A safe room isn't a finished room. It's a room waiting for someone else's taste to show up. Here's why I push every client past safe, and what it actually looks like when they let me.

With Thanksgiving next week, you might be realizing that guests are arriving soon and your "guest room" is actually a storage room with a bed shoved in the corner. Or worse: you've got a perfectly decorated guest room that looks magazine-ready but feels about as welcoming as a hotel lobby. Most guest rooms fall into one of two camps—neglected afterthoughts or over-styled spaces that feel untouchable. Here's how to create a guest room that actually makes people feel welcome.