Is your home ready for a full house?
You can usually tell within the first ten minutes of a party.
Coats either have somewhere to go or they end up piled on a bed. Guests either find a spot in the kitchen or they hover in the doorway. The host is either at the table or stuck at the sink.
None of that comes down to how beautiful the house is. It comes down to how it was planned. These are the things that make the difference in the homes we design.
An entry that can take twenty coats
Everyone arrives at once, and everyone is holding something. A closet sized for guests, not just the family. A bench. A console for the pie and the bottle of wine. Enough room that people can come in out of the cold without a traffic jam at the door.
See more from this home: La Belle Epoque
A kitchen with room to lean in
The kitchen fills up first. Always. An island long enough for guests to pull up a stool on the far side, out of the cook’s way. Drinks set up somewhere other than next to the range. Space to walk behind someone without a polite little dance.
See more from this home: La Belle Epoque
A table with a seat for everyone
Sized for the biggest night of the year, not a Tuesday. Chairs comfortable enough to stay for dessert and the second pot of coffee. A chandelier on a dimmer, so the room can go from bright to candlelit without anyone noticing.
See more from this home: Soothing Sanctuary
Somewhere to go after dinner
At some point the party needs to move. A lower level, a lounge, a pair of chairs by the fire. Deep seating, a bar close by and lamps instead of overheads. This is the room people remember.
See more from these homes: Gatsby’s Opulent Soiree · Our Westlake lower level
A place for the mess
The dishes have to go somewhere. In homes built for hosting, that’s a scullery or butler’s pantry just off the kitchen, with a second sink and a door that closes. The kitchen stays party ready while the roasting pan soaks out of sight. We go deeper on this one in Behind Every Door.
A guest room someone actually wants to stay in
Someone is always staying over. A good mattress is a start. Lamps on both sides of the bed, blackout drapes and a place to open a suitcase are what make it feel like a really good hotel.
See more from this home: Soothing Sanctuary
The small things guests notice
A powder room near the party, not down the hall past the bedrooms
An outlet right where the coffee bar goes
Dimmers on every light in the main rooms
Hooks and a bench by the back door for wet boots
Extra chairs that look like they belong in the room
Hosting next year in a new home? The plans being drawn this winter decide how those days will feel. We’d love to hear how your family celebrates.