the pink clutch ...: Prepping For Guests ... Volume 1

We had the best weekend, the wedding was so much fun. I spent most of last week preparing the house, prepping two guest rooms and two bathrooms, and ensuring our house was TIDY. After having so much stuff stored all summer from our girl's dorm room + all the new house stuff, I felt like we just had little piles of stuff everywhere. When you have extra stuff around it is so easy to set down another pile and lose it amongst all the other, shall we say crap??

I got it all done. The house is so tidy, and everything that needed to be managed was managed. I even organized the garage, and my car is back inside as she prefers. It feels incredible. I need to invite many more people over soon so the house stays this neat and tidy.

Prepping for guests can be a bit much for some, but it is the most fun for me. I love adding all the little details to make sure they feel like they are staying in a hotel, with every imaginable detail having been managed for them. I get many questions from social media on how I do it all, so I am writing two posts for you to be able to reference anytime you need it. This post, volume 1, will be about the significant details, and then tomorrow, I will address all the tiny things I like to do before hosting.

So, let's get into it.

Towels + Sheets ...

When a guest in a hotel or home, I first notice the linens, the towels, and the sheets. This is where you spend any extra money, as the rest of the areas can be overlooked, but where your guests sleep and how they feel after a shower are crucial. Our sheets are from Frontgate, and our towels are from Weezie. I think these are both the best of the best. Our sheets are wonderful and have stood the test of time. They are monogrammed, which, to me, is the best little detail that can be added. Emily Post says everything in the home is monogrammed with the wife's monogram except for the barware that belongs to the husband. Our towels are from Weezie, and if you have never wrapped yourself in a Weezie bath sheet, I would tell you you must try it on. It, to me, is the most luxurious towel.

I layer the linens on the beds. After the mattress pads, I use padded ones and add a mattress topper, the bottom sheet, the top sheet, a light blanket, and the duvet cover. Pro tip: Add two inserts pinned together inside the duvet cover to give your bed that extra hotel feel. Your cover will look incredible and fluffy like you have never seen before. I promise it will be noticed, and you will love how inviting it looks. Do your best not to crawl in and nap. 😉

Lighting ...

Great lighting is crucial for your guests. We have bedside lamps, two other lamps, and bedside reading lights. I think it is really important to make them feel at home, and great lighting is really important. I also added night lights to the rooms, the hall, and the bathrooms so they could find their way around during the night.

The lamps on our side tables in the guest rooms are from two locations. The blue and white ones in the primary guest room are Ralph Lauren from HomeGoods, and the green one in the secondary guest room is a great antique shop find. It is a great lamp, and the green was perfect for the more masculine space. I have linked a few sets for you to peruse below. The bedside reading lamps are linked as well; they are fantastic from Amazon, and we own three sets of them. I can not recommend them enough; they plug into the wall, and the cord is easy to cover with cord covers. Nightlights are easy to pick up; my favorite is also from Amazon, and I added them to the links.

Rugs ...

We are definitely rug people. I love to layer rugs, so even our carpeted rooms have rugs in them. I like the cozy feel; I really think it adds a layer of protection to the carpet underneath. All of our rugs are from Frontgate, and they are lush and colorful. In the bathrooms, we have Weezie bathmats. They are cozy, soft, and easy to wash after the guests leave. I would rather go without a rug instead of using one that I don't find soft to walk on. For me, stepping out of bed onto a lovely soft rug is pure luxury.

Luggage Racks ...

Make sure you have space for your guests to place and open their luggage. I have two racks per room along with a cedar chest in the primary guest room for them to lay their bags and totes. Just like a hotel I want them to feel as if they have space to open their luggage and access it as easily as they can. I also make sure there is space in the closet for them to hang their clothes and space in the dresser for them to unpack if they wish to do so. My husband is absolutely an unpacker so I make sure others can unpack if they are the same. Luggage racks are great things to pick up at estate sales. A good wipe down and they are ready to be used. They also fold up so nicely and slide into the side of your closet when not in use. I found a few available online if you are looking to snag one quickly.