.  If you love the rooms that will be conveyed to your guests and they will love them too.