Looking for the best ways to make guests feel welcome, comfortable and totally themselves when they visit your home? With the holidays around the corner, your home might be seeing more guests than usual this time of year. Consider implementing these five decorating tips into your mix to make sure everyone is as comfortable and welcome as possible this year!
Go low
Furniture, that is. Actually you want a nice mix of seating heights, but you always want to make sure you include a lounge-y mix of low chairs, stools and floor pillows. The extra options will appeal to folks who don’t like to sit up high, and the general feel of the space will come off casual and bohemian.
→ 10 Tutorials for DIY Floor Poufs and Ottomans
Mismatched decor
Styles, shapes, art…it doesn’t quite matter what it is in your home you’re deciding to mismatch, the very act of boldly not being uniform shows you’re not so serious about design. Mismatching your decor will make your home feel less like a catalog shoot and more like, well, a home. So mismatch those chair styles, those picture frames and more!
→ Mastering Mismatched Curtains: A Guide to the Perfectly Imperfect
Rooms that aren’t perfect
This applies to pretty much everything in your home. While you might be inclined to measure the distance between candlesticks and scrub the grout with a toothbrush, there’s a difference between creating a healthy, clean home for guests and creating a hermetically sealed home they feel like they can’t relax in. Your comfort level with this tip will vary, but try it in small ways — not straightening that pile of books, throwing that throw blanket instead of perfectly folding it, etc.
→ Stop Worrying: 7 Things About Your Home That Aren’t a Big Deal
Fun details
Of course having fun with your guests with entertaining party activities is important, but don’t underestimate the powerful effect of an interior that has fun! Mixing patterns, displaying silly but meaningful items as accessories. Sneaking some color on the inside of a door frame or on a surprising object. Incorporating DIY holiday decor projects all over the house. Fun is a vibe that can be noticed and felt, and making sure you have fun in your decor styling will be evident to guests, putting them at ease and making them want to have more fun themselves!
→ DIY Home Decor: 8 Fun Projects to Sneak Color into Your Home
Conducive for conversation
A subject we’ve touched on before, but worth revisiting and definitely worth remembering. Conversation and connection are an important reason why you invite folks into your home, so making your home as hospitable to easy talking as you can will instantly make for a more welcoming and comfortable home.
→ 8 Tips for Creating a Chattier, Cozier, Comfier Living Room
(Image credits: Justice Darragh; Celia Spenard-Ko; Nasozi Kakembo; Bethany Nauert; Nicole Crowder; Katie Gard)
