Making Guests Feel At Home

Dear YOU + ME*,

We seem to have a parade of guests rotating through our small home between now and the new year. I can offer them a tiny bedroom (really, it's my office, but a daybed with a trundle makes it a semi-guest room), a shared bathroom, and a home-cooked meal. This is such a busy time of year, but I want our guests to feel welcome. Is there anything else I can do to make them feel at home?

Thanks,
H.

Dear H.,

There mere fact that all these people are clamoring to stay with you despite your small digs suggests that you are already the hostess with the mostess, but we'll give you some tips just for fun.

[source]

The very first one may seem kind of silly, but I actually think it's the most important. Sleep in your guest room for one night. You see, there are all these little things about a space that you don't realize unless you spend the night there. Maybe the sound of your clock ticking, though barely discernible during the day, is unbearably loud in the stillness of the night. Maybe there is nowhere to rest a glass of water, or you have to walk across a dark room after turning the light off for bed. Of course these things aren't the end of the world, but spending a night in your guests' shoes makes it easy for you to make their stay comfortable.

[source]

Whenever I expect overnight visitors, I try to anticipate their morning food and drink preferences. Even people who happily try every new thing that crosses their path, tend to stick with a predictable routine first thing in the morning. There is something so fortifying about that cup of coffee prepared just the way you like it or the green smoothie you drink every morning without fail.  If you know people well enough for them to be staying in your home, you probably have an idea of what they like in the morning, but if not, you can always ask in advance or point them to the variety of options you have on hand. This doesn't mean you have to prepare a breakfast buffet, rather it's about making your kitchen a comfortable place for your guests to carry out their typical morning routines.

Malin + Goetz

Finally, keep a little box of toiletries and over the counter medications stocked for guests (if I receive trial size or sample products, I usually put them right in the box) and make sure to mention that they should just help themselves if they need anything. It's always a little bit awkward to have to bother your host because you forgot a razor, your moisturizer got confiscated by the TSA, or your stomach is slightly upset.

These suggestions don't take a lot of time or money, but they do show your guests that you put some thought into making their stay comfortable. How about you, dear readers? What do you do to make your home welcoming for houseguests?

xo,
ME*


If you have a question, you'd like us to answer, do drop us a line at hello[at]youplusmestyling[at]gmail[dot]com.

Comments

[Ashley]

We have two guests in our single-room studio right now (500 square feet)--Eek!

[elisabeth]

You guys definitely win the award for best host and hostess ever! What are tips and tricks?