“Invite me in, cause me to linger.”
What does your home’s interior say to your friends and family? Does it invite them to curl up, enjoy a cup of tea and delicious conversation? I was just in a client’s home for a consult that ended up in a long conversation partially because she is such a nice lady and also because her house was so warm and inviting. We talked about her paint colours and chatted over coffee and I was reluctant to leave to get to my other appointments!
Is your couch comfy and inviting with toss cushions to wrap around and beautiful throws to snuggle under? End tables or coffee tables should be within easy reach to set a beverage or snack on while we visit the hours away. Lighting should be multi layered and available to change the mood at a moment’s notice.
If your guest were to curl up in your chair for a visit, would the space under her feet be warm, soft and inviting? Often people come to visit and do not bring indoor shoes or slippers – take a look at your seating space with your friend’s toes in mind and have some ultra plush slippers or a cozy area rug available for your guests’ comfort.
Be mindful of the scents and sounds around your home, too much of a good thing is still too much! Heavy air fresheners may offend someone or even aggravate allergies in some cases. Do you visit with the TV on or the children tearing through the house? Try to create a sanctuary where you can relax without the distraction of noisy backgrounds and enjoy the bliss of sharing time with a person you care for; it is rejuvenating to the spirit.
We have put aside the age-old tradition of spending time visiting in our homes when we are so easily seduced by our local barista. It is easy to have the products in your home to entice your friends with delicious beverages for a different kind of coffee date experience!
There are many in home single cup coffee makers with a wide variety of cappuccino and hot chocolates which enable you to serve up a coffee shop quality beverage in a snap!
Local food specialty shops such and kitchen stores will sell specialty salt and sugar grinders for you to add your special flourish to each cup. My current passion is salted caramel hot chocolate, it is delicious!
A big part of the welcome your home offers is YOU. Do you enjoy visiting with people, is it a priority to you to make friends feel at home in your home? Pay attention to favorite things of your favorite people and try to have those items on hand when you invite that special someone to your home.
I have a dear friend in St. Albert who always has special cheeses and Pelligrino water on hand as well as freshly ground coffee when I visit. It is always such a treat to just sit in her comfy chairs and catch up on our lives and seeing the extra care she takes to host me always makes me very happy.
There are many ways to invite the special people in your life to linger in your home, invite someone in today and treat them to a wonderful experience!
Kim Lewis is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre. Contact her at 403-343-7711 ext 227 or email her at klewis@carpetcolourcentre.com.
