Houzz Call: How Do You Prepare for Houseguests?
Please share your best strategies and tips for hosting visitors during the holidays
At this time of year when loved ones come to visit, many of us can use help knowing how best to prepare for overnight guests. Houzz readers: Please share your best tips for being a fabulous host. This includes how you hang on to your sanity when your home has too many people sharing too few bathrooms!
Drinks for Morning, Noon and Night
Do you let the early risers fend for themselves by setting them up with a coffee or tea station? Or are you up at the crack of dawn brewing coffee (and perhaps relishing a few quiet minutes to yourself)?
And for those who drink alcohol, do you keep a bar set up for cocktail hour and allow guests to serve themselves? Or do you like to play sommelier?
Do you let the early risers fend for themselves by setting them up with a coffee or tea station? Or are you up at the crack of dawn brewing coffee (and perhaps relishing a few quiet minutes to yourself)?
And for those who drink alcohol, do you keep a bar set up for cocktail hour and allow guests to serve themselves? Or do you like to play sommelier?
Meals and Snacks
Do you set yourself up as a maître d’, chef and server for the visit, or do you show your guests where snacks and casual meal items are so they can help themselves? What foods and beverages do you prepare for guests? What snacks do your guests enjoy?
Are you comfortable enlisting your guests’ help with things like setting the table? Is dishwashing your time to get away from the hubbub and recharge your social batteries, or do you like when guests lend a hand?
Do you set yourself up as a maître d’, chef and server for the visit, or do you show your guests where snacks and casual meal items are so they can help themselves? What foods and beverages do you prepare for guests? What snacks do your guests enjoy?
Are you comfortable enlisting your guests’ help with things like setting the table? Is dishwashing your time to get away from the hubbub and recharge your social batteries, or do you like when guests lend a hand?
Play Time
Once the bowl games are over, holidays are a great time to get everyone off the screens and into fun activities. What kinds of games, puzzles, sports, karaoke or other kinds of activities do you find your guests enjoy? Do you have any tips for indoor fun when the weather won’t allow outdoor walks and play?
Once the bowl games are over, holidays are a great time to get everyone off the screens and into fun activities. What kinds of games, puzzles, sports, karaoke or other kinds of activities do you find your guests enjoy? Do you have any tips for indoor fun when the weather won’t allow outdoor walks and play?
Watch Parties
Of course, screens can be great for a communal activity like movie night.
If you gather together for a watch party, who gets to choose the movie or show? Do you come up with options before your guests arrive? Please share your suggestions, including favorite holiday movies, in the Comments.
Of course, screens can be great for a communal activity like movie night.
If you gather together for a watch party, who gets to choose the movie or show? Do you come up with options before your guests arrive? Please share your suggestions, including favorite holiday movies, in the Comments.
Sleeping Arrangements
How do you outfit the spaces where your guests will be sleeping? Do you have a stash of extra pillows and quilts? Are fresh flowers or greens a must on your hosting list? What other types of things do you like to put out for guests?
How do you outfit the spaces where your guests will be sleeping? Do you have a stash of extra pillows and quilts? Are fresh flowers or greens a must on your hosting list? What other types of things do you like to put out for guests?
Sharing Bathrooms
Do you have any tips for scheduling showers so the hot water won’t run out, or making the line for the loo a little shorter? For example, in my family, my uncle Steve heads to the powder room downstairs to shave.
What kinds of accoutrements do you put out to make your guests feel at home in the bathroom? Are there special toiletries, first aid kits and extra towels in a handy spot?
Do you have any tips for scheduling showers so the hot water won’t run out, or making the line for the loo a little shorter? For example, in my family, my uncle Steve heads to the powder room downstairs to shave.
What kinds of accoutrements do you put out to make your guests feel at home in the bathroom? Are there special toiletries, first aid kits and extra towels in a handy spot?
Your turn: Please post in the Comments your best advice on how to be a great host. And please feel free to share some not-so-successful strategies you learned from in the past, so the Houzz community can avoid them.
Also, if you’re going to be a guest rather than a host this year, please share your tips for being the kind of guest who is always welcomed back with open arms. Happy holidays, everyone!
More on Houzz
Read more holiday stories
Find a home professional
Shop for home products
Also, if you’re going to be a guest rather than a host this year, please share your tips for being the kind of guest who is always welcomed back with open arms. Happy holidays, everyone!
More on Houzz
Read more holiday stories
Find a home professional
Shop for home products
Keeping the house neat and organized with extra guests around starts at the door, especially during the colder season when lots of outerwear is required. How do you accommodate your guests’ coats, shoes, snowy boots, gloves, hats, bags and other items from taking over?
Also, if you’re a no-shoes household, how do you enforce that rule? Do you tell your guests ahead of time? Do you provide slippers? A lot of us would like to learn how to do that gracefully.