Now that your home is revitalizing and provides you with energy, you will never need to fear guests dropping by or inviting people over on the fly. All you need to do is some quick tidying. And I mean quick. This is my list to get my home ready for company in about a half hour.
1. Perform a room check. Just take a few moments to check in on each of the rooms your guests will be seeing. If there isn’t enough time to clear up clutter, move everything into a box and put it into the garage or closet until the party is over. Check for things around the house that you are used to but may not be best left out for guests – like the hairy dog bed in the family room, or the cat box in the bathroom – and move these things out of sight for the time being. Fluff the pillows, visually check to make sure furniture is positioned the way you want it and drapes or blinds are hanging nicely.
2. De‐clutter the kitchen. If you have dirty dishes and not enough time to wash them, stick them in the dishwasher or stack neatly in the sink. Removing the day‐ to‐day things from your kitchen counter tops creates a clean and uncluttered feeling. Stick the toaster, blender, coffee pot, knife block and vitamins in the cabinets and wipe down the counter tops.
3. Light some candles. I want to appeal to all of my guest’s senses, and it takes at least 30 minutes for candles to burn enough so that the aroma permeates the house. Fresh scents that are more natural appeal to a broader group of people. I recommend Maura Peters candles, which are available at Studio Chameleon. These hand‐poured soy and vegetable wax candles are made from the finest essential oils so they burn long and clean. A few of these and you are set for scent!
4. Put your photos out. Review the photos you have displayed and, particularly if family or close friends are visiting, make sure that you have pictures out of the people who are coming over. Keep a drawer or box of framed photos of those
closest to you, so that even if you don’t want to display them all the time, you have them available. This is such a simple way to make people feel that they are known and loved by you.
5. Dust the transition areas. People tend to look down at transition areas – when they are walking into the front door and other rooms and the flooring changes from wood to carpet. This is also a place that quickly accumulates dust and pet hair. Before your guests arrive, take the towel you used to wipe down the counters and do a quick rub down of this area to make sure it is clean.
6. Set the mood with music. Put on your favorite cd and enjoy a glass of wine before your guests arrive.
Now you're ready to party!
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| Our White Orchid Tealights are lovely to light up when guests are on their way. Available in store and online. |
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