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Have someone on your Christmas list this year that is looking to update their home? Or perhaps a new homeowner? Then we’ve got you covered with our holiday gift guide for the homeowner (or future!).

This gift guide is near and dear to my heart, as my husband and I are in the process of buying our first house (woo-hoo!). After the long days of open houses and house tours, we love to envision how we will fill and decorate it, so you can bet our Christmas list is full of furniture and home goodies! We’ve gathered some of our favorite gifts that we know every current or future homeowner will love this year!

Happy Shopping!

Shop for the Homeowner:

If you read our post about how to prepare your home for guests, you know how important it is to make sure your guests feel right at home by welcoming them with some of their favorite treats and creating a warm and comfortable space for them.

Of course, one of the most important aspects of hosting overnight guests is the guest bedroom and preparing their own little oasis, but not to be overlooked, is the guest bathroom!

When I stay at a hotel, one of the main aspects that I judge the entire hotel on is the style and feel of the bathroom. If it’s not clean and crisp, I assume the entire hotel is not. But if it has a luxurious and custom feel, my reviews of the hotel are glowing. Same goes for the home. Obviously, no one thinks your home is a hotel, but why not class it up and give it a luxurious and custom feel?!

I’ve gathered some of my favorite stylish bathroom decor and products to give your guest bathroom that extra oomph that will have your guests seeing hearts (without the large price tag of a remodel)! Enjoy and happy hosting!

1. Chandelier | 2. Textured Towels | 3. Monogrammed Soap | 4. Hand Soap and Lotion | 5. Lafco Candle | 6. Monogrammed Towels |7. Acrylic Soap Dispenser | 8. Acrylic Soap Dish | 9. Monogrammed Floor Mat |

 

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Okay my sweet bakers, this one’s for you!

Cakes are my absolute favorite dessert to bake and decorate. Not only are they delicious, but they can be true works of art depending on how you design and display them. I am a true believer that presentation is key, so the best way to top off any perfectly baked cake, or any dessert really, is with a gorgeous stand!

Take a look and shop some of our favorite cake stands on the market right now!

If you read our recent post on how to decorate small spaces, you know that I have been on a complete organizational roll lately! My small 700SF apartment, lacks much of the kitchen storage space that I was looking for (including a pantry!), so the kitchen has been under a complete organizational makeover! Today we are sharing 6 kitchen hacks that has completely transformed our kitchen in hopes it will inspire you as well! Enjoy!

1. Clear Containers – Clear containers are definitely an investment, but they are well worth it! You no longer have to sort through mountains of cereal boxes and bags of chips. Clear containers make the pantry feel more uniform and clean. These are perfect for storing cereal, sugar, pastas, flour, etc.

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2. Bins and Baskets – Invest in bins or baskets to help store more bulk items. I like to keep all my canned goods, baking items, and chip products in separate orderly bins. You can stack products on top of each other in the baskets, but they still appear more organized and systematic.

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3. Shelving Units – If your pantry doesn’t have many shelves, or if you don’t have a designated pantry space, consider adding a freestanding shelving unit to a hall closet to give yourself more storage space. This way you won’t have to waste valuable kitchen cabinet space with more canned food items rather than your favorite wine glasses! I have found Home Depot, Lowe’s, and the Container Store all sell great storage racks. I personally wanted to add a little extra color to my pantry, so I bought my turquoise one from the Container Store!

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4. Label Everything! – Labels bring a sense of order to your pantry as well as some personality! I absolutely LOVE these labels from Clementime Mercantile! She makes labels for any product you can imagine from sugar, and flour, to cleaning products or tools! Definitely check out her shop and if you don’t see the label you are looking for, she can customize one for you!

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5. Spice Jars – To keep your spice cabinet from getting too cluttered, invest in glass spice jars. This will also bring a sense of uniformity to your cabinet rather than having a million different brands and sizes of spice jars to your cabinet. I bought my spice jars from Bed Bath and Beyond and it has made a world of difference in my spice cabinet!

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6. Spice Jar Labels – When I say label everything, I mean everything! These gourmet spice labels from Itty Bitty Paper Co will completely transform your spice cabinet! They include 80 different herbs and spice labels plus two blank pages in case you have some unique spices.

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If you all read our recent post on how to decorate small spaces, you know that floor to ceiling drapes are the number one way to make a room appear larger and more spacious for your guests. Longer window treatments not only bring a sense of elegance and a finished look to a space, but they also draw your eye upward, which elongates the entire room. To me, these are crucial, especially if you like to entertain and want to add both functional and decorative elements to your home.

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Finding window panels at the store that fit your space and just graze the floor ever so perfectly can be incredibly tricky! When Landon and I were designing our home, we searched high and low for drapes that matched our style and were the exact length we needed. With little luck we decided to pursue custom made drapes, which are actually much more cost efficient and higher quality than store bought panels.

