This was a great video topic, Nick. I literally lol’d at the comment about ‘I won’t say anything to your face, I’ll just go home and tell it to 200,000 people on RUclips, because I’m a gentleman.’ 🤣
I was at a house party with around 40 guests. the powder room had a large stack of small wash cloths for the guests to dry their hands on. The host provided a large wicker basket for the used clothes to be deposited in. I loved the idea of a clean cloth for each guest, each time they washed. it felt so elegant and SANITARY!
I do this too! I got the idea from travelling in Japan where you bring a facecloth with when you are out and about since public bathrooms won’t always have paper towels to dry with.
I restaurant in my town does that for their public bathroom. Nothing else about the bathroom is really special, but they had some extra space to make room for that one little touch and it made all the difference, to the point where I randomly mention it to people looking for restaurant recommendations.
I have a small hand towel rack stocked with a bunch of vintage hand towels I picked up for next to nothing at estate sales. Many are beautifully embroidered.
Great idea....worst fear of mine handtowels in ....love the indevidual wash cloths. And please clea the bathroom! I chNge my handtowels out all the time and clean the bathroom daily.
I'm going to use that. It is so true. For me I'm not ocd clean, but I really hate going to other people's dirty homes. It makes me super uncomfortable. Doesn't have to be spotless, but should be clean.
Absolutely. A lot of the stuff that this video mentions I don't really notice notice, but the big one for me is a dirty bathroom. When the toilet and sink are caked in wet, sticky dust, and discoloured limescale, I feel instantly uncomfortable.
Adding onto doorknobs: I would make sure to provide adequate privacy to my guests, ie make sure the lock on the bathroom door. Maybe you never lock the door when it's just you in the house but when a guest comes over they will notice if the bathroom door lock doesnt work or the door doesnt close all the way and they will feel anxious the whole time!
Omg yes!! Lol! Esp if the door doesnt lock and they have young kids running around. - My partners parents have a giant cat door (no flap) cut into the bathroom door, and it really stresses me out. Also, my cousin's bathroom has no window coverings, and ive been to a lot of places where they only have sheer curtains on the window next to the toilet. 😳
I know your comment is 2 years old, but now that I've moved, your comment is the reason why hubby and I are TRYING TO REPLACE THE TOILET DOOR!!! It's currently old, rickety, has no lock and has a big gap between door and wall.
My dad helped me renovate my home when I first bought it. Everything was old and outdated, so almost everything had to be replaced. When it came time for the doorknobs, he recommended beautiful brushed nickel handles, and the price tag was WAY more than I anticipated for "just doorknobs". I still went with his suggestion and I totally get it now! It really makes a difference to have quality hardware! Thanks Dad lol
Can you tell us which brand be recommended? There are so many wanna-be quality options disguised behind a heavy price tag.. but like you i would rather not regret my decision after a couple of years :)
@@rachismify I got them at Lowes so they weren't designer or anything like that. I honestly don't remember the brand since it was many years ago, though. I can try and find out!
All of this goes back to an old adage my mother taught me, the closer something is to your skin, the higher quality it should be. Nearly all the things you mentioned were things that were going to be touched.
The thing that impressed me the most at someone else’s house: In the guest bedroom, there was a nicely-laminated channel listing and instructions for how to switch to the Blu-Ray. They have this in hotels all the time, and I’ve only seen it in one person’s home. They have a lot of out of town guests and want to make sure that people were comfortable and not running to them with questions about how to find a channel. The guest bathroom also was stocked with toiletries in case someone forgot something. They even had an unopened box of tampons, just in case. Some people get weird about women’s sanitary products, and the fact that they thought about a woman’s needs and had those ready...I was so impressed by that.
