7 Things You Should Hide Before Guests Come Over, According to Home-Staging Experts
Woman organizing home before guests arrive
Holiday festivities are officially in full swing. Loved ones are flocking into town to visit and gatherings are being planned. If you find yourself in the position of being the host or hostess with the most-est, it can either feel like a blessing—or a curse.
Between nosy guests, messy kids and critical family members, hosting folks over at your home may be your worst nightmare. Cleaning your whole house can feel overwhelming, and having tons of folks in your personal space at one time is even more so. Instead of stressing that your rude Aunt Linda is going to insult your living space, there are some preventative measures you can take instead.
Parade spoke with two home-staging experts, Miranda Caldwell and Tara Melhus, about the main things you should hide before guests come over to your house. After all, temporarily removing these items out of etiquette mindfulness and making your home welcoming for your guests has a larger impact than you may think.
"Creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere will instantly make your guests feel comfortable in your home," explains Melahaus, and we couldn't agree more with this sentiment.
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7 Things You Should Hide Before Guests Come Over
As Caldwell says, when hosting, it's helpful to remember that a guest visiting your home has different needs and comfort levels than your own. Put yourself into their shoes when considering which items to put away.
"Understanding your guest, and considering their well-being and preferences, will only help you create a better experience for them," Caldwell continues. "In staging, for example, we aim to think about our 'target market' in order to accommodate and appeal to the people who visit."
1. Personal Medications
When considering whether you should put an item away before guests come over, ask yourself the question: "Would this item ignite a conversation that I'm not willing to have?" If the answer is yes, put it away—and this is often the case with personal medications.
Whether it's for an injury you're treating or a mental health condition, there is no shame in your medications. However, it's best to keep them out of sight for snoopers.
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2. Drugs/Cigarettes
First of all, if you have children coming over, keeping drugs or cigarettes in sight can pose an obvious safety issue—especially when adults may not always be supervising.
Even if there are no kids coming over, removing illicit drugs or cigarettes from your hosting space is highly urged. Between pungent smells and awkward questions from your guests, it's the polite move.
3. Unnecessary Clutter
An organized space equates to an organized and happy brain, and if unnecessary clutter stresses you out, it will likely stress your guests out too. If there are any countertops or corners that are cluttered with items, remove them before guests come over. Let's think about your kitchen, for example.
"The toaster, paper towel and air fryer are probably not going to be used while hosting, and there is nothing worse than not having enough counter space for extras your guests might bring," Melhus urges hosts.
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4. Jackets and Coats
Oh, the weather outside is frightful—and your guests are likely going to be entering your warm, cozy home bundled to the nines. Do you honestly expect them to wear their winter coats all night long? Clear that hallway closet or coat rack!
"Clearing your items out of your hallway closet will leave space for your guests to hang up their outerwear, keeping the entryway tidy," Melhus shares.
5. Controversial Posters/Art
"Hosting goes beyond serving someone drinks and feeding them. Good hospitality includes understanding how home decor, and things in your space, will make a guest feel," says Caldwell.
Yes, that includes your controversial or uncanny art and posters. We promise you can hang them back up once your guests leave. And if you're still shaking your head "no," consider Caldwell's insights.
"Anything that might make your guest feel uncomfortable should be stored or swapped. When in doubt, anything that could be categorized as 'taboo,' especially considering what you know about your guests and their expectations, should remain private," she explains.
6. Pet Toys and Items
Of course, you love your pet(s) and your guests likely love them too. However, no one wants to be stepping on Fido's chew toys and bones all night long. Melhus tells Parade that hosts should tuck pet toys and items away. After all, this will help keep your floor space clean and create extra room for dancing!
7. Bills and Personal Mail
If you have fully committed to the paperless lifestyle, this one may not apply to you. But, if you've had a personal piece of mail delivered recently that may cause an awkward conversation or glance, it's best to put it out of sight—in a place you'll remember.
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How To Create a Well-Staged Home
First impressions are truly everything. As important as it is to remove somewhat taboo items before hosting guests, it's equally as important to stage your home and make it more inviting. Caldwell encourages folks to think about our five senses and what someone might experience when visiting our space.
"Study how a 5-star hotel might accommodate you," Caldwell suggests. "There is usually a place to sit and remove your shoes, a 'drop zone' to free your hands of anything you were carrying, a place to store your shoes, a place to hang your coat, a mirror to check your appearance, an umbrella stand, plus appropriate smells, sounds and lighting."
Here are some additional tips and tricks for creating a well-staged home, expertly provided by both Caldwell and Melhus.
Set the right mood with background music, but make sure it's nothing too intense. Search for dinner party playlists or jazz, depending on your crowd.
Offer snacks and drinks promptly. This will help break the ice and food and drinks are great conversation starters.
Turn down the temperature! With lots of bodies in a house, it can heat up fast. Turn down your thermostat by two to three degrees when hosting—you don’t want your guests to overheat!
Thoroughly clean door handles and light switches. These are things that guests do interact with but are often overlooked and dirty.
Provide a clean washroom with the toilet lid down. A washroom with fresh white washcloth towels will put your guests' minds at ease! Avoid full-sized bath towels and dark-colored hand towels.
Turn your TV into art. Pull up YouTube and search "art background." Choose what you like based on your taste, theme or the season!
Add a bouquet of fresh flowers. This communicates that the space is being tended to—subtly yet effectively.
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Sources
Miranda Caldwell
Tara Melhus
