Hosting for the holidays–how to create a memorable guest experience

It’s official! The holidays are upon us once again. For many, this means that our homes are about to become bustling holiday hubs.

If the thought of luggage-toting friends and family has you panicked, we have tips to help you prepare for guests this year while brainstorming ideas for guest spaces in your next custom build. Make sure to pay attention to the little touches you wish you had in your dining spaces and guest quarters this year to incorporate into your next home. With a little planning you can host flawless festivities, plan for your future home, and still have a stressless season.

Save time worrying by using the same neutral palette in your rooms and on your table throughout the season.

This year we’re loving soft, warm pinks. Pink table settings are versatile and appropriate all throughout the holiday season. It pairs beautifully with Thanksgiving’s earth tones. It makes the reds and greens of berries and garland pop. Pink makes everything merrier and brighter. Pay attention to dining spaces that draw your eye and features you wish you had as you host holiday visitors this year and plan for your future home.

We love the formal feel of a dreamy dining room.

If you love hosting large groups of hungry holiday guests, place cards for guests’ seating is wonderful. As guests, it’s easy to waste valuable mealtime standing around cluelessly trying to figure out where to sit. Place cards may seem like a hassle, but they’re really a must-have timesaver when the parties get large. We promise.

Many people are opting to include prep and butler’s kitchens in their custom builds.

This provides a casual and organized place for guests to fend for themselves for the meals you don’t have planned. Put out fruit, coffee, and pastries in the morning. Have something available for lunch (even if it’s just bread, cold cuts, and iced tea).

Rather than paying all your attention to how your custom home looks, it’s important to consider how your home feels.

Don’t spend all your time on the little details and forget the big picture. As a holiday host, your job is much less about finding the perfect mantle decor and much more about creating a warm and welcoming retreat for your guests.

You can help yourself think like a visitor to your home by spending a little time living like a visitor to your home.

Hang out in your current guests’ quarters to help brainstorm ideas for the type of guest spaces you would like to include in your next home. Immerse yourself in the life of your guests. From a beautiful guest bathroom to a coffee kitchen in their own suite, there are many thoughtful details you can incorporate to make guests feel warm and welcome when staying with you.

Give guests the opportunity and space to sit and visit amongst themselves.

If your guests will be with you for Christmas, put a tree in the guest sitting area. This doesn’t mean you have to completely deck the halls… but having a festive sitting area for your guests, in their quarters, gives them the option to have a more intimate gift-exchange … without sacrificing the merry vibes. When your guests spend time with you, you want it to be because they want to, not because there’s no other option.

If your visitors have children, make certain that they’re taken care of, too.

This can entail anything from providing coloring books, crayons, and a safe place to use them, to providing kid-friendly meal options or finding phone numbers of trustworthy babysitters in your area. If you invite children into your home, consider spending time to make sure that your home is ready to accept children (and maybe a mudroom to organize the messes that come with them).

Make sure that your guests have plenty of towels and toiletries.

Leave bottled water and extra blankets in their rooms… Your goal as “Hostess with the Mostest” is to make guests feel comfortable asking you for anything they need, while trying to make sure that they won’t have to ask for anything.

We know this sounds like a lot of planning, but that’s just because it is. We promise that any time you spend preparing for your guests’ comfort before breaking ground on your new build, is time you get to spend enjoying yourself (and making sure that holiday bar is stocked) when it really matters. After the year we’ve had, we all deserve to decompress during the holidays. If you can anticipate your guests’ needs, your family and friends will feel right at home–in your custom home–for the holidays!