Three Ways to Elevate your Home for Holiday Guests
We can’t believe that we’re writing about the holidays already, but they are knocking on our door, aren’t they?! Speaking of knocking on the door, this means that guests are set to arrive soon. So here are five entertaining tips to elevate your home for holiday guests from expert interior designers!
Assemble your bar(s)
Ever been staying with someone and feel like burden asking where things are? Save your guests time and assemble all of the essentials they’ll need in two key spots: a coffee bar and a cocktail bar.
Try to find out their favorite libations before they arrive and have all the accoutrements to accompany the offerings. For example, maybe they love Starbucks. You can buy a vanilla, brown sugar, or pumpkin flavored syrup or creamer to give them that special little morning lift.
As for cocktails, we recommend having a bar with a little bit of everything. If you want to go all out, grab some blackberries, limes, lemons, mint, and sugar cubes to be covered in terms of garnishes. If you want to keep it festive, offer egg nog and spiced rum!
Create an enviable tablescape
There’s nothing more lovely than walking into your dining room and seeing a beautiful tablescape. We love scouring Pinterest for inspiration and Anthropologie can do no wrong.
Here are a few elements to keep in mind:
Start with your tablecloth as an anchor. We like patterned, plain, and plaid. Anything works!
Next, think about coordinating placemats, chargers, and napkins.
Add some decorations to the middle. Begin with the tallest element first and don’t forget symmetry. Work your way to smaller items. Think: branches, candlesticks, votives, seasonal items (pumpkins, Christmas trees, bottle brush animals).
Now go in with greenery.
Add flowers (dried or fresh) to fill any holes.
Add finishing touches (ornaments, placecards).
Don’t forget to add a personalized element. Include your mom’s favorite flower, have your child write everyone’s name on place cards, or put out your grandmother’s china.
Carve out spaces for QT
Don’t forget the reason people are visiting you: to spend quality time. Sometimes, we get wrapped up in planning activities that we forget to C H I L L. Our Mt. Pleasant interior design team specializes in creating cozy common spaces. Here are a few things we like to keep in mind.
Keep seating casual and ample.
In your living room or sunroom, you can add some poufs or ottomans so that people can sprawl and relax. Don’t forget to add a few blankets and pillows for maximum comfort during snuggle sessions and movie nights.
If you have small kids, organize space for arts and crafts.
Especially if family is visiting, organize space for your kids to indulge in their favorite crafts with them. Since you won’t likely have run of a dining room table, it’s important to organize this in a different place. Have some essentials on-hand: paper, markers, glue sticks, pipe cleaners, and stickers. And if you don’t mind messes, you could have glitter or slime!
Looking on tips to create a guest room oasis? We’ve got you covered!