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’Tis the Season for Guests Arriving. The tree is trimmed, the stockings are hung, and the doorbell is about to chime.

Family and friends are on their way to spend the holiday with you and yours. But what can you do to make your overnight guests feel right at home? Think, “Boutique Hotel” and you’re well on your way.

We gathered a few of our favorite things reminiscent of a boutique hotel in our House Guest Checklist:

BEDROOM

1. CRISP BED LINENS
You can never go wrong with crisp, white sheets.

2. FRESH FLOWERS
I say every room should have fresh flowers! It brings life and beauty to everything.

3. PERSONALIZED TOUCHES
To make your guests feel at home, think of the little things that make a big difference, like this personalized TV guide. If you know your guests love traveling and history be sure to include picks such as the Travel Channel, National Geographic, and the History Channel to their personalized TV guide. They will notice your hospitality and thoughtfulness!

4. WRITING DESK OR VANITY
Placing a mirror above a writing desk adds versatility, as this desk can now be used as a vanity for the guest while they are getting ready for the day. We love having one furniture piece that can be used in different ways.

5. PRETTY STATIONARY
Note cards and pencils or pens placed on the desk completes the “Boutique Hotel” feel.

BATH

6. FLUFFY TOWELS AND POSH BATH MAT
Who doesn’t love fluffy white towels and a soft, cozy bath mat?! Anything reminiscent of a luxury hotel is key in making your guests feel right at home.

7. MORE FRESH FLOWERS

8. LUXURIOUS TOILETRIES
One of our favorite places to find pretty packaged soaps and lotions is World Market. You can instantly add color and luxury with special soaps like this.

9. COORDINATED COLORS
Touches of the same colors used in the guest room(s) makes the bathroom feel connected to the bedroom – even if it is down the hall.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this checklist and that you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends!

Your personality shines through in the way your home is designed. Elegant, Welcoming, Casual, Fun, Eclectic…all descriptions of who someone is and how their design style can reflect who they are. Just as anyone gets a makeover, a new haircut, or a new wardrobe, our homes get makeovers too. This time I decided it was time for a branding makeover; new logo, new website, and new freshness to the way our design firm’s brand feels.

First we decided on our color palette and we grew the other elements from there, just as we do when we begin a design plan for our clients. We loved the original tones we’ve had for a few years, but we wanted to deepen the orange tones to be more neutral in color. In a sense, we basically changed out the brighter throw pillows for a darker shade of the same color. Little changes can make a big impact.

Once our color palette was selected we went into the design and the feel we wanted our new logo to have. Being inspired by modern living, classic elements, elegance and chic style we wanted something bold and distinctively “us.”

Take a look at the Before & After of our past and now new logo. We love it!

Next was putting the elements of our design plan together on our website. The home page is like your front door. It’s the first impression your guests have of you and your style. We wanted a fresh, clean, and crisp welcome to the guests visiting our website. We kept similar aspects of our former website design but we polished it up and gave it a fresh look.

Take a look at the Before & After.

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after

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Last but not least, business cards. It’s a “hands on” first impression – similar to when guests come visit and you have either thin, lackluster hand towels or fluffy, luxurious towels. You feel the difference. We selected a paper that feels amazing and the logo is custom debossed, similar to luxurious hand towels customized with embroidered lettering. It makes a statement. It matters. We are so happy with the full service new brand design plan that is now complete. We hope you love it as much as we do!

A big thank you to the design team at Emily McCarthy for designing our new logo and website!