Hosting guests, whether for casual gatherings or formal dinners, can be fun but also stressful—especially if you’re a perfectionist. While it’s natural to focus on small details, many are pretty much unnoticeable, and here are the things your guests will actually notice about your home.
Personal Touches and Décor
The style and uniqueness of your home decorations tell guests about your interests and experiences. Personal items on display, like artwork, collections, and photos, give guests a sense of your life.
Furniture and Layout
Guests will pick up on your furniture’s style, age, and arrangement. The furniture layout of your house can facilitate comfort and utility, enhancing spaces and making them appealing to guests visiting your home.
Technology and Gadgets
Guests will notice the absence or presence and integration of smart home technology in your home and the entertainment systems in communal areas. Having no TV in your home is an instant conversation starter, as is having the latest high-resolution model.
The Welcome Factor
Curb appeal is an important factor in how your house appears to guests. A tidy front garden and driveway instantly make your home appear more welcoming. Once guests enter your house, they’ll first notice the immediate feeling invoked by your hallway, whether that’s warmth or modernity.
Scents and Aromas
Visitors note the overall smell of your home, whether it’s fresh, musty, or scented. Pets, cooking smells, and scented candles can reflect your personality and lifestyle. People often go “nose blind” to the smells of their homes, so it’s important to open windows and turn on diffusers before guests visit.
Cleanliness and Organization
Guests will notice the general tidiness of your home’s living spaces, including the presence or absence of clutter. Martha Stewart advises cleaning the entryway, bathroom, guest rooms, high-touch surfaces, and flooring before having guests over.
Plants and Greenery
Indoor plants can enhance the air quality in your home and improve its décor. Guests will notice the plants in and outside your house. Arcadia notes they are often overlooked when considering how to make a house look inviting, but they “add texture and color to an environment,” as well as “a sense of calmness and relaxation.”
Art and Wall Hangings
Your choice of art and where it is placed in your home will be interesting to guests. Unique pieces and collections can be great conversation starters, telling a story about your life and interests.
Flooring Choices
The flooring in your home can complement or contrast its style. Guests will notice floorboards, tiling, and rugs in living areas. Persian rugs, for example, can nicely complement older or vintage furniture in your living room.
Natural Light and Windows
The amount and quality of natural light in your living room, dining room, and kitchen will be noticeable to guests visiting during the day. They will also notice how windows frame views into your driveway and garden.
Lighting and Ambience
The lighting of your home sets its tone. Warm lighting will brighten it up and make it feel more open, whereas bad lighting will make it feel unwelcoming. The New York Times argues that “any experienced designer will tell you that lighting is an essential ingredient when you’re decorating a room.”
Pet Presence
Indicators of the presence of pets in a home, such as bowls, toys, and beds, are unmistakable and will instantly let guests know if you’re a dog or cat person. Guests will also notice the cleanliness and maintenance of these pet areas and whether there’s hair on your floors and furniture.
Book Collections and Shelves
“Bookshelf wealth” has taken social media by storm in recent months, but books have been an important part of the décor for centuries. Guests will notice the presence and organization of your bookshelves or library room and the interests they reflect.
Bathroom Essentials and Cleanliness
Guests using your bathroom will notice its cleanliness and stock of essentials like towels and soaps. It’s important to clean your bathrooms before guests visit to leave them with a good impression.
Color Schemes and Paint Choices
The colors and textures of the walls in your home will affect its vibe, as will the consistency (or lack thereof) of color schemes throughout it. Color choices can enhance or diminish a space’s appeal. This Old House recommends creating a color scheme that matches the furniture in your home and matching “the color to the feeling you want in the room.”
Outdoor Spaces and Seating
Guests sitting in your home’s outdoor spaces during the spring and summer will notice the comfort and maintenance of the patio, deck, or garden. They will also instantly notice the comfort and style of outdoor furniture.
Overall Home Maintenance
Your home’s exterior and interior will show telltale signs of maintenance or neglect. Peeling paint, cracks in the ceiling, and creaky doors are noticeable to guests, as are how well home systems are maintained.