(PC: Style at Home)

With the holiday season in full swing, guests and visitors aren’t far behind! For some that can create panic, drudge and even anxiety. I however, love hosting guests. I love having my home full of people and creating a special and memorable experience for my guests.

Most of all I want my guests to be as comfortable in my home as they are in their own. So today I’m sharing some of the little things I do that help create a special visit for my guests and ensure that I can relax and enjoy the holidays as well.

My office doubles as my guestroom. Which means I’ve had to get creative in ensuring I can comfortably host friends and family, while allowing my creativity to flourish. For me the best option was this daybed from Ikea. It is generous in size, comfortably allowing one or two people (it pulls out to a king size bed) to tuck in for a restful sleep. It’s a good idea to spend a night in your guestroom, how did you sleep, do you have a place for all your things. It’ll help you evaluate the space and tweak it if need be.

I also like to have all the essentials ready in case my guests have forgotten anything (toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, phone charger, alarm clock etc). Be sure to set aside an extra set of keys along with any passwords or special property instructions.

Extra little touches like fresh flowers and a lit candle for when they arrive go along way in creating an inviting and cozy space. I like to leave things like bottles of water, protein bars, magazines out. I recently discovered Custom Water, so I might order some of their bottles with my house name or blog on. It would make it a bit more personable, which is nice. For out of town guests I like to leave maps of the city out as well to help them get acquainted with the city.