Agree that's how I set up my guest accommodations. I would hate to think anyone has to go out and purchase some forgotten or unexpected item. For one thing they always leave the excess I have no use for including toiletries. 😆 My goal is self-contained with TV, convenient USB receptacles at likely locations, adjustable (full to off) night lights identifying where the light switch is and night time foray's to the bathroom in the dark, an assortment of hooks - where I would be hanging things up for convenience, bath salts (the guest bath has the only tub), hings like proper light bulbs, Kleenex, another roll of TP, individually wrapped feminine hygiene, sewing and glasses repair kits, Tylenol, antacid, Sudafed, the type of sunscreen to use in our restricted tropical waters, drying rack and two luggage racks, lint roller, another set of bed linens, alternate pillows and sleeping covers, reusable shopping bags. Also, as a destination resort with unique places to explore and environment (and accessible only by air) include things like beach bags, a backpack for hiking trails, area and creature and plant ID guides, maps, reading material on a variety of subjects someone might be interested in especially when they didn't know they would be. 😊
I totally agree that taking note of the scent of your home is an important little thing you can do. But just a friendly remind for people considering a diffuser, that if you have pets, lots of essential oils are toxic to pets and should not be diffused in a shared space with them!
Do not put s--t in the air for your guests to be forced to breathe..you wouldn’t allow cigarette smoking…don’t put other noxious chemicals in the air…some of us have very real respiratory diagnoses. I won’t stay in a place that has scented candles, diffusers, potpourri and so forth.
My Mum and I struggle with strong or artificial scents, but my partner is really sensitive to any and all scents. What I do now, and this takes a whole day but is largely passive, is I first use small dishes of white vinegar to absorb any unpleasant orders and air when and to the extent possible (this probably means open everything up on a beautiful summers day, one or two windows for just an hour or so in winter, or maybe nothing when we are living in an apartment over looking a loud and smelly freeway). Then I might light some lightly sentenced candles or dilute some fresh natural smelling essential oils in an oil desfuser for about an hour. I make sure everything is off/out and the scented candles packed away a couple hours before my partner gets home. I also make sure I round up and rinsed out all the white vinegar dishes as my partner hates the smell of vinegar, but it really is the best at getting rid of kitchen odores and doesn't leave a smell behind itself once it is disposed of
One doesn't remember the source, but one of the suggestions was that you spend a couple of nights in your guestroom to give it the tweaks it might need. Things like do you have to twist all different ways to turn off the bedside light? Is there room for a book or a small carafe of water. Is that duvet really as comfortable as you thought it would be? Does that cute little rug by the bed like to slip when you get out of bed? Just move around the room naturally and see what annoys you. The other suggestion was to sit on the guest commode and look everywhere so that you will see what your guests will see. That can be very enlightening! And thank you, Nick Lewis, for the reminder that some people have problems with scents or have food allergies. It is embarrassing to have to leave the gathering because you can't see and your sinuses have decided to join the fun or leaving in an ambulance because the host forgot that there were peanuts in a dish. Love your videos, Nick Lewis!
This is so true. So many times I've been to the toilet in someone's house and the back of the door is dirty. The rest of the room is spotless but they don't look behind the door.
Always! Especially cuz mine doesnt have a lid. And the hand towel will absolutely be a clean one and used hung bath towels will be removed. I ALWAYS wipe down the bathroom and make sure everything to use is fresh
And have towels! And soap! And toilet paper! Preferably leave an extra roll in the bathroom as well! If you are receiving a lot of guests for an extended period (aka party!) those are even more important! I've been to many houses with beautiful and thoughtful furniture and decor and the hosts completely forgot about the bathroom 😢
I like the note at the end about people with allergies! Honestly, it’s really hard to ignore when you get to someone’s home and the smell is literally hurting you
As someone who used to work for a custom home hardware company, most of our clients considered hardware “jewelry for the home” and would spend upwards of $100,000 on hardware from us. Insane.
I like to scent my house with actual food. Open every door and window for an hour to air out the house. Then prepare a strong-smelled appetizer or drink. Time the cooking so that it finishes right when guests arrive and you can offer them a snack. In the cool time of year, there's always something good-smelling to boil or bake. Herbed bread, mulled wine, applesauce, blueberry pie, carrot cake, cookies, tomato sauce, roasted vegetables, or hot cocoa. In summer, wash all your surfaces with lemon juice and serve lemonade.
That’s the way to go, everyone loves the scent of fresh baked bread. I worked in the men’s fragrance department of a big high end department store for years and they would send us to fragrance school every year. And the scent that men love the most is fresh baked bread.
I knew I was living right when my 12-year-old grand-nephew entered my home, looked around, and said, "It smells really good in here!" I use soy-based candles with mild, natural scents, and a particularly nice incense imported from India. I don't scent the house every day, just once in a while, but of course the fragrance lingers in the soft furnishings. The worst thing to do, in my opinion, is over-do chemical perfumes. It can make things unbearable for scent-sensitive guests (there are several of those in my family.)
