Archive for the ‘Furniture’ Category
Encouraging Family to Visit
One of the best things about major holidays is that the family gets together and spends a day visiting. Siblings, parents, kids, and all congregate together for events like Thanksgiving dinner, New Year’s Eve celebrations, Fourth of July Barbecues, and opening presents around the Christmas tree. Holidays, however, need not be the only time we have visitors.
One of the keys to having frequent visitors, whether family or friends, is to make them feel comfortable and welcome in your home. Of course, you can and should tell them that they are welcome and tell them that you enjoy having them come and spend time with you. That will also help make them feel more at ease when they do visit.
To make them truly comfortable you can take some extra steps. First make sure there is comfortable seating for your guests, plan out seating areas so that everyone can converse comfortably. Unless the reason for the get together is to watch a big football game or a particular movie, seating should not be focused on the television. Take a few minutes before guests arrive to rearrange the furniture to make it more conducive to conversation. Make sure there is enough seating for everyone as well.
For overnight visits, a neat and comfortable guest room is de rigueur. If guests have to sleep on a sofa or even a pull out in the living room they will not feel as comfortable as they will in a private guest room. The guest room should have a comfortable bed. A memory foam mattress makes the mattress choice easy for those who need extra support and for those who like a softer mattress since memory foam mattresses combine the best of both worlds. There should be plenty of blankets on the bed, with a spare blanket folded up at the foot of the bed for those who like to be extra warm at night. A bed side table with an alarm clock and reading light should also be provided. There should also be some other table surface for a suitcase and belongings. This can be a nice storage chest, a dresser, or a coffee table.
Make a frequent point of telling friends and family that the guest room is waiting if they want to spend a day or two “getting away from it all” at your house. Nobody wants to impose upon someone else’s hospitality, so it’s really up to you as a host to make sure your friends and family know that you enjoy having them visit and stay with you. It makes it much easier for family to get together for a big holiday of those who have a lot of travelling to do can arrive a day early or leave a day later to break up the travel.
Holidays are all about building memories with family and friends. Your home and your behavior can help make them feel more welcome in your home.