Interior Design

Getting your home ready for Christmas

If you’re lucky enough to be surrounded by family this Christmas, it pays to put some planning into how you can make your guest’s stay extra comfortable over the festive period.

Deck The Halls

A night away from home

Not only are they perfect for multi-generational guests but on a practical level perfect for reducing the laundry load of one guest for one night. It also gives far greater flexibility with room configurations.

Final flourish

It’s those little touches that will show your guest how welcome they are, a carafe by the bed to hydrate after the late-night cheese board and considering what reading material your guest might prefer, as after all it is the season for taking life slower.

As room temperature is such a personal thing, you can never have too many extra blankets on hand for your guests to create their perfect sleeping environment, perhaps even include a hot water bottle for extra comfort.

The forgetful guest

Like any good hotel, preparing for guests who might have forgotten items is always prudent. A spare dressing gown not only looks pretty hung up on the back of the guest room door but gives a great signal to your guest to feel as relaxed in your home as their own.

A place for everything

Now is the time to consider your entertaining space. If you’re hosting any drinks parties, have you got enough side tables for guests to set down drinks? Pre- empting where people might be inclined to place glasses will save you from ruined surfaces if they are forced to improvise.

Help yourself

If hosting this year is duty bound rather than from a desire to have your nearest and dearest around you, then why not place the emphasis on your guests to help themselves as much as possible. Setting up a tray or even a trolley full of drink options will save you the hard work.

The big event

With all eyes on the dining table for the big event, it is worth considering the extra dishes it must accommodate. So why not opt for candles dotted around to save space for food rather than a traditional centrepiece. Low enough not to impact conversation with those across from you, candlelight is perfect for atmospheric glow for a late afternoon Christmas lunch.