How to Design the Perfect Guest-Ready Home for the Holidays
If you love to entertain, the winter months offer a parade of opportunities to gather together with friends and family. But getting your luxury Scottsdale home ready for holiday guests requires more than elegant decorations. Design the perfect guest-ready home by creating spaces for guests to mingle, play, and relax.
Here are five holiday home design ideas that go past tinsel and greenery to help you welcome your friends and family, whether they are staying for dinner or for the season.
Extendable Spaces
The popularity of great rooms and open kitchens makes entertaining guests much easier. Everyone has space to socialize, you avoid bottlenecks in doorways, and you can see your guests from anywhere in the room. Take advantage of open floorplans and accordion-style glass walls to create rooms that work for large parties and intimate gatherings.
Open floor plans allow you to extend the boundaries of your celebration. Typically, an open layout includes your kitchen, dining area, and sitting areas. With this layout, your meal doesn’t need to be confined to your formal dining room. You can add leaves to your table to accommodate a bigger gathering–and have it meld into your great room–or organize tables throughout to give people options. Then, when the gathering is over or you have a smaller group, you can remove the leaves and extra tables to have a more intimate dining experience.
Extendable spaces also allow you to incorporate your outdoor spaces. With glass walls that open to your patio, you not only bring in a refreshing breeze, but you have more flexibility with your party. Add outdoor heaters or a fire pit in your outdoor space to keep away any chill.
The Tuscan Tale residence is a great example of extendable spaces. With a dining room that opens to a beautiful front courtyard, guests can gather around the elongated table and take in the amazing views and fresh air.
With open floor plans, it’s essential to be intentional about your interior design, because the design will tell your guests how to flow through the space. You can do this with seating as well as visual markers such as vigas or exposed beams to signal the move from one space to another.
Room to Kick Back
Your game room is meant for guests. Whether you are cheering on your home team or hosting game night, make your entertainment room inviting, comfortable, and ready for snacks.
If you enjoy inviting friends over for a big game, the screen will be the focal point. But don’t forget about the surround sound. You’ll want to make sure no one misses a play when they step away for a refill. A connected entertainment system can also enable you to have the game on throughout your home, so guests can watch it from the game room as well as your connected patio. Include a variety of comfortable seating options, from couches to oversized chairs, and tables to hold your favorite appetizers.
Your game room is also a great place to host game night, whether that’s Poker or Scrabble. A multifunctional table makes sure you always have the perfect place to play, no matter what the game. Also incorporate nooks with smaller game tables for a quiet conversation over a friendly game of chess.
Even if the kitchen is just around the corner, you’ll want a way to keep drinks and snacks stocked and close. Make room for a bar or kitchenette so beverages stay cold and the chip bowl stays full.
A Private Space for Guests
Sometimes your favorite people get to stay with you for more than just a couple hours. When you have visitors over for an extended vacation, create an area of your house where guests can go for privacy without feeling as though they are imposing on you.
One option is a guest suite with a bedroom, private bathroom, and sitting area. This gives your visitors room to relax without taking up space in the common areas of the house. A separate entrance provides extra independence, which is beneficial for multigenerational guests who might keep different hours. Be sure to provide extra amenities, such as plenty of towels and bathroom supplies so guests don’t feel like they are imposing by asking for them.
You can take that idea to the next level with a casita or guest house. Your guest house floorplan should focus on comfort and functionality. Include at least one bedroom and at least a three-quarter bath. Consider including a kitchenette and laundry facilities if you expect your guests to stay for more than a week. But keep the layout simple and free of clutter so guests feel comfortable in the space.
The Tuscan Tale Residence features a complete visitor’s wing with three bedrooms that can be closed off when not in use. The home also boasts an attached casita with its own entrance by the pool.
Comfortable Ambiance
What your guests see and hear when they walk in the door will help set expectations for your event. Bright lights and cheers from the television create a different tone than instrumental holiday music and cocktail dresses. Set the tone for your gathering by establishing a comfortable ambiance. Welcome your guests with event-appropriate lighting, music, and yes–decorations, to get everyone in the right mood for your party.
Create layers of lighting that you can change based on the type of event you are hosting. Use wall sconces to supplement a dimmable chandelier or statement ceiling light. And don’t underestimate the draw of a fire in your fireplace during the crisp winter months.
While there is much more to entertaining than decorations, it is important to have your home decorated appropriately for your party. That can include stunning artwork that serves as conversation starters and professionally designed seasonal decorations.
A Luxury Custom Home Built for Entertaining
Scottsdale is a favorite winter getaway for many because there is always plenty to do. When you are ready to build your luxury vacation home in the beautiful Sonoran mountains, work with your architect to design a floor plan perfect for entertaining. Contact the design team that knows the Scottsdale area best. Reach out today to tell us about your vacation home dreams!