You are so right! I am that kind of scent sensitive person and it immediately gives me headaches when people have several chemical scented candles or stuff like that around. It’s so hard for me to stay in these kind of homes 🙈
When I renovated my guest bathroom I fell for a faucet that looks like a nautilus. It's a beauty and I still love it--but guests usually wander out to ask me how to turn the water on. So in addition to beauty, I'd recommend ease of use. ;-)
This suggestion is most important in a shower where people will not have their glasses on and there is potential for scalding if the tap gets turned on the wrong way.
These things do make a difference. We bought a house 2 hours away without seeing it in person, just a video walk through. (Long story) As soon as we walked in we noticed the vintage brass doorknobs, nice, thick curtain rods, beautiful faucets, unique high quality towel rods, even the toilet paper holder is really nice! Made me realize what a shit hole I lived in before!
It does! The people who owned my home before I did were very good decorators and a lot of the things Nick says to do or not do they already had covered. My home isn't big, but it feels really nice because of all the little touches.
I really appreciate when people have unscented soap as an option. I'm allergic to perfumes so it's nice to not have to get a migraine while visiting somewhere.
Something I really appreciated in Japan when I went there to visit was that it was considered bad manners to wear perfume in public spaces (especially in the subway), and that everyday products, like soap or laundry detergent, were usually unscented. Not only out of consideration for people with allergies but also because people feel it's unfair to impose scents on others who can't escape from it. I wish this would be normalised around here in the West too. Nothing makes me feel as uncomfortable as visiting a home with strong scents that linger in my clothes and hair even after I've left. Or as annoyed as having to share a communal washing machine right after a neighbour who uses heavily scented washing liquid: the smell lingers in the machine, gets on my clothes and triggers my eczema. I've had to throw out so many clothes and handwash so much because of this, before I was able to get my own washing machine, sigh.
Same with those diffusers.. like just put a pot of water with some vanilla in the oven and you'll get the same effect without all the harsh synthetic fragrances or overwhelming someone's senses. I especially hate it when they have those diffusers/plug ins next to the seating area and/or all over the house. Some people are my job smell like they bathed in those plug ins. I can't imagine that's healthy to breathe in. Even thosr people's dogs smell like plug in rather than a dog..
ALL of this! I really notice scent in peoples' homes since I, too, immediately get a headache. Clean does not have a scent - if you need to perfume everything, it makes me wonder what dirty smell you're trying to hide.
Sometimes it's the smallest touches that make something feel "nicer." Look at switch plates and areas around those and your door and cabinet knobs. They get grimy so easily since they're high contact areas. Get some soapy water and get that gunk off -it'll make you feel so accomplished! As a bonus tip: they sell small boxes of switch plate screws at every big box store and it takes no time to switch them out if the paint is chipped or they've gotten rusty in a high moisture location like a bathroom! I went with bronze screws and white plates in some spaces because I think the contrast looks nice - make sure to choose which way the slot on your screws point intentionally! I prefer straight up and down.
I just did this to my own place! My plates are a bit yellowish, probably a mix of natural colour and age, but when one of them broke recently, it forced to look at what was available in the store and I found switch plates that more closely match the colour of my cream walls. What a difference it makes!
I believe face plates (and other older plastic fixtures) often go yellow because of frequent chemical cleaning (spray and wipe, etc). Use unscented baby wipes instead - they are so damn useful for cleaning almost ANYTHING: skirting boards, door frames and handles, window sills, grime and marks on walls, etc. Use in conjunction with paper towels for drying excess moisture, if necessary. As for face plates that are already yellow and you can’t replace them for whatever reason, use a ‘magic eraser’ sponge/pad. They can work damn well on stuff like that, but bear in mind they are abrasive. So consider whether the outcome is worth some potentially visible scuff marks.
Mirror placement...I don't know if this matters, but as a really short person one thing I really appreciate as a guest is if the mirror behind the washbasin is big/ set low enough that I can actually see my face.
There's a guy from my mom's office that gifted us a set of wooden coasters that were made from discs of a small log. They look great and really interesting when stacked. Fits right in with my mom's rustic style.
