As
your food preparations will really heat up in the next week, turn your
attention now to prepping your home for your Thanksgiving guests. If family is going to be taking up residence
in your guest room, get a jump start on making their holiday stay as
comfortable as your post-turkey nap.
Start
by making your space for guests feel like a space for guests. If they will be sharing a room with an office
space or craft area, pare down on what is on display that speaks to work and
not rest. Clear your desk, put away
displayed supplies, and store as much as possible out of sight in storage boxes
under the bed or on closet shelves. If
your guest closet is doing double duty as a whole-house storage space, provide
your company with an over-the-door hook stocked with hangers to hang on the
outside of the closet door for their clothes.
Clear drawer space and let them know they are welcome to unpack. If there is no room for a dresser, add a
folding suitcase stand like those provided in hotel rooms.
Consider
all the comforts of home and more that you can provide to make their stay cozy
and enjoyable. Layer multiple weights of
covers on the bed to suit a variety of temperature preferences. Provide blankets and additional pillows in a
trunk or chest at the foot of the bed.
Add a serving tray to the nightstand alongside a good reading lamp that
holds a water pitcher and glasses, a clock, and a box of tissues. Provide some seasonal magazines in a nearby
basket for perusing before bed.
Outfit
the guest bathroom with hotel amenities.
Provide new shampoo and conditioner in the shower, along with some
fragrant fall shower gel. Clear a drawer
for guest supplies like individually packaged toothbrushes, travel size
toothpaste, new razors, cotton swabs, and other necessities like a small
hairdryer. Keep guest towels in plain
view, along with easy access to replacement rolls of toilet paper and boxes of
tissue. Provide a basket designated for
used towels, and transfer them to the laundry room frequently.
It
can be a combination of little touches that ensures your overnight guests know
they were thought of and very welcome in your home for your collective
Thanksgiving feast.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 20th instead of November 13th.
