LIVE BETTER
DESIGNING AN ABODE THAT’S COMFORTABLE FOR VISITORS NEEDN’T COME AT THE EXPENSE OF EVERYDAY LIFE, AS THE EXPERTS EXPLAIN
ARCHITECTS MARY OTIS STEVENS AND THOMAS MCNULTY
FEATURE Hugh Metcalf
It only takes one bad experience to realise your home is not well-suited to friends and family coming to stay. Perhaps you’ve started to feel a bit claustrophobic or you’ve had an awkward encounter with a guest. Regardless, it’s hard to be a good host when you’re secretly wishing your visitors would just go home.
It’s difficult, though not impossible, to change your home’s hosting potential through redecorating alone, but if you’re undertaking a more significant renovation, it’s the perfect opportunity to evaluate how your home will perform when it’s at full capacity. Simple changes to the layout and interior design of key areas, from guest rooms and bathrooms to dining and entertaining spaces, will allow you to host to your full potential. Whether that’s enthusiastically or reluctantly is down to you.
The first question is: how far should you go in adapting your home for guests? We are firm believers in designing your home for yourself. After all, guests spend only a few days in it a year. But it’s foolish to ignore the fact that if your home makes your guests feel more comfortable, you’ll have a better time too. In that way, it’s still something to do for yourself, but which benefits friends and family as well.
The lengths you go to will depend on how – and how often – you entertain. ‘In predesign, we work with clients to interrogate what their needs for guest spaces are,’ says Tom Klaber, architect, designer and founding partner of New York-based studio k-da. ‘How frequently do you host? Does a friend from college stay for a week once a year? Do your in-laws stay for months on end? Something in between?’
Whether your space is large or small, there’s scope to tailor your design. ‘Flexible areas that can convert to guest spaces when needed but provide utility to the home when not in guest mode are a great option for those who don’t entertain often or do not have the room for a dedicated guest suite,’ explains Tom.
THINK ABOUT HOW YOUR GUESTS WILL USE THE SPACE AND HOW TO MAKE THEIR STAY MOST ENJOYABLE
If you do have the space, then you can consider the ideal set-up. ‘Where space is abundant, and we have more control over layout and circulation, we like to think of guest spaces as a refuge,’ Tom adds. ‘A good space allows guests to retreat from the common areas and not interrupt the daily workings of the home.’
If space is tight, however, it can be tough to decide how much room to give to accommodate visitors. A proper guest bedroom will undoubtedly be more comfortable, but will come at the cost of usable space when you’re not entertaining. ‘If it’s possible, consider