I so prefer when he says “I’m judging you for these design mistakes” to when he tries to put it delicately for those of us with poor taste and worse coping skills ✨
I do the bathroom tidy up/fresh towel when I have a guest or two. When I have a bigger group (like 10+) usually at the holidays I put out the decorative paper guest towels in a pretty tray- maybe tacky(?) . Just figure with a lot of guests that a hand towel that starts out clean and dry doesn't remain so.
My aunt does something similar with a basket of washcloths and a “dirty towels” basket under the sink. I like it because they are reusable but every guest gets a fresh towel, but I could imagine if your parties are long or really big that would be less practical
@@Birdfreak2010 when the whole family is at my aunt's house (especially if we stay for the night) she puts a stack of towels on the bathroom shelf and we know that whoever notices the towel is starting to get wet throws it in the basket and puts a fresh one
Omg I loved this video! When I have guests I open the windows all day so the house smells fresh. Plus I change the guest towels every time I visit the powder room, making sure I change the colour 😉. My favourite hack with hand soap is to mix my favourite grapefruit soap with an unscented soap, it dilutes the strong scented soap and I end up with 2 bottles!
I keep a basket of rolled hand towels in my powder room. When we have a lot of guests, it’s really easy to change out the hand towel when it gets damp.
Totally spot on. My entry closet is full normally, but I offload a bunch into the spare room when guests are coming. Yes, friends, the awesomeness of my closet is a sham.
I'm with you on the nicely scented natural bathroom soap. I keep it out all the time... for me to use. Not sure my husband likes the scent as much as I do so the "soft soap" is available too. :-)
I bought a nice diffuser for the bathroom at the beginning of the lockdown here in Sydney (Australia) and I wanted to open it once we would have guests again. But since the lockdown was never ending (the stay at home orders lasted for more than 3 months) at one point I decided to open the diffuser for MYSELF and enjoy my own house. Best decision ever!! If you learn to do these little things for yourself, to take care of your house because you love to live in it and not just to prepare it for guests, you will live in your own “spa” every day of the year! Btw, you’re welcome to come and enjoy a nice wine in our beautiful wine glasses 😉
Yes! Door knobs and hinges are the upgrade I didn’t know I needed. Something felt off at my house and I realized it was because all cabinet knobs, door knobs, and hinges were different. Changing them all to matte black (to match my fixtures) made it feel way more cohesive and intentional!
As a migraine sufferer, thank you for the tips about natural smelling soaps. I hate walking into a restroom and having to use my purell as soap so that my hands don't smell like candy corn all day. Now to figure out how to survive the glade plug ins and melted wax pellets.🤮🤕
I chuckled all the way through this . I agree on all points, though I'd not thought of the doorknobs! Duh! The whole not judging to your face and sharing instead with 2k friends, hilarious. Great points! Love your videos 💜💙💚💛🧡❤
Omg you’re so right! It is the little things. My in laws just visited for the first time in over a year and my mother in law was so impressed by my organization in our 2br apt - the shoe closet, the broom closet, the guest bath, the spice cabinet! she made a trip to the container store and is recognizing her 5br home 😆
Amen on the closet comment! Nothing I hate more than being asked to hang up my coat and having to wrestle with 30 coats on wire hangers packed in like sardines just to squish mine in. Because my front closet is so tiny, when I have a party I take all my own coats off their hangers and throw them on my bed (bedroom door stays closed anyway).
I always take my guests coats and I wouldn’t think of going in anyone else’s closet so this surprised me. I guess it’s just whatever your taught. Enjoy your videos. 👍💕
I like to take the Windex to all shiny surfaces that will catch a glint of sparkle. It's not much but it adds up in the big picture. Pictures, ceramics, mirrors. glass shelves, lamps, vases...shine, shine, shine.
@@tinamcnalley2575😄 But I’ve never heard of it like that in real life. I prefer Invisible Glass: no ammonia, just fresh alcohol. Everything else in the movie though, definitely familiar. My church isn’t Greek but it’s Macedonian, borderline Greek 😁, the mom and dad would still fit in perfectly there. It was built on alcohol funds. Prohibition was a blessing in disguise. Maybe I should try cleaning my windows with rakija, the local version of vodka.
I'm glad you mentioned scent. It's even more critical with very small spaces (if you live in a studio you don't want to have your bed smell like the kitchen) Before essential oils, investing in a sleek and efficient air purifier is a must.
