All you just need to do is follow these eight holly-jolly tips on prepping your home:

1. Tidy Up

Before you start moving stuff and decorating, the first thing you need to do is clean your home.  For the living room and dining room, be sure to dust and clean surfaces, wipe furniture and decorations, mop the floors, and vacuum the carpets. Don’t forget to go through the often-overlooked spots, such as your light fixtures and ceiling fan. 

For the kitchen, clean your appliances, declutter your countertops and cabinets, and make sure that the pantry and fridge are stocked. For the bathroom, scrub the sink, toilet bowl, tub, and shower area.  For the guest bedrooms, replace the old sheets with clean ones and make space for storage. 

It will also help to tidy up your front yard or garden as these are the first areas your guests will see once they get to your place.

Read: Adapting to Change: The Mortgage Industry’s Response to Demographic Shifts

2. Make Room

How many guests will be staying in your place? You need to know the exact number of visitors so you can make the necessary adjustments. You will definitely need to buy more food and drinks, but you may also have to buy additional pillows and blankets for the bedroom or chairs for the dining room. Moreover, you may need to put some stuff in the storage room or the garage to make room for the guests. 

3. Go For Comfort 

You’d want your guests to feel at home, so make sure to go the extra mile with comforts such as:

• Extra pillows, blankets, bedside lighting, and charging stations in the bedroom
• Toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, lotion, and other toiletries in the bathroom
• Books, games, and other entertainment options in the living room
• A variety of snacks, coffee and tea products, and drink options in the kitchen

You can also give them a small, holiday-themed welcome basket filled with food and/or trinkets. 

4. Make it Feel Like Christmas

Deck the halls with boughs of holly (and other holiday decor) to make your home look more festive and inviting to the guests. 

For example, you can put a holiday wreath on the door, a Christmas tree in the living room, and red and green scented candles in the bathroom. 

Be sure to use holiday dinnerware, serveware, and drinkware as these will make dining with guests more festive!

5. Keep it Warm 

Baby, it’s cold outside! On top of cranking up the heat, you can make your home feel cozier by adding texture and warmth. 

For example, decorate your living room with accents that add texture, such as faux fur pillows, flannel blankets, and woolen rugs. For added warmth, “Consider earthy tones like deep reds, browns, and golden hues to create a cozy atmosphere,” advises designer Diana Vincent. 

The right lighting can also add warmth to your home. Go for layered lighting — such as a combination of holiday lights, table lamps, and candles — to create a more welcoming home. Dimmer switches make it easier to turn the light up or down, thus making it easier for you (and the guests) to set the mood. 

6. Add Some Greens

Aside from the Christmas tree, adding some additional greens can enhance the mood and make your space feel livelier. 

This holiday season, your houseplant of choice should be poinsettia. Made famous by a Mexican legend, the Flor de Nochebuena needs bright light and well-draining soil to survive. 

Another plant that befits the holiday season is the Mistletoe. While tradition dictates that a bushel be placed under the doorway with a bow, you can also use it to decorate a Christmas wreath or embellish a dining table centerpiece.

7. Personalize it

If you want to go the extra mile, then be sure to add some personal touches to your decorations. For example, you could place name cards on the dining table, or provide pillow covers and blankets with your guest’s initials on them. Again, be sure to use tonal colors that could add more warmth to the room. 

If they love a certain food, perhaps include it in one of your menus. Remember to ask everybody’s dietary restrictions though, as you wouldn’t want a guest to have an allergic reaction during dinner!

8. Think About the Special Guests

As mentioned, you need to know the exact number of guests (from adults to children and pets) as they will dictate your design choices.

If you’re going to have children over, then you will have to create a small play area in your living room or guest room. You will also need to stock up on kiddie essentials such as books and toys. Moreover, you may need to childproof some areas by placing outlet covers over electrical sockets, anchoring furniture and appliances, and installing child-proof locks on cabinets. 

If your guests will be bringing their pets, you may also want to create a space for them. Make sure to dedicate a pet-free area for other guests as needed. 

Designing a guest-ready home for the holiday season may seem challenging, but it can be done with the use of Christmas decor, warm and textured accents, holiday houseplants, and even yuletide-themed modern serveware. You don’t have to go over the top — what matters, after all, is the companionship and the time spent with each other. 

The post How to Design a Guest-Ready Home for Holiday Hosting This Winter appeared first on Home Interior Tip.

