Husna Rahaman’s article in Bangalore Times.

GUESTS come in as many flavours as there are hosts. Some bring sunshine and cheer into your life. Others bring the same only into the life of ma-in-law. Some hosts fling their homes open for the country cousin lost during the Second World War. Others guard their privacy ferociously, and make cousin verified by D.N.A. testing. Space permitting, provide an exclusive guest wing. This provides privacy for both guest and host an ideal situation. If you are building a home, plan this area in a private, yet connected quarter of the house. To plan the design agenda it is necessary for you to determine the guest profile - for instance, single white female (Cinderella) meets eligible bronze millionaire (Prince Charming) under your roof.
Should you have adequate land area, or if you are building a farmhouse, the guest suite can be located in an independent double height unit, which can also house the den. This can be architecturally linked with a bridge over a water body - the design possibilities are numerous.
The guest room should be as self sufficient as you can make it. You may have guests like myself, who travel only with the necessary travel documents and contact lenses. Keep an accessible supply of toiletries and crisp linen - the bath salts and aromatic candles don't hurt either!
In any scenario, create a bathroom exclusively for resident guests. A separate powder room must be provided for floating guests. This is hugely convenient and often ignored. This keeps day guests from entering bedrooms or the resident guest bath. Create the furnishing palette for the room based largely on the guests you expect to have. Light wood, glass and coloured walls might be a younger preference while walnut, mirror and inlay are a preference of the more seasoned.
All the while remember that elegance does not lie in excess. A minimal mood in classic contemporary details weathers all seasons.
Keep the flooring durable and low maintenance. A carpet is not an option - it is a dust trap and wholly unhygienic. Choose from marble, granite large tiles or even laminated wood, if it is relative low traffic area.
As always lighting is key. Two way switches allow flexibility for guests to control the lights and fan from the point of entrance as well as the bed.
Provide indirect lighting in the form of uplighters and bedside reading lights for task lighting. All lights should be kept on dimmers for mood elf, alteration. Switches should be located below eye level at 30 inches from the floor.
Based on your guest profile, guest rooms can be provided with the additional facilities you think might be required: laptop plug-ins, air ionizers, piped music the (P)residential suite!
It may be altogether unnecessary for you, due to a space constraint or infrequent guests to allocate an exclusive guest room. In this case, combine a family room with a guest room.
A shabby chic daybed is the perfect solution. A d piece of furniture that is ideal for couch potatoes and can just as easily be a cozy single. Also, the new age sofa cum beds are a whole species better than their predecessors and offer a flexible solution.
There are certain homes, like people, who let you know whether or not you are welcome. The guestroom, like the rest of the home takes its signal from you. What does your guestroom say to your guest about you?