Tar Heel Charm: House Guest Prep

When you have guests like L&B coming to visit, you do not want to disappoint, so in order to make sure I was properly prepped, I did my research y'all. I turned to a couple experts like Martha and Carolyne Roehm, as well as about half a dozen google searches.

In all the tips I read, there were definitely some common themes, so here's a summary of what learned to make Chez Tar Heel as close to the Four Seasons as possible.

Tips to Prepare for House Guests:

Make your guest room feel like a nice hotel room by adding the amenities you've found yourself appreciating from your travels, like bottles of water with drinking glasses or some fresh cut flowers in a small vase.

Leave fresh towels out on the bed so there is no need for your guests to go searching for them. I didn't get around to this myself, but you can make the towels look even more special by tying them up in some twill or placing in a decorative bag or basket.

Keep a good reading light next to the bed. There's nothing worse than turning off the main light in a strange room and then trying to navigate your way to the bed in the dark. A good alarm clock and a box of tissues nearby are also essentials.

Your guests probably won't feel welcome if they feel like they are staying in your home's storage unit. Clear out the clutter and leave out welcoming touches like a selection of books and shared photos, or even their favorite brand of mineral water.

During our honeymoon in Greece, I loved how each place we stayed at set out a bowl of fresh fruit, so I did the same. Fresh baked cookies or other local fare would work nicely as well.

Even if you are using the guest room closet as your own overflow space, make it as neat as possible and clear out some room for your guests so there is ample room to hang their own items. Leave at least one empty drawer in the bureau for them to use as well. One tip I saw suggested leaving the guest towels in a drawer so when you take them out to set out for your visitors, you automatically have that storage space to leave them as well.

Set out a luggage rack so no one feels the need to be placing their dirty bags on those fresh linens you just laid out. We don't currently have a rack so I just left a storage ottoman at the end of the bed that bags could be set on.

Make sure there are plenty of pillows and blankets provided on the bed. That way your guest can adjust their sleeping space to their needs.

Don't put anyone in an awkward situation. Stock the bathroom with plenty of supplies so that there is never a need to ask for more. And always leave a fresh bar of soap. If I was smart like my mom, I would save the hotel toiletries that I never use during my travels, and then I would be able to leave them out for guests, again adding to that hotel-like comfort.

Not only will your guests appreciate all of your effort but you will also get a lot of satisfaction out knowing what you've done has made them feel welcome.