On the topic of soaps/scents: being someone who is allergic to most scents, I really appreciate it when there is an unscented/lightly scented soap and you have gone easy on all the diffusers/candles
The first thing I’ve always made a priority every time I’ve moved is whatever I walk into when I walk into my home. An entryway, a room - the first thing people see is my first decor focus.
Really useful video. I'm going to watch it through again and take notes ! One thing I would add is to consider things that are going to puzzle/confuse/worry your guests - like in the bathroom, pumps of soap and lotion side by side with nothing to tell you which is which. Light switches in odd places. Make sure there's enough loo paper without a guest having to search for a new roll themselves.
I love everything you said, but one thing I would have to say is that as a guest in someone’s home, I really really do not like going to somebody’s house and it is scented! It takes away from everything else especially if there’s food involved. Just enjoy the smell of the food and the wine. More importantly I and many others are allergic to so many different scents. I can’t even walk down the aisle in the grocery store with all the laundry soaps and fabric softeners because it literally hurts my head and sinuses. Some argue that the scent they’re using is natural. That doesn’t mean it’s still not bothersome or somebody’s not allergic to it.
Things that I care about when I visit someone: - overall tidiness - overall cleanliness - clean dishes and cutlery - clean bathroom, fresh handtowel - comfortable place to sit - good temperature - smell Things that I don't care about: all the rest
I H - Thanks for your list. I find it hard to objectively assess my living or garden space because it’s something that has evolved over time. It takes a quick list like yours and the RUclipsr to help me see where I can improve.
YES! It's useful to think about it as a guest as well. If I go to someone's house what would I like to see? Clean bathroom is number 1 A place to sit number 2 (I don't want to be moving around your stuff to be able to sit) A smile and a plate of pasta and you are the best host ever 😀
For the soap one, I personally appreciate when I can determine that I'm not allergic to it. Blue dye allergy for anything that cleans is so hard, and being able to pick up and look at the ingredient list is a life saver, especially if it doesn't have dyes at all. :) I also have a hard time with strong smells so I also appreciate when someone's space is toned down in their communal areas,
I actually appreciate that there are small things that can be easily updated. Like there's no need to replace the whole dining table but maybe replace the utensils from dollar tree I bought back in college 😬
Literally. Every single detail you outlined is my life...and I'm an extroverted introvert who rarely has people over. But even for workmen or the EXTERMINATOR, I'll do every bathroom thing (thinking they may have to use it). I guess I'm a dinner party hostess in my mind. (Note, I stopped a contractor who was fixing an antique brass doorknob from switching it out for a piece of garbage and forced him to repair it. He was so confused lol)
I totally agree about bathroom hand towel etiquette. Personally, I love having a small, simple basket, tray or container filled with small white wash cloths (the small white square type) all rolled or folded nicely in container and guests can use it to dry their hands and then place it in an inconspicuous small, metal looking like garbage pail but smaller so it’s obvious what to use it for, or a small basket nearby for used hand towels of this sort can be tossed into. Makes a huge difference for a guest bathroom experience.
Thank you! You were reading my mind! My friends still remember 25 people sit down dinner with complete place settings, tablecloths and fabric napkins. You are welcome to come over for dinner, drink or a cup of coffee anytime! If I know I’ll have people over, I usually have disposable linen paper hand towels in a pretty holder in the powder room.
Excellent breakdown! All of the things I touch I judge (for hygiene reasons in this day and age) and I'm with you on the wet gross hand towels in the bathroom 😝
definitely with you on the hygiene points. Other things I simply consider where the person might be on a financial scale, or a priority scale, and NO Big Deal.
My place used to be a rental and switching out the cheap rubber bath/sink plugs for chrome has made the biggest difference - it didn't occur to me to do it until I'd already been living here for two year but genuinely transformative and wish I'd done it way sooner!
Hello Nick! I have just bought my first ever flat and this video is basically like a checklist for me! I am sure I have thought about each of those items at some point - but obviously - haven't noted anything down - so having them all collected in one place is just an excess of convenience! Thanks again for the videos you are creating and please - take our warm greetings from Poland :)
Never mind the guests, these are all things I personally care about in my home! They're little things, yes, but all together, they make me happy about my living spaces. Love this video! ❤
Those are the things I also check before having guests! Others that for me are really important is a pretty and clean door rug, plants in the house entrance, and buying fresh flowers.
