knock, knock! guests are here!
5 Ways to Get your Maryland Home Ready for Guests (and Surprise Guests)
The holidays are a wonderful time to spend time with friends and family. What if your house is the spot they’ll all be gathering? Not to worry! We’ve got great tips that will make your house and table shine for all celebrations and visitors.
Here are 5 last minute and easy ways to make your guests feel welcome and make your house the place where memories are made.
1. Front door.
Your door wreath is your welcome sign. Go big and bold with today’s styles—gold is a very trending color and it’s also shiny and festive. Feel free to use a color combination that is uniquely you. The décor rule is that your wreath should cover about two-thirds of the width of your door. It’s fine to go a little bigger if you want the wreath to be a statement piece and attention-getter. Similar to hanging art on a wall, wreaths should be hung at about eye level.
Hint: If you have a storm door in front of your wreath, be sure to get a thinner wreath.
2. Accessories
A little accessorizing goes a long way. Lush pillows, and chunky knit blankets invite guests to relax and enjoy. You can easily make beautiful displays for your tables, dressers and coffee tables using trays. A simple arrangement of candles with twine balls, ceramics, and berries is easy and fast to put together, yet oh so inviting to look at. This is the time to go bold—bring out your most colorful and fun items to serve, display, or use for decorating.
3. Table setting
Use what you have or update with a new piece or two. All you need is some nice dishes, a centerpiece, glassware, signature drink in a pitcher or dispenser. Mixing and matching is okay if you don’t have a full set. Make your life easy. You don’t have to spend a lot to get this year’s trendiest serving ware, either. Vintage is hot! Check secondhand stores, ask relatives, and search your cabinets for classic elements to bring style to your table. Adding some cloth napkins with inexpensive or handmade napkin rings is another element that adds a bit of glamour.
4. Scents of the season
Our olfactory sense is an important one that brings nostalgia to the forefront of our minds. The smell of cinnamon and cloves simmering in a pot on the stove, or in a crock pot, with a few lemons or oranges tossed in will fill your home with the sweet smell of the season. Be careful, though. Don’t overdo it with heavy floral scented candles, potpourri, or melts. Best to stick to light scents that don’t overpower.
5. Bring the outside in.
Many people are still recovering from the pandemic and being cooped up. When the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor entertaining, bring the outside indoors. Nature-inspired décor is still trending hard, and it won’t take much to add this feature to your table or décor. Try cinnamon sticks with cloves in a pretty bowl, a sprig of rosemary as an accessory to your drinks, some evergreens on a tray on your coffee table, or some dried pampas grass in a vase. Even some twigs from your trees can look great when you incorporate them with your other décor.
Do you have traditions or ideas for entertaining? Leave us a comment, we’d love to hear from you!