Imagine this, it’s Friday at 5pm and your home has been ransacked all week by your children, your dog, and maybe (probably) your spouse. You’ve barely had a minute to tidy up and the dirty dishes from breakfast are still in the sink. Sound familiar? And you have friends coming over for dinner in an hour! Yikes! You plan to order Take-Out for dinner so you don’t have to worry about whipping up a meal, but your house looks like the Tasmanian Devil has passed through it. So what can you do quickly to get your house looking presentable for guests? Follow my top 5 ways to make your home interior look instantly ready to host friends!
1. First Impressions Count! Your front entry is the first place your guests will see, so stash away those school backpacks, put shoes in a closet (or a basement) and clear away any excess jackets. Make room for guest’s coats on your wall hooks or in your front hall closet. (If you don’t have enough space for guest coats, then collect them when they arrive and place them in a bedroom.) Clear keys, mail and junk off of the hall table. If you don’t have time to style it or to put out flowers, don’t worry, an empty table is better than a messy one. Give the mirror and any surfaces a quick wipe and sweep the floor to remove any obvious dirt.
2. Freshen Up the Guest Bathroom! You don’t need to spend a lot of time scrubbing, just give the sink, countertop, mirror, and toilet a quick spritz and wipe. Remove any personal items from the countertop and hide them in a drawer or closet. Empty out the trash can and don’t forget to make sure there is plenty of TP and hand soap! I keep a set of hand towels in the linen closet that are exclusively for when guests come so I don’t have to worry about putting out a set of faded or tattered, albeit clean, hand towels. I also put a stack of pretty, disposable paper napkins out that can be used to dry hands instead.
3. Everything (but) The Kitchen Sink! It’s probably pretty obvious that you’ll want to clean up any dirty dishes leftover from the day. What might be less obvious is you’ll also want to put away any clean dishes. Don’t let clean dishes sit sky high in your draining rack! It’s also a good idea to empty clean dishes out of your dishwasher or run your dishwasher even if it’s only half-full, so that when dinner is over you’ll have lots of room to load it up again making clean-up a breeze. Don’t forget to wipe your countertop to remove any spills or crumbs.
4. Fluff Those Pillows! A trampled, squished sofa is not all that inviting, so give your cushions a good whack to get rid of the creases. If you have a lot of throw blankets, fold them up and put them away, or toss them on your bed and close the door. Excess blankets, even displayed nicely, will eventually get jumbled around and end up looking messy.
5. Declutter the Main Floor! Toys, papers, snack bowls, water bottles, random articles of clothing, hair scrunchies and dog bones are among the many items that seem to magically appear and then linger throughout a house. Do a quick walk-through and gather up all of these items. If you don’t have time to put everything in its correct place, then stash it all in a bedroom, a bin or a closet and organize it later once your guests are gone. Are you noticing a theme here? It’s a bit of a sweep-it-under-the-rug situation but when time is of the essence it will do in a pinch. No time to make beds and tidy the second floor? Don’t sweat it! Close the bedroom doors and hope no one asks for a tour!
When all of this is done and you’re feeling pretty darn good about your accomplishment, take a minute to assess the mood: turn on accent lighting like a living room table lamp, floor lamp, or wall sconces, and put on some mellow tunes. Then go ahead and pour yourself a well-deserved glass of wine and take a moment to admire your beautiful home.
Mirelle Goren Interiors offers full-service interior design in the GTA. If you or someone you know is looking for home remodeling or decorating services, click on the Let’s Connect button below to find out more about our services. I’d love to hear from you!
xx Mirelle