A PLACE FOR VISITORS

The ultimate emblem of hospitality, the guest house can be as basic as a one-room cabin or as extravagant as a whole second wing. It might be a seasonal space best for summer visitors or designed for long-term guests lingering through the holidays. Extending an invitation to family and friends to stay is the most gracious expression of kindness.

The guest quarters can be a place to apply cozy design elements such as a wood burning stove.

To that end, the guest quarters are often the most enjoyable spaces to design. Determined by location, family size, and lifestyle, the component of entertaining is the driving force in the architectural design process. From bunk rooms to stone cabins, the scale of these areas is usually smaller than the main house, making choices easier. Whimsical details and efficient solutions can be applied to everything from sleeping areas to kitchen islands with size and imagination rendering kitchens more efficient, bathrooms are more playful and living rooms cozier.

Whimsy in the kitchen and comfortable living areas are hallmarks of guest quarters.

This Jackson guest house is an extension of the main house and just a short walk around the pond.

If there is a challenge to the guest house, it is in finding the balance between hospitality and maintaining privacy. Designing a space that gives both hosts and guests the comfort of enjoying each other’s company while allowing space to retreat is an essential component of well-done accommodations. That balance can be simple or elaborate, possibly taking the form of the family compound with the main house and multiple cabins just steps from each other or a sleeping loft over the garage.

Ultimately, extending an invitation to out-of-town guests is the most gracious expression of care that a host can offer. To open your home to friends and family with the offer of comfort and ease is a wonderful gesture of kindness.