Not only do they want to eat you food, they want to use your beds, your bathroom, they want storage space, they want toilet roll and soap and shampoo and they want you to feel like you’re enjoying it.
Having guests for any occasion can be stressful. Perhaps that’s an understatement. At the time you have to make the biggest meal of your culinary career, you also have to put up with people overrunning your space whilst attempting to be the hostess or host with the most.
So when you look around your house and realise that you’ve said ten people can stay and you only have one guest room, you start to go into panic mode about where everyone is going to fit. Not only do you need to find them sleeping space, but also stowaway room for their luggage, while still accommodating for enough chairs for everyone to sit on.
ARGH.
Stop panicking. Where there is a will, there is a way and you’ll find somewhere of everyone to go if you search hard enough. There’s always unused space to be utilized, you just need to get a little creative with your options.
“Where Am I Sleeping?”
Beds are perhaps the hardest thing to handle, but they are still manageable. Try some of these options.
Dual Purpose Furniture
Having a futon, daybed or sofa bed is always a saving grace. It means that when all evening activities are done, you can just turn the chair you were using into a comfy place to rest your weary head. Then when the sun rises again, you just pop it back into its daytime role as a chair. OK, futons aren’t the most comfortable thing, admittedly, but an extra duvet on top will sort that out and guests are usually just grateful for a bed.
Ask the Kids
Kids love sharing their bedroom, especially with cousins, so why not look at having a spare mattress hidden under their bed. That way they can share the room with their favourite cousin to double the excitement, as well as creating space for an extra person. Having one of those single beds with a pop up double counterpart that pulls from under the bed is also amazingly useful, not just for this season, but also for future sleepovers. These are called trundle beds, and are perfect for sleepovers.
But perhaps you need the kids’ rooms for grownups to sleep in. That’s no issue. You can spice up the excitement by creating a big sleepover for all the children. Perhaps set up tents in the dining room or beanbags in the study. That way they can sleep and have their fun without disturbing everyone else, and it also frees up space for adults.
Think Outside the Box
OK, so you still don’t have enough space, what next? Investing in a good air mattress is always a good idea. It goes down in the day, blows up in the night, and can be placed anywhere in the house, from the kitchen to the hallway!
Got a friend who likes adventure? Set up a series of hammocks in your house. Although not always the most comfortable idea, they’re practical and they do the job.
Alternatively, just look at what you have. Spare sofas, window seats, ottoman boxes, baths; if push comes to shove, they can all be utilized as sleeping space. Even if it means you giving up your bed and taking on the bath option!
“Where Should I Put my Things?”
The second major issue of having large numbers of guests, is where you plan to store their things. Everyone comes with baggage and if you want to keep the house relatively clutter-free, you need to think ahead.
Coats and handbags
Installing hooks is a yes in this instance. By giving space for people to hang coats and small bags, you instantly cut down people’s luggage, leaving them with perhaps just a suitcase between two to find a place for.
Additionally, coat hooks can be placed anywhere; backs of doors, hallways, porches etc. If you have one of those large sheltered porches with exterior louvered shutters that you often see on those houses with the white picket fences, you could even place an antique coat rack outside. I saw this on a front porch once and it gave the front of the house such a charming look.
Luggage and Baggage
Obviously, if you have the luxury of a guest room, guests will want their bags in with them. However, if you don’t you need to think about where you can hide them away. De-cluttering your under-stairs cupboard or a junk cupboard you have in your house is a great way to great a luggage room. With a few sturdy shelves, there’s space for everyone to place their belongings.
Alternatively, if you have a basement to your house, you can turn this into a storage come dressing room. By placing all the luggage downstairs, installing a light, a few mirrors and perhaps some screen dividers, guests can share the room to not only store luggage but to also get ready for the festivities.
The last and perhaps best option is to find clothes space for guests, so that they can store empty cases in their cars or elsewhere in the house. Slyly placing armoires around your house, or emptying the odd drawer for guest clothes can help you to create spaces for your guests to keep their own things.
Overall, it’s going to be harsomewhat stressful but well worth it. Finding enough space for everyone is a tough challenge at the best of times, and your house is going to be stuffed to the brim like the turkey on Easter. All you have to do is take a deep breath, think about your home, and find all the nooks and crannies to use.
Freelance writer Sophie Evans is a mother of two. She always jokes that she’s the fun parent who loves to take her children to Disneyland while her husband’s at work, whereas he’s the practical parent who is always on a home improvement project and researching places like http://www.sunbeltshutters.com online to find the best prices for his DIY the items he needs for his DIY plans. Although they’re different ends of the scale, they are a very close family and love spending time together.