The weather is getting a bit chilly here in Arizona...funny, huh, seeing as though it's a mere 80 degrees instead of the 108 it was just a week and a half ago. The other night I was driving home in 57 degrees and thought I was going to have to go buy a parka! Lol. But seriously, cooler weather is ahead and so are the dreaded holidays, which I normally enjoy, but I have to admit I've been down about thanks to this economy. There's so much that I would already have done by now and yet I have no energy to begin. Maybe this venting will help!
One thing that I am always mindful of when planning my interior spaces, is the accommodation you must make for visitors. Especially living here in the Valley of the Sun, where everyone typically wants to come and visit; are you prepared for company? Whether you feel your home is just way too small to handle an overnight guest, or you have oodles of space but don't know how to plan it out, we all have room to make sure that visitors to our home can be comfortable.
Maybe you don't have a guest bedroom in your home and you feel- as I do- that sofa beds are uncomfortable (cuz they are!). How about adding a trundle bed to one of your kid's rooms. They are not expensive, are attractive and when guests leave they tuck away right under their bed. They help when your son or daughter has a sleep over guest or when your aunt and uncle come from the east coast.
One of the most common mistakes that people make when buying their dining room table, is not ordering extra chairs. Your are a family of 6 but during every family event you expand to a family of 8. Why not purchase 2 additional chairs, or even 4 and store them away in the garage until you have your large dinners? It will certainly look much better than using the card table chairs for your formal affair!
My favorite room to add additional seating is in the family room or living room. I prefer ottomans to coffee tables because they serve as extra space to cop a squat. And nothing says that you have to use one in the center of your room. If you have a decent length of sofa, like 90" or more, try using 2 42" ottomans or even three smaller, square ottomans. They help break up to space and provide 3 seats for extras that might not want to sit together. If you often drink in this room, make sure that the ottoman you choose is sturdy enough to place your cup yet not too hard that no one would want to sit for an extended period of time. You want every aspect of this room to be warm and inviting. Also, when deciding on fabrics for this piece, choose something that can take a spill, not a silky fabric or something you can't wipe down.
Have space in your master suite for an attractive piece of furniture? Add a daybed positioned under your window. In a pinch you can always throw a sheet on and have a small child stay in your room with you, yet give you enough space on your bed to roll over, and your guest can stay in their room. Plus, you now have a great space to sit and read or just escape within your own room.
Another thing you can do, rather than a full sleeper sofa, is a sleeper chair and a half. They make sleepers that pull out of a chair that you can use as an accent in any room that can fit it.
There are so many options that can help you say welcome to your future guests and not bombard your home. Try one them today and look forward to your holiday visitors, on their way soon!
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