Fresh flowers here, unless it is the time of year when I have my own growing outside, takes an hour drive one way to purchase them. So... no. I do have plants growing inside, but the house entrance faces north. I like having a couple or so plants in the interior.
And so true about the coat/ front entrance closet! I once was dog sitting for my friend and I decided to sweep the main living spaces and back patio because I love sweeping 🧹lol. When I was passing the closet I decided to open it just to sweep a little inside but as soon as I did I noticed allll the dust. I couldn’t help but take everything on the floor out to sweep it the right way, there was so much dust and pet hair which is understandable but it looked soo much better after and it was very satisfying to clean! Win-Win!
Hi Nick. You're so right about all these "little" details, and not just for guests. In regards to the bathroom hand towel, I prefer to set out disposable ones and just have a decorative set hanging on the rack. Especially after Covid-19.
I like that you are encouraging the natural soaps/and essential oils instead of the Bath and Body works / Plug In types of products. Also keep in mind the people coming and what scents they may like. Even the essential oils can get stinky if you're not a fan of certain scents. I've often avoided peoples home that have all of the synthetic smells because they give me a raging headache and sometimes worse. Totally agree on everything. Only thing I don't care for were the entry way organizers. I would rather have the clutter behind closed doors whether that is an entry closet or a great armoire. I also think everyone should clean the bathroom for guests. Fresh towels, nice soap, cleaned from top to bottom and good toilet paper. :)
OMG the hand towel in the powder room - YES! I see this all the time and it GROSSES me out... I feel like I have to dry my freshly cleaned hands on something icky. I'd rather dry my hands on my own clothes.
Ha-ha! A relationship ended before it started when the gentleman in question invited me over for dinner and the only towel in his bathroom was so stiff with god-knows-what that you could stand it up leaning against a wall. Of course everything else was dirty, too, but that towel was awful. Shudder.
I will have a small paper towel box for guests to use in my powder bathroom. I will have the towel for decoration only.. yep. Towels are gross for guests…
When we bought our house 6 yrs ago, the previous owners had done some really quality nice upgrades, EXCEPT, she really liked beige and gold. Every wall is beige and EVERY doorknob, drawer pull, cabinet knob, door handles, outlet cover , kick plate, light switch cover, fire place surround, ceiling fan parts, like every piece of metal just about is bright shiny blinding gold. It’s so much that we’ve been just buying a little at the time to replace or paint ALL that gold. I couldn’t believe she upgraded to that, we found out one ceiling fan was 600.00 and is wonderful, so I’ll fix those bright gold parts, but my husband and I loved the house itself and those things are easily changeable. Great video!
Am I the only one watching this and thinking: “more like nice things for myself that I can justify purchasing because they’re nominally for guests” 😏 ??
Haha… I feel like a natural interior designer! I’m in the process of refreshing the house and painted the doors, changed the door knobs and light switches to match, my package of bathroom bits arrived today so it’s all matching, glad to have seen this and know I’m on the right path, great video ❤
You forgot: FRESH AIR!! If you're gonna serve your guests a meal, make sure to have let some fresh air into the room before seating! My Virgo placements are really digging the towel and soap advice 😍 May everyone follow them! ❤️ But don't worry, if the towel is wet and dirty I will ask you directly for a clean one, as I won't touch it. Nor will I judge you ...for very long.
You are too honestly and too real ! We spent money after redoing the doors in the hallway right through the bedrooms on new handles and hinges all matching. Big difference. You are so right on. Thank you.
When I visit friends, or invite them over, it’s for the pleasure of their company. I couldn’t give a damn what other people’s coasters are like, or how they decorate their homes.
Another soap angle to considered for guests- My severe allergies can handle the essential oil scents in soaps but, if I use the artificial scents, I often have reactions. I know a lot of other people who are that way too. So, better to use a product that is more natural for soaps for guests. As for scents, there are some homes I won't visit again because the heavy artificial scents will set of my asthma and may lead to a hospital visit.