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We worked with Amanda at Avec Dieu Couture Home, who was an absolute delight and so incredibly helpful! She worked with us personally to find the exact pattern, size, and type of drapes that we needed. I sat down with her for a little Q&A to get a little bit better understanding of the importance of drapes as well as about her background and company. 

For many of us in our mid 20’s, small space living is a fact of life. Apartments never seem to have enough storage or maybe certain rooms in your house are just a bit smaller than you prefer.

Learning how to decorate these small spaces and still keep them entertaining ready can be a challenge – one that I face regularly! My fiancé and I recently moved into the most beautiful little apartment in Dallas with gorgeous floor to ceiling views of downtown. Although we absolutely love it, I must stress the LITTLE part of it. Condensing two people’s furniture and lives into one 700 SF apartment has proven to be tricky, so we have been extremely focused on how to maximize every inch.

I know we are not alone in this, so I have compiled our 12 key tricks to decorating and maximizing your space while keeping it entertaining ready.

12 Tips and Tricks:

  1. Increase Kitchen Storage – It’s not uncommon, for apartments or older homes to have minimal pantry space or none at all. Get creative, and turn your hall closet into a pantry. Add some simple storage racks from Home Depot or the Container Store to serve as additional shelves for your pantry items.

The Everyday Hostess design and home decor - kitchen pantry

2. Lighting – Keep it light! To make your space appear larger, use pale colors such as whites, beige, blues and greys. Neutral colors help create a nice flow to the house that isn’t overwhelming to the eye. You can then add a few pops of color here or there to add some personality. We went for a beige and white color palette and added hints of aqua in the living room to give it a serene and calming environment. We also added little pops of color in our decor, specifically in our design books. We used the same white and beige palette in the master bedroom, but instead of aqua we used navy and gold as our accent colors to give the room a little extra pop!

Merry Christmas week, everyone! If you’re like me, you’re probably focused on finishing up the last minute Christmas shopping, finalizing your menu, taking a few final trips to the grocery store, and cleaning up your home as quickly as possible! However, one of the most easily overlooked aspects of hosting during the holidays is preparing your home for your overnight guests.

Follow these few simple steps, and your house will be the perfect oasis for your friends and family this Christmas!

A Welcome note and fresh flowers – This is the best way to welcome someone into your home! Place a fun seasonal flower arrangement and a welcome note on a desk in the guest bedroom or on the bedside table. They are sure to see them right when they walk in and immediately feel at home. Include any necessary passwords or codes that they may need while staying at your house (wifi, alarms, etc.).

TEH Guest Bedroom

The Everyday Hostess - FlowersStyle Me Pretty Living

Bedroom – Create a retreat in the guest bedroom by minimizing personal items and simplifying the decor. Simple art or pictures, an alarm clock, bedside lamps, fresh flowers, a soothing color scheme, all help create a calm getaway for your guests.

The Everyday Hostess - Guest Bedroom Neutrals

A double/queen bed and comfortable bedding are both key to creating a welcoming atmosphere for your guests. Provide a couple extra cozy blankets at the foot of the bed as well. Make sure there is plenty of space in the dresser and closet, so that your guests may hang or put away any clothes that they want to unpack. Don’t forget to provide a few hangers as well!

Guest Bedroom - The Everyday Hostess

Bathroom –– Stock the guest bathroom with the essentials! Make them feel like they are in a hotel suite. Consider what it is like for you staying in someone else’s home. What may you have forgotten? Include a little basket with small shampoos/conditioners, new toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, soaps, and tissues! This will make them feel right at home. Especially if they accidentally forgot something and may not want to ask for it!

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The Everyday Hostess - Guest Bathroom Accessories

My two favorite items for the guest bathroom is this delightful Lafco candle and these personalized monogrammed soaps! (These are also perfect hostess guests, if you are staying with someone else!)

Most importantly, don’t forget fresh bath towels and washcloths. Include two bath towels and two wash cloths for each guest. I know I am not the only one out there who uses a separate towel to dry my hair, so make sure there are a couple extras, just in case!

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Food and Drink — Stocking your refrigerator and pantry with your guests favorites snacks and drinks will help them feel right at home. If you know they like a certain type of drink or coffee, pick up a little extra for them at the store! Not only did you set up a calm retreat for them, but you went above and beyond to make sure they felt as at home as possible!

The Everyday Hostess Guest SnacksBrooklyn Limestone

What are some of your other favorite ways to prepare your home for guests! I would love to hear your tips and tricks!

Photos from Pottery Barn unless otherwise noted.

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Happy holidays and welcome to my home! I am so excited to share with you my holiday home decor this year! Laura from The Avery Grace has graciously invited me to share my home as part of her annual Holiday Home Tour. I am one of 18 bloggers and small business owners who are all opening their doors and sharing their decor and traditions this Christmas.