Preparing Your Home for Guests during the Holidays
There is something particularly special about a home during the holidays. The familiar sounds of conversation spilling from the kitchen, the scent of something wonderful in the oven, and the warmth of a well-loved throw draped over the sofa. It's a season that invites us to slow down, gather a little closer, and make room for the people who matter most.
And while holiday preparations often revolve around decorating the tree, setting the table, and planning the menu, there's another layer of hospitality worth considering: how our homes make people feel.
Memorable interiors aren't simply beautiful to look at, they create experiences beyond first impressions and support the story of those within the walls. Through the textures we touch, the scents we recognize, and the sounds of early morning laughter and late night conversations that linger.
The holidays are often times when we most apt to host our family and friends so we're sharing a few of our favorite ways to prepare your home and guest suites for visitors. Even the smallest details leave the most lasting impressions.
Sight and touch are likely the first two of the five senses that come to mind when preparing your home for holiday guests. Fresh linens, a perfectly fluffed bed, and a tidy, welcoming space are the obvious starting points. But we believe there's an opportunity to take things a little further.
Think about the feeling of checking into a boutique hotel. The bedding is impossibly crisp, the pillows are perfectly layered, and every detail seems to have been thoughtfully considered. Can your guest bedroom offer that same experience?
One of our favorite designer tricks is to size up your duvet, and even double-stuff your inserts to create that full, luxurious, cloud-like appearance. If your guest bedding has started to look a little flat, this simple adjustment can make a remarkable difference. Pair it with freshly laundered sheets, a few refreshed decorative pillows, and a beautifully textured throw at the foot of the bed. Layering is key to get that welcoming, hotel vibe!
We also love incorporating seasonal textiles to subtly transition a guest suite into the holidays. Think rich velvets, cozy wool, soft bouclé’s, and don’t be afraid to mix it up a bit with a bold patterned pillow that introduces a little warmth and personality. Even swapping out a piece of artwork for something with a moodier, more seasonal palette can completely transform the atmosphere without committing to traditional holiday décor.
The goal isn't to redecorate the entire room for a few weeks of the year. It's to create layers of comfort that feel inviting, and just a little indulgent.
Of all five senses, scent has a particularly remarkable way of staying with us.
A familiar fragrance can transport us back to a childhood holiday, a favorite vacation, or a home we haven't visited in years. It's one of the most powerful, yet often overlooked, elements of creating a welcoming environment.
Guest bedrooms, especially those that aren't regularly occupied, can develop a stagnant, slightly stale atmosphere. Before your guests arrive, start by opening the windows, allowing fresh air to circulate, and giving the space a thorough refresh.
We love incorporating an essential oil diffuser with a subtle, seasonally inspired fragrance. Cedarwood, orange, or a hint of clove can feel particularly appropriate during the holidays without overwhelming the space. Fresh florals are another favorite. A small arrangement of seasonal branches, eucalyptus, or freshly cut flowers on a bedside table brings life into a room that may otherwise sit untouched for much of the year.
Of course, fragrance is personal, so we always recommend keeping scents subtle and checking for sensitivities, especially when welcoming overnight guests.
The most memorable spaces appeal to us in ways we don't always consciously recognize. Sometimes it's simply the freshness of the room, the scent of clean bedding, or a subtle seasonal fragrance that makes a guest feel immediately at ease.
When we think about designing a comfortable guest suite, sound isn't always the first consideration. But anyone who has spent a restless night in an unfamiliar bedroom knows just how important a peaceful environment can be.
If your guest quarters are located near a busy road, adjacent to a living area, or in a particularly active part of the home, minimizing unwanted noise should be near the top of your holiday guest-preparation list.
Fortunately, many of the materials that make a room feel warm and inviting can also help soften its acoustics.
A beautiful wool area rug, for example, does more than introduce texture and warmth underfoot. It also helps absorb sound within the room, particularly when paired with a quality rug pad. Upholstered headboards, soft furnishings, and layered textiles can further reduce echoes and create a quieter atmosphere.
Window treatments are another consideration we encourage homeowners not to overlook. Layering Drapery with a custom Roman shade that incorporates a high quality blackout lining is one of our favorite solutions for guest bedrooms, offering a tailored appearance, improved light control, and an additional layer of material at the window that can help soften some exterior noise.
Taking the comfort to the next level, consider placing a small sound machine on the bedside table. It's an inexpensive addition that can make a world of difference for guests who are accustomed to sleeping with background noise or who may be sensitive to unfamiliar nighttime sounds.
Because true hospitality isn't just about creating a beautiful place to stay. It's about creating an environment where your guests can genuinely rest.
The holidays have a way of bringing everyone together over food. Family recipes, late-night conversations over a glass of wine, and those slow mornings spent lingering over coffee are often the moments we remember most.
But when preparing your home for overnight guests, a little hospitality can extend beyond the kitchen.
We love the idea of creating a small welcome station within the guest suite. A beautiful tray with a bottled water, a few favorite snacks, and even a handwritten note can make the space feel especially welcoming with a personal touch.
If your guest room has the space, consider incorporating a small beverage station with a coffee maker, electric kettle, or undercounter refrigerator. These are features we often consider when designing more comprehensive guest suites, particularly for homeowners who frequently welcome family and friends for extended stays- a true guest quarters if you will.
There's something wonderful about giving your guests the freedom to enjoy a quiet morning coffee or a late-night snack without feeling as though they're interrupting the household.
And isn't that what good hospitality is really about? Anticipating the little things that make someone feel comfortable enough to truly make themselves at home.
Beyond the Holidays | A Home Designed for Gathering
The holidays have a funny way of revealing little things about our homes that we might otherwise overlook on a daily basis.
Perhaps your guest bedroom could benefit from more functional storage, your window treatments aren't providing the privacy or comfort you'd hoped for, or the room you've been meaning to furnish has become a collection of pieces that never quite came together.
Sometimes a few thoughtful updates are all that's needed. Other times, it's an opportunity to reconsider how a space functions altogether.
We approach guest bedroom design with the same philosophy we bring to every other part of the project: beautiful spaces should be as thoughtfully planned as they are aesthetically considered.
From selecting furnishings, textiles, and custom window treatments to developing architectural plans for a complete guest suite renovation, our work considers how a room will be experienced by the people who inhabit them.
And while a full renovation may not be on the calendar before this year's holiday gatherings, there's no better time to begin thinking about how your home could better accommodate the people you invite into it.
Whether you're refreshing a guest bedroom, furnishing a newly completed home, or planning a more comprehensive renovation, thoughtful design makes all the difference.
Now booking services for clients in the Sonoma County, Oklahoma City and Nashville markets, bringing architectural expertise and highly personalized approach to homes designed to support all of lifes little moments.