Key Points
- A few small, underrated touches can make your home feel extra welcoming for guests.
- Add practical pieces like a shoe bench or coat rack to keep winter gear tidy.
- Use pretty disposable hand towels to keep things clean and reduce germ spread.
Preparing your home to host guests, whether for a meal, event, or overnight stays, can be stressful. Aside from cleaning and organizing tasks, you need to make sure your space is ready to accommodate people. However, there are a few simple things you can add to your home before hosting to make it comfortable and welcoming, allowing everyone to relax.
We asked designers for the top underrated things that should be added to your home before hosting friends and family.
A Designated Place for Coats and Purses
With winter upon us, it's only natural that any guests are going to be coming in decked out with heavy jackets, scarves, hats, and more. That's why it's important for there to be a designated and organized place to hang their items that won't create any kind of visual clutter.
If you happen to have a coat closet, make sure that there are plenty of hangers for your guests to use. If you don't have a separate coat closet, you can set up a simple hanging rack in a spare room, says Candis Stratton, the owner and principal designer at Stratton Interiors.
"Avoid making guests dig through a pile of coats on a bed if possible," she says.
A Shoe Bench
If you keep a "no shoe" household, you should make sure there is a bench or a shoe rack near your front entrance for guests to neatly leave their shoes when they first walk in. Stratton suggests also keeping a basket of slippers or non-slip socks for guests to change into as an extra welcoming step.
"Not everyone wants to be barefoot in someone else's house," Stratton says. This is a simple way to make your guests feel comfortable and relaxed.
Fresh Flowers
Adding fresh flowers to your space can create a warm and inviting atmosphere, so they're "always a must when entertaining for a soft, beautiful accent," says Chasity Centeno, an interior designer and owner of Riese.
Not only do they add a pop of color and a clean, pleasant smell, but their visual presence can reduce stress and make your home more beautiful and welcoming for your guests.
Pretty Disposable Towels
While cloth hand towels may be pretty to look at, they're not the most hygienic, especially during the cold winter months. That's because they can hold onto a lot of dead skin cells, bacteria, and germs that can be easily transmitted.
Stratton suggests putting out a basket of pretty, disposable towels to help reduce the spread of germs. Besides, no one wants to dry their hands on a damp towel.
Custom Playlist
Music can set the tone for any event. Whether it's playful tunes to dance and move to or softer music to play in the background for ambiance, a good playlist is a must for any kind of gathering. Rather than scrambling for a station, create a playlist in advance that matches the feel of your event, suggests Centeno.
"Musical hits that flow are the absolute best," she says.
A Basket of Extra Toilet Paper
As one of the most frequently used rooms in the house, especially when hosting, the bathroom deserves some extra love. Make sure there are extra rolls of toilet paper within plain sight in your bathroom so that guests can easily change the roll when needed.
This will prevent them from rummaging through cabinets, having to ask you, the host, to do it for them, or worst of all: be greeted by an empty roll when they need toilet paper. To add some aesthetic flair, consider using a pretty basket to hold the rolls in.
Matching Linens
Matching lines and tableware are a simple but effective way to make an impression. Creating a beautiful tablescape is one way to make your home inviting and wow your guests. Want to take it an extra step further?
"Keep with the color theme to match your flowers," Centeno says.