Nicole was in a bind. Her parents and older sister, along with two nephews, were visiting her for the weekend, and she had offered to have them spend two days at her home so they won’t have to spend for hotel accommodations. While Nicole had the space (she had a guest room, and her two children were going to share a bedroom to give way to their aunt and cousins), she was concerned that her house might not be ready for guests in time for the weekend.
It had been a while since Nicole had any family or friends spend the night at her home, but fortunately she was more used to having company over for dinners or occasional cocktails. Instead of panicking or getting stressed out thinking about getting everything prepared for her weekend of entertaining and playing host to her guests, she decided to list down some ideas that she already uses frequently for dinner parties, with a few enhancements for overnight guests.
- First impressions last. Nicole knew that what guests see when they enter her home will likely stay with them all throughout
and also dictate their perspective of the rest of your home. She thought of some welcoming elements that go a long way in getting her home ready for guests, such as a fresh bouquet of flowers, hot tea, or comfortable indoor slippers.
- Provide light and warmth. Guests will instantly feel comfortable and at-home if the temperature and lighting inside the home are set to cozy, relaxing levels. This is especially important because Nicole was having family or friends over during the winter months. It’s cold and dreary outside, so wanted to ensure that her home was as warm and toasty as possible. She planned on using a lot of artifical light and candles to substitute natural light.
Basic toiletries are always appreciated. Since her family members were spending a few nights, Nicole prepared a couple baskets of toiletries and personal essentials such as soap, lotion, shampoo, face towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, and other items that would give a very hotel-chic elegance to her entertaining efforts.
- Make sure it’s a multipurpose space. For her occasional dinner parties, Nicole would think ahead and plan for the different activities that guests will be doing, so she also did some planning for the weekend with guests. A table was set for card games, and a lazy chair situated close to the window for her mother whom she knew would want to read at night before bed. She also set out coffee and tea sets for easy accessibility; Nicole wanted to assure her guests that they can sit back and relax because everything was already planned for them.
