Hosting guests at your place
, whether it’s for a relaxed gathering or an elegant dinner party, can be stressful — particularly if you tend to feel anxiety or strive for perfectionism.
Maybe you’re the type of person who stresses about each aspect of their home being immaculate. Perhaps you struggle to fully enjoy having guests because you’re too worried about their opinion of your space. However, fretting unnecessarily over things that won’t significantly matter—or might not even be noticed—by your visitors is just a waste of time and effort.
That’s why we reached out to home and hosting specialists to share their insights on what makes for great guest experiences.
actually
notice immediately about your home — and what they’re likely completely overlooking. Here’s what we discovered:
1. The Scent
As visitors enter, the scent of your home welcomes them, according to cleaning expert Becky Rapinchuk, who is known for her insights on this topic.
Clean Mama.
And you hope that initial sensory experience will leave a positive impression.
“We don’t always recognize the smell of our own homes so it’s important to open a window, turn on a diffuser or burn a candle if there’s a smell to cover up,” she told HuffPost. “If your house has a pet smell, change litter boxes, wash pet bedding, and do a quick vacuum.”
2. The Lighting
Proper illumination aids in establishing a warm atmosphere in your residence—and your visitors will certainly observe this, according to Megan Hersch, an interior designer from Los Angeles and the founder of her own firm.
Studio MG Interiors
.
“This could be as simple as incorporating additional table lamps throughout your areas or boosting the wattage in certain light bulbs,” says Hersch, who is also the founder of the e-design company.
roomLift
, shared with HuffPost. “However, a house that is poorly illuminated is a
turn-off
. We all wish to be together and move about freely within the areas of your house, so make sure you brighten it up.”
Proper illumination can transform a mundane area into a enchanting environment.
Las Vegas
event planner
Brooke Primm
, the creator behind
The Uncommon Hostess
, told HuffPost.
“Instead of relying solely on overhead lights, try incorporating different light sources if your gathering is during the evening,” she said. “If you are hosting during the day, make sure to draw all window coverings for a bright and inviting vibe.”
3. The Clutter
While hosting guests, they will immediately observe whether your living area appears neat or disorganized. Ensuring that shared spaces are orderly and maintaining clear countertops in both the living room and kitchen can contribute to a more welcoming environment.
We all understand this, and honestly, I struggle with adhering to this principle myself,” Hersch stated. “However, a tidy environment leads to a calm mind, which your visitors will sense as well. So make sure there’s enough room to store everything you need and remember, retain only those items that bring you happiness!
4. Should The Kitchen and Bathroom Be Spotless
There’s no need to go into a panic about thoroughly scrubbing every corner of your house before inviting guests over. However, doing some light tidying up in the kitchen and bathroom can leave a positive impression.
If you’re aware that your visitors will spend time in the kitchen, spare a few moments to clean the countertops and tidy up the front of the appliances,” advised Rapinchuk. “For the bathroom, make sure to clean the countertops, replace with new towels, and ensure the toilet is spotless.
5. Houseplants
Adding some plants to your interior design brings a lively splash of color and texture that visitors will enjoy. Additionally, having houseplants offers numerous benefits.
mood-boosting properties
, which should help generate some positive vibes for your event.
Every room in my house is filled with plenty of plants, and visitors often remark on them!
Donovan Ho
, who initiated the West Coast home and lifestyle blog
Hothouse Jungle
, shared with HuffPost. “Be it praise for the aesthetics of the plants or comments about their inability to keep plants alive—they always serve as a great icebreaker.”
6. The Entryway
If your home features a conventional entryway, Brooke Spreckman, who owns an interior design firm in Los Angeles, could be a helpful resource.
Design Hutch
,recommended “putting considerable effort into most of the finishes and fixtures in this space,” she mentioned. Since it’s the initial area guests see when they enter, it provides a chance to create something striking.
“The flooring can serve as an accent, your lighting options can become more innovative, and the wall materials can make a statement. Art pieces can be large-scale—or simply distinctive,” stated Spreckman.