Owning a lake house offers several benefits for your mental and emotional health. It can expand your mind by showing you something bigger than you, provide a calming sensory experience, and foster reflection and mindfulness in a space you can proudly call your own. A perfect lakeside porch provides an ideal setting for enjoying family-friendly activities, from board games to sunset watching.

The arrangement of your porch can quickly dictate the quality of your lakeside rest experience, especially if you enjoy spending time outdoors. Let’s explore how to craft the perfect lakeside porch for relaxing and entertaining.

Cozy Seating

Incorporate weather-resistant and durable furniture into your lakeside porch design to create a long-lasting, comfortable place to relax and indulge in nature. Choose a mixture of seating solutions, such as a snug couch with homey cushions, lounge chairs for shooting the breeze, and a rustic dining set made of wood for your next barbecue or graduation party at the lake. Arrange your seating to capitalize on your property’s waterfront view, instantly fostering a feeling of relaxation and connection with nature. 

Outdoor Weather Protection

You can also add an awning or pergola over your seats to protect yourself and your guests from the elements. Multigenerational Home Design principles can create a perfect lakeside porch that accommodates everyone, from grandparents enjoying the view to grandchildren playing safely. These protective solutions will allow you and your family and friends to enjoy relaxing outdoors even when rain is pouring down and the sun is beating down on the earth. Adding a heater for the fall and winter and a ceiling for the spring and summer will further make your porch useful and enjoyable no matter the season or weather conditions.

Outdoor Entertainment

Celebrate your favorite football team’s big win at the lake this fall by adding a TV and sound system to your covered lounging area. Like a good movie? Consider adding a movie-night projector to enjoy hours of escaping into your family’s favorite fictional worlds from the comfort of your lakeside porch.

Read: Creating Lasting Memories: Family-Friendly Activities While on the Road

Outdoor Bug Protection

Keep those pesky bugs away from your porch by adding several weather-resistant and durable bug zappers to the space. These devices are designed to draw insects like moths, flies, and mosquitoes using ultraviolet light and eliminate them using electricity. With bug zappers, you and your company can enjoy chatting and watching TV or movies without resorting to pesticides or harmful chemicals.

A Place For Fireside Chats

Introduce an outdoor fireplace or fire pit to your porch to create a gorgeous and functional focal point. A fireplace or fire pit will give you and your family and friends a place to enjoy the warmth on cool nights while adding to your property’s charming fall ambiance as you exchange tales over warm apple cider and hot chocolate. Choose a stone outdoor fireplace or a fire pit created with barrels or cast iron to add a timeless, vintage, and inviting feel to your outdoor space.

Decorative Accents

Adorn your cozy couch and lounge chairs with decorative throw pillows to add a touch of comfort and color to your space. Consider green, blue, and brown pillows for a beautiful blend with your property’s natural scenery. Blue and green are also especially ideal for evoking a serene feeling. Add gray, beige, taupe, blue, green, black, or white outdoor rugs in front of your seating and fireplace to tie the various elements of your space’s design together and create a welcoming spot for children and pets at play. To make your home ready for spring and fully enjoy a perfect lakeside porch, consider adding vibrant outdoor cushions and potted flowering plants.

Nature’s Kitchen

If you plan to do a lot of entertaining, consider adding a grilling area to your porch or a captivating outdoor kitchen if your porch is large. Create food prep and storage areas, such as countertop space, a sink, and a refrigerator, to minimize trips to your lake home’s indoor kitchen while cooking and serving food.

Light Up the Scene

Infuse your lakeside porch with charming lights to complement nature’s moonlight and sunlight. Lanterns and string lights are excellent lighting options for creating a warm gathering space, particularly at dusk.

Create an Inviting Porch Today

Your lakeside porch is more than just a gathering spot for family and guests. It’s an extension of your lake home’s living space and the perfect place to unite with nature uninhibited by walls and windows. Fortunately, dressing up your porch to make it an excellent relaxation spot doesn’t have to be complicated thanks to a handful of lake house essentials. Add cozy seating with decorative accents and a fireplace or fire pit for the perfect place to decompress. Incorporate a grilling or cooking space, lights, and TV for entertaining. Consider all the above-listed tips for crafting the ideal lakeside porch to create a pretty yet practical oasis you’ll never tire of frequenting in the seasons to come.

The post Crafting the Perfect Lakeside Porch: Design Tips for Relaxing and Entertaining appeared first on Home Interior Tip.