Designing a Home You’ll Love to Share Year ‘Round

Have you ever walked into a designer home and felt like you were entering a museum? You anticipated a nervous “Don’t touch that!” as you tiptoed around to find a seat (probably an uncomfortable one). My guess is you didn’t return anytime soon. 

You, however, want an understatedly luxurious home that feels inviting, comfortable and cozy for you and your guests. That means couches that are perfect for napping and don’t look expensive (but they probably are). Dining chairs that make you want to linger at the table. Comfy bar stools where your guests can chat with you in the kitchen while you cook.

Is it possible to design a luxury home that doesn’t feel like a museum? Hell yes. 

Today, I’m sharing our favorite ways to design an inviting, comfortable home you’ll love and want to share…

Do You Need to Add Seasonal Hosting Features?

Let’s be honest, do you use your dining room for just dining? Chances are you use it as a Zoom room, homework room, or as a late-night-sushi-in-your-sweats room. These days, our dining rooms are becoming less formal and more multi-purpose than ever. But you still want a space to share with friends and family when you host holiday gatherings, right? (More on this in a bit.) 

Like a formal dining room, there are other features you may be tempted to install solely for one-off seasonal gatherings. Maybe you’re considering a double island for that huge crowd you entertain at Christmas. Maybe you’re pondering a double oven for the triple chocolate chip challah you’re famous for during Hanukkah. (Yummm, call me up for that.)

However, I can tell you from experience, it is far more likely that we are removing these extra items than adding them! 

Case in point: One of our clients had two dishwashers and decided to remove one to create more cabinet space. This was a smart choice because it served them much better year-round. 

In fact, I’d say that’s the rule of thumb — design for your daily life. If your house is the everyday gathering place for your tween and their friends, by all means, add more bar stools and a bigger fridge! (They’re only going to get hungrier.) Which brings us to my next point…

Designing for Everyday Life and Entertaining

Yup, you can do both. Marie Kondo has obviously affected our practical and savvy clients (yes, I’m talking about you), because we get more requests for practical storage solutions and multi-use furnishings than ever before. Requests for additional special occasion decor storage is a thing of the past.

 So, here are some practical ways to feel prepared for special occasions without adding more stuff to your home…

• Extension tables quickly add extra seating to a formal dining table.
• Skip special occasion dishware (it’s not in style anyway) and upgrade your everyday dishes.
• Add dining room seating with multi-use chairs, like the ones you have flanking your fireplace. Hello, comfortable seat… bonus if it’s performance grade.
• Use practical storage solutions like a buffet to store board games instead of china, or an extra hallway cabinet to store pet supplies, holiday decor, linens, or toys.  
• Why not work with us? We can guide you to making the right decisions for your lifestyle, propose creative solutions, and help you love your home all year long.

There you have it — the secrets to comfort and functionality that support you all year ‘round. When you design your home to be comfortable and relaxing for you, your family and friends will feel equally comfortable enjoying themselves, too. And isn’t that what home is all about?

Cheers,

Melanie