How to Make Your Home More Inviting

Once you move into your beautiful new home, you want it to be a place where people choose to hang out and socialize. Surprisingly, there are subtle things you can do to the design of the home to make it more inviting for guests. Whether you incorporate just one of our ideas or all of them, we think you’ll be happy with the results.

Spruce Up Your Entryway

Make your home look like the type of place people want to visit. Outside, make sure your number is clearly visible from the street. Consider adding a solar light so people can see it when it’s dark outside. Additionally, you want the pathway to your home to be neat, so it’s safe for people to walk up to your door. A few flowers or other decorations will give your home a welcoming feel.

Inside the door, you want guests to be able to easily make their way inside the home. Leave space in the closet for guests’ jackets and perhaps a bench further into your home where they can sit and remove their shoes. Consider having a basket of slippers here for borrowing, to make guests feel a bit more at home.

Personal versus Personalized

It’s fine to display your favourite family portraits on the walls, but some things are a bit too personal. For instance, you don’t want to have a stack of bills on the kitchen counter, medicine next to the bathroom sink, or a basket of laundry sitting in the living room. These things can make guests feel uncomfortable. Make sure you put these things away before guests come or keep them in rooms that will be off-limits to the guests.

On the other hand, sprinkling some unique design details around your home that reflect your personality or are special to your family can create a warm, informal atmosphere. They can also be great conversation-starters and help people feel comfortable since your home looks lived-in. 

Arrange Your Furniture for Conversation

When you have people over, you probably don’t want them to be focused on the TV. You want them to be engaging with you and each other. The best way to do this is to arrange furniture in ways that encourage conversation. People naturally gather around smaller kitchen and patio tables, but it’s also nice to set up chairs in groups of twos or threes in the living room, rec room, or outside on the deck. 

When decorating open concept spaces, consider having a few pieces that are easy to move around or become makeshift seating as needed. For instance, a well-placed ottoman can provide a place to sit when someone wants to join the conversation.

Use Design to Breathe Life Into Rooms

You want to make interior design decisions based on your personal style first, but especially in rooms meant for gathering, you might like to increase the inviting vibes. Colour and accent features can be used as tools to draw guests' eyes. For example, a brightly-coloured accent wall in your dining room or a particularly fun piece of art in your living room will capture attention and people will naturally gravitate to these areas. 

Even details like accessories can completely change the tone of a room. Plants are always a great choice as they literally do breathe life into a space. In your living room, little touches like candles with a comforting scent and soft, touchable blankets or pillows can ma

ke anyone want to settle in and relax. 

Allow Guests to Make Themselves at Home

We often encourage guests to make themselves at home but don’t always make it easy for them to do so. Part of feeling at home is knowing where to find everything you might need. Think about this as you decide which cabinet to put your glasses in, where you hide the garbage bin, or where you store extra rolls of toilet paper. Choose the place that’s most natural. You don’t want guests to have to open every cabinet door before they find what they need.

For many nowadays, 'Home is where the WiFi is!' Make your guests completely welcome by always having your WiFi password handy. You might even like to use a tech hack

to make your life easier and hang a QR code version of your password – it can double as décor!

Be Ready for Visitors

If you really want your home to be more inviting, try to be ready for guests to come over at any time. For instance, you might always have some chips and salsa on hand, some cold beverages in the refrigerator, and your favourite pizza place’s number stored in your phone. Families with kids should have some kid-friendly snacks and juice boxes, too. If someone stops in, you will be able to graciously play the host or hostess.

Regulate the Temperature

Turning the thermostat down a few degrees in the winter and up a few degrees in the summer can save on your utility bills, but it might be off-putting for guests. If you’re planning to have people over, plan to keep your home at a pleasant temperature. Use fans to keep the air moving. Keep a fire going in the fireplace. It’s also nice to just have an extra blanket or two on hand for those people who always seem to be cold.

Entertaining is one of the best parts of owning your own home. With a few tweaks to your home design, you’ll make a place that people want to visit. And if really want to be the host with the most, take a look at floor plan features your entertaining family needs!

Photo credits: friends, visitors, congrats