7. Interesting Furniture
Ho mentioned that he frequently gets praise from visitors for various items in his house, “be it an eccentric chair or a stylish velvet couch.”
“He also pointed out that visitors often observe the blend of both classic and contemporary design elements scattered around the home.”
8. Empty Walls
Hersch suggests that plain walls might make a room feel somewhat dreary. Incorporating artwork and framed photographs could significantly enhance the ambiance of the area.
She remarked, “Entering a house that seems incomplete because nobody has fully settled in can feel unwelcoming.” She continued, “Investing effort and funds into displaying artwork pays off. You’ll find excellent options, including ready-to-hang gallery walls, at places such as Etsy and Pottery Barn. And remember, don’t hesitate to choose bigger pieces either!”
9. The Music
The music establishes the atmosphere for your event, so select tunes that help set the mood you’re aiming for.
“You can put together a playlist that complements the theme of your party or select music that is calming and peaceful,” Primm mentioned. “Personally, I really enjoy playing the ‘
Bridgerton
Soundtracks since they’re recognizable tunes but not overly disruptive.
10. The Temperature
One aspect that some hosts overlook is temperature, yet it plays a crucial role in their guests’ overall experience.
“Ensuring the comfort of the temperature inside your house is essential,” Primm stated.
And Here’s What Guests Likely aren’t Noticing
Conversely, there are aspects that might captivate hosts but hold little significance for their guests. Below are some points deemed less impactful by our specialists.
Small Decor Details
A number of our specialists concur that small ornamental features often go unnoticed by visitors.
“Nobody will care if a vase isn’t precisely positioned or if a cushion isn’t perfectly plumped up,” Primm stated. “Those small details we might dwell on in our own space could be overlooked entirely by your visitors.”
When you’re hosting, it’s wise to reduce the amount of small decorative items on any tables or countertops, since these areas will probably be utilized by your guests,” according to Spreckman.
To prevent them from looking overcrowded, don’t stress about setting up numerous decorative items,” she went on. “Even if you typically arrange your surfaces this way, when it comes to hosting, simplicity works best.
How Thoroughly You Cleaned
When preparing for guests, do as much cleaning as possible without getting too stressed out.
too
much.
“I consistently do some cleaning—occasionally a thorough cleanup followed by occasional light tidying—but my guests never remark about the cleanliness of my home,” Ho stated. “Over time, I’ve realized that it’s unnecessary to obsess over or worry excessively about maintaining pristine living conditions.”
If your bookshelves have gathered some dust, odds are visitors won’t even pick up on it.
“Don’t have time for dusting? Turn down the lights and nobody will notice,” Rapinchuk stated.
Bedrooms
Your visitors probably won’t spend much time in the bedrooms, so don’t worry too much about having your clothing chair messy or noticing that your bedspread appears somewhat wrinkled.
“Shut the doors if they aren’t ready for guests,” Rapinchuk suggested.
Fancy Silverware And Dishes
According to Hersch, it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money on fancy dishes or utensils for your dinner guests. Why use up your budget on items they probably won’t even notice?
There are numerous delightful table arrangements. Having an enjoyable and vibrant dinner party doesn’t require Tiffany flatware,” Hersch noted. “Given the proper ambiance at home, Target offers everything needed for an extraordinary event!
Dining Chairs
Unless they’re incredibly uncomfortable, guests likely won’t pay attention to your dining chairs, according to Spreckman.
“They typically spend most of their time seated on dining chairs instead of examining them,” she went on. “Therefore, if you’ve exhausted your budget on everything else during home renovations and can’t afford extravagant dining chairs, opt for something plain, understated, and inexpensive in the interim. This way, the chairs will be the least noticeable element when entertaining guests.”
Lastly, it’s common to believe everything must be flawless when entertaining guests, as Primm mentioned; however, this isn’t necessarily true.
She remarked, “We often allow the anxiety of not meeting a specific benchmark prevent us from coming together. However, at heart, most individuals simply desire to form memories, experience connections, and unite in a significant manner. Ensure you concentrate on bonding with those within your household; everything else will fall into place accordingly.”
The piece initially surfaced on
HuffPost.
