If You Love to Entertain, You Need to Design Your Home for Guests
If You Love to Entertain, You Need to Design Your Home for Guests
Some homes are great for guests. Others aren’t. If you want your newly built home to be a place your guests will love to visit, you’ll need to make guest-friendly choices when selecting your floor plan and design elements.
Picking the Perfect Floorplan
The first consideration—and it’s a huge one—is how open you’d like your floor plan to be. An open plan with a kitchen island is a great choice for entertaining because it allows you to prepare food and beverages while socializing.
“The cook or chef in the family doesn’t have to choose to be in the family room or the kitchen. They can carry on a conversation between the rooms.”
— Ben Rutt, Director of Marketing at Keystone Custom Homes
An open plan can feel intimate or accommodate a crowd. To enhance the perception of openness, use the same flooring in the areas you want to combine. Consistency in materials—whether hardwood, tile, or stone—helps delineate the space seamlessly.
Do You Need Formal or Informal Space?
Separate formal dining rooms have declined in popularity but may be making a comeback as homeowners rediscover the joy of hosting. The key is to think about how you entertain, who your guests will be, and what they’ll need to feel comfortable.
“The general rule for guest-friendly spaces is ‘the more informal, the more open; the more formal, the more closed.’”
— Lisa Pickell, President of Orren Pickell Building Group
Indoors Meets Outdoors
A good indoor-outdoor flow elevates entertaining. Consider a partially covered patio for all-weather use and a fire pit or fireplace as a gathering spot. For a standout feature, double-sided fireplaces built into exterior walls create ambiance both inside and out.
“It’s natural human instinct to gather around the fireplace.”
— Ben Rutt
Consider Adding Extra Guest Bedrooms
Overnight guests need privacy. En-suite bathrooms (accessible only through one bedroom) are ideal. If space or budget is limited, a Jack-and-Jill bathroom—with two doors and separate vanities—is a practical alternative.
“In a perfect world, all bedrooms would be en suite. For guests, it’s about comfort and personal space.”
— Lisa Pickell
Who Will Sleep Where?
Location matters: A main-level bedroom with an en-suite bathroom offers easy access and privacy. For children, creative spaces like bunkrooms or cozy nooks under stairs can make stays memorable.
“Even without a massive room, you can create a fun, inviting environment for little guests.”
— Lisa Pickell
By prioritizing openness, versatile spaces, and thoughtful guest amenities, your home will become a destination your friends and family will never want to leave.
