Hospitality goes beyond mere word of mouth to actual actions, reaction, ambiance, presence. All factors that determine whether your guest would feel at home in your home or would be in a blur to finish whatever business that brings them to your home and disappear as fast as they can.
The living room or parlour serves as the room where guests are mostly entertained and made to feel welcome or not. Here are five tips that can help you achieve the best welcoming feel to your living room.
1. Lighting is important
How would you like to visit a house with a dark ghoulish hue around the living room? The sun or very little lighting is allowed through, dark drab curtains that brings the parlour of the wicked witch of Oz to mind. I am sure you would wish to scamper and never have to return, right?
So allow natural lighting in, flood your living room with light. Use additional lighting, attractive reading lamps if the placing of your window does not allow for much. Favour warm colour in your decor, they create a general welcoming glow.
2. Flowers are everyone's all time favourite
Not only do flowers give your house a beautiful natural fragrance. They are also attractive to the eyes and have a way of calling out to everybody. They might just turn out to be the first basis for conversations.
3. Art Works
Not only are art works to be appreciated for their aesthetic value. They have a way of creating an ambiance of relaxation, welcome and hospitality. Art works depending on the theme favoured can make a statement about your home, your person, your disposition much more than your words can most times.
4. Personal Effects
Nothing like a lived in house to create the perfect welcoming glow. Personal effects like photographs on the mantle, magazines on the rack, books on the shelves, family album for view. All of these together create an effect that makes your guest feel right at home. Your guest find a connection to their lives as soon as they step in.
5.Comfortable Seating
Having comfortable seats, padded upholstery, throw pillows and every other seat placing that allows for comfort can never fail to put your guest right at ease. You can have seats, settees, furnishings that would make your guest never want to leave your house.
Making your house conducive and welcoming for guests is an admirable goal that every home maker should have an interest in. The beauty of these tips is that it doesn't require over the top, extravagant things to make it happen. Just some thoughtful and consideration would do. You can make it happen.
Author
Adeyemi Adebimpe
A guest contributor on HOG Furniture Blog is a law student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
Loves to write, read, travel, paint and talk.
A fan of the outdoor and adventure. Her everyday fantasy is to see the whole world.
