Spare a thought

Creating a room where guests want to spend time takes the pressure off busy hosts, says Arabella Youens

- Arabella Youens

IN the Financial Times last month, Charles Spencer described how a new generation of historic homeowners is refusing to be enslaved to tradition and is, in many cases, incorporating both contemporary art and bold colour. He could also have mentioned that their guest bedrooms have been dragged into the 21st century, with more creature comforts, fewer cupboards stuffed with mothballed clothes and bathrooms no longer distant. In his book The Big House: The Story of a Country House and its Family, photographer and writer Christopher Simon Sykes recalls staying in a house in Ireland where a trip to the bathroom required a circuitous route that took him through the billiard room.

The best guest accommodation comprises well-considered en suites packed with everything a friend or family member could need for a comfortable stay. There’s a hidden motive to this plan; the more time guests spend in their rooms, the more pleased they and their hosts are to see one another at the next meal or festive event.