Chic, affordable ways to get your home ready for guests

FREE IMAGES Undoubtedly at some point this holiday season you will be invaded by at least one guest.  For me, the toughest part of hosting is having a place to keep the extra "stuff" that comes along with a guest, or all of my stuff that has accumulated in the guest room, which tends to become a storage room.

Here are a few furniture storage solutions to help you solve these issues.

 A storage cabinet or shelving unit with baskets.  This one is an oldy but a goody.  During the winter/holiday season you need extra storage in the entryway to house scarves, gloves, and hats. A cabinet with bins or baskets provides storage space that attractively hides all of your/your guests' stuff.

 via Pinterest via Country Living

via Joss & Main in the "Tidy Up For Visitors" sale

via Joss & Main in the "Tidy Up For Visitors" sale

A wall cabinet/storage unit.  I don't know about you, but my guest room is SMALL.  When a space is small you really need to take advantage of vertical/wall space.  Even a slim wall cabinet can be a thoughtful touch that gives guests a little bit more room to unpack and feel at home.  It's also nice when it doubles as a mirror.

via Pinterest via Shanty 2 Chic

via Ideel in the "Furniture for every room" sale

A rolling bar cart with trays is a multitasking machine.  It can follow you and your guests from room to room and encourage them to help themselves.  Also, when you are ready to take it to the dining room just remove a tray and use it on the table.

via Pinterest via Crate & Barrel

via Rue La La in the "Guest Ready Essentials" sale

Extra linen storage.  Your guests should not want for clean sheets and towels.  That being said, our linen closet can barely fit enough for my husband and I.  A stand alone unit is an attractive and affordable way to add extra linen storage in the bathroom.

 via Pinterest via Flickr

 via Pinterest via Interior Magasinet

via Gilt in the "Bath Organization and Storage" sale

How to set up a room for a dinner party

FREE IMAGES

A dinner party is a fantastic way to invite your friends into your home for some delicious food and great conversation. Now that I finally have a real dining room and a patio, I suspect Chris and I will be doing some more entertaining. Setting up for the party is half the fun!  Tablescaping and lighting often take the backseat to food, drink, and music, but can make just as much impact.  Picking out great accessories like table runners, pillows, and lighting is nice way to change up your scenery without breaking the budget!

Tablescaping

I love tablescapes but don't yet have the dishware and serveware to really stretch my tablescaping legs (bring on the wedding registry).  Here are some tablescapes that make me swoon from my fabulous friend Monvi Drona

via Manvi Drona

Lighting

Intimate dinners can get by with soft lighting in the form of luminaries, candles, and lanterns.

via Pinterest

For a large party you can always go with extravagant lighting! Outdoor lighting is always fun and there a lot of different options. I would love to do something like this for my barn wedding. A dimmer switch would be perfect for this occasion so the lights aren't too bright to throw of the mood!

via Pinterest from Finally Famous

Even a gorgeous chandelier can make any simple table stand out and feel elegant. If you need some lighting ideas Visit Downlights Direct to find the perfect pieces for your next party!

via Houzz.com

This post in partnership with Downlight Direct.