5 Tips For Getting Your Home Ready For Guests

The holiday season can be a busy time of year for most, especially if you are hosting a gathering of family or friends in your own home.  The never ending list of sending out invitations, gift shopping, catering and cleaning all while doing your usual daily tasks can make it a stressful period. So we have put together 5 tips to help you get your home ready for the holidays and make it inviting for your guests.

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Create a toasty home

Nothing is more welcoming for your guests than a toasty, warm home especially on those cold wintery nights.  If you have an open fire make sure it is lit to not only provide warmth, but to also add to the ambience.  Otherwise, up the temperature of your central heating, but be careful not to make it feel like the Bahamas as there is nothing worse than sweating over dinner!

Making your home feel warm isn’t all about your heat source though.  Use lamps to provide intimate lighting to your rooms.  Changing the lamp shades to a warmer fabric can make the light appear richer.

Using candles can also add to the atmosphere and help your home feel warmer. Ensure they are placed safely out of the reach of little hands and away from flammable objects.

Add some greenery and flowers

A simple and last minute solution to providing a more welcoming home for your guests and to dress your interiors for festive celebrations is to add flowers and greenery to your space.  Create a large display of flowers in your entry or living area and carefully place smaller arrangements around the home in places such as the bathroom and guest bedrooms.

For a solution that will last the entire festive season, pot up a trio of baby evergreens in terra cotta pots and place them on a mantel piece for a simple look.  Potted ornamental plants outside your front door can also add a welcoming touch and provide a more glamorous entrance.

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Give your interior a festive touch

Adding festive touches to your home doesn’t have to break the budget.  Keep it simple and avoid going overboard as you get caught up in the holiday spirit.  Avoid the tacky, holiday merchandise and instead opt for something more unique and restrained.  Use mini pumpkins for your seating arrangements, fill a glass bowl with apples and leaves and add some scented candles with recognizable holiday fragrances such as pine, cinnamon or nutmeg.

Whilst you are decorating, reduce the clutter in your home.  Perhaps take down a few of the family photo frames and clear your counter tops.  Ensure there is enough places around your home for your guests to place their glasses down.

Tidy your bathrooms

At some point in the evening, your guests are going to need to use the bathroom.  Put away all your personal products and tidy all the surfaces.  If your hand towels are looking a bit shabby and thin, this is the time to replace them with nice plush ones. Choose complementary hues to your bathroom interior. Place a little arrangement of flowers in a small glass jar or vase on the vanity and splurge on some luxurious liquid hand soap and moisturizer.  Beautiful bottles can add to the overall appearance of your bathroom.

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Add hooks or clear your coat closet

A pile of coats on the stairs or lying around the entrance to your home is not the ideal first impression you want to give your guests.  A quick clear out of the family coats in your closest can add room for your guests to store their outerwear when they arrive.  Put your own coats somewhere else in the house, such as in a bedroom closet or basement for the short term. If you don’t have a coat closet, simply installing some decorative hooks along your hallway wall can provide a place for your guests to hang their coats instead of lugging them around or cluttering up the entryway.

 

Providing an inviting home will not only make your guests comfortable but it will also create a memorable experience.  Focus on enhancing the senses – touch, smell, sight and sound. A little bit of effort can go a long way and will not go unnoticed.