Just as certain hotels and holiday stays appeal to us more than others, our homes, with their various interior designs and features, also make different impressions upon guests. Some of our friends and family leave feeling elated, completely happy with their experience, and often with a mind of copying some of their favourite styles. Others, however, leave with a sense of stress, having not experienced an entirely satisfactory stay.
The differences between these experiences are caused by the home and the host. Uncomfortable mattresses, overwhelming decorations, and a lack of essential amenities are often the cause of such displeasure, however, it can be much more subtle too. So, to ensure that your next guests leave with only a positive impression, we’ve put together a guide on how to create a home for hosting!
Dedicated Social Area
When it comes to hosting, a pitfall of many homes is the lack of a dedicated social area. Such a space doesn’t necessarily need to be a lounge per se, but for guests to feel comfortable and for conversation to spark, a spacious and accommodating seating area should be designed. Interestingly, kitchens are becoming more common spaces for such social gatherings, with central islands being sought after for their casual comfort and social enjoyment.
A Private Room
Welcoming guests to spend the night is a perfect opportunity to test your hosting skills, ensuring that your towels are fresh and that your bed is comfortable. While we may all remember crashing on a friend’s sofa or pumping up a blow-up mattress, the most ideal bed space for a guest is their own room, one equipped with privacy.
If you don’t already have a spare room, consider converting an attic space or investing in a log cabin for your garden and transforming it into a guesthouse. This way, you will be able to accommodate friends and family without stress or imposition.
Adjustable Environment
While you may have spent time adjusting to the environment of your home, it is unlikely that each guest you welcome will be as automatically comfortable. They may find themselves too warm, distracted by noise, or uncomfortable with the brightness. These are features that can very easily be made adjustable or fixed with kind offerings.
You do not, for example, need to switch your boiler on if a guest is chilly. Instead, you can have luxurious blankets at hand, ready to offer. Changing your lights to dimmers can be fiddly but also unnecessary if you have alternative ambient lighting, such as string lights, ready to illuminate a room instead.
Simple Storage
A surefire way to make your guest feel uncomfortable or as if they are an imposition is to lack space. If the shoe rack has no room, a chair cannot be found, or a cupboard is unable to accommodate their luggage, guests will immediately feel as if they are disrupting your home.
For this reason, it is essential that your interior design has surplus space. If you find this difficult, such as within a smaller living space, then it’s time to get creative with your storage and look at combining furniture with compartments. Under-sofa and under-bed storage is remarkably useful for exactly this reason!