That first minute did make me laugh out loud. More, more, more please! My partner's parents came to our house for Sunday lunch for the first time ever in ten years yesterday. I checked off your list just there and feel quite smug now. We are eclectic/shabby but the table was immaculately set with new linen, slate coasters, white bone china, vintage Dansk flatware and accessories. They loved it! One thing I always notice in other peoples houses is how clean the 'hand touch areas' are such as light switches, light pulls, door handles and banisters (also remote controls and handsets). We have original 1930s brass door furniture which is quite beaten up and patinated but still working beautifully, and I love them. They were all cleaned on Saturday in advance of the visit, along with all of the hand touch areas. I disagree with you and with Ikea about pedestal mats. In Ikea, when I asked, 'Why no pedestal mats?', they told me that they, 'were finished with all that!', but sadly my family and friends have not finished with leaving the odd drip on the bathroom floor, which I would rather have immediately and safely absorbed by a mat that I can whizz into the washing machine that evening, than end up on the sole of the next toilet visitor's foot and then walked down the hallway. There you have it!
Beyond aesthetics, getting a more natural soap for guests is considerate of sensitive skin. Those Bath and Body works soaps have something in them that wrecks my hands.
Probably sulfates. One of my babies was in the NICU for a week (born with a blood infection, needed antibiotics-she was so active she kept knocking out her IV, even though it was splinted, so they had to stick it in the top of her head 😬, and she’s still a whirlwind at age 8 😆), and all visitors had to scrub hands with antibacterial soap for 2 minutes, and I had to go in to nurse her every 4 hrs day and night. (Also was recovering from emergency c-section + surgery for extensive adhesions. 😩) But I had a bad reaction to the soap, and the skin on the backs of my hands was cracked and inflamed. Dr brushed it off, just gave me a tube of Aquaphor, which of course did next to nothing. 🙄 Anyway, ever since then, my skin is sensitive to soaps with sulfates in them. Dove is OK, and so is the knockoff Dove from my local dollar store, but the scent is not ideal. Haven’t gotten around to buying fancy soaps lately.
As far as putting on a nice place setting at your table, you don't have to go broke doing this. All 12 of my white china plates and white coffee mugs came from a thrift store. All my soup bowls came from the same store, they all match, burnt orange. Smaller bowls, same thing, same store, 10 of them, burnt yellow, all match. All the serving bowls, platters, etc all came from that same thrift store and have similar 70's hues that match. All my glassware and flatware came from a restaurant supply store, yes its used but it all matches and looks like new. Replaced a bunch of cookware as well with nicer stuff that works on my new induction stove. I really cleaned house during the pandemic with all the restaurants that went out of business, that store was practically giving REALLY NICE stuff away. I haven't used a paper plate, plastic fork, or red solo cup in my house in 15 years, felt like I was trashing the environment.
OMG the hand towels!! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to someone’s house and they don’t even HAVE a towel in the bathroom to dry my hands with.
And those quality wooden clothes hangers support your guest's clothes properly. There's nothing like placing a heavy winter coat on a plastic hanger and it goes plop on the floor. We're in the process of furnishing a new guest room, and I keep telling my mom it needs this or that for the guests. USB charger, decent lighting, full-length mirror, maybe a decent candle.
I have NEVER, not once in my 36 years on this earth, hung my coat in the coat closet at someone else’s house nor has anyone done it at my house. Am I alone in this???
Come to think of it, I haven't either. Visitor coats usually go on wall hooks, coathangers or chairs don't they (sometimes on a bed when there's a party but that's not so great). I'd feel awkward opening a closed door at someone else's place unless it's clearly the bathroom. But even then I ask first, just to make sure haha.
not in my 61 years either I always take the coat and hang it up or if no room in closet the bed. and I always have space in dressers and closet for guests.
No, you are not alone. My foyer closet is tiny. If I were having people over during coat weather I would put their coats either in the guest room closet,or simply lay them on the bed in the guest room.
First projects I am doing in my home I just bought is overhead lighting fixtures, doorknobs, and electrical switches/outlets. Not a ton of money, but I can already tell a difference when I'm interacting with the ones I've changed out vs the ones I'm getting to later.
Feeling hopeful: Got most of the list done, except the bathroom situation - we’re in a post-move remodelling so I’m holding off the finalising touches until that’s done. Fresh soap & clean towels, even If it’s not fancy. I will say this about scent (I suffer from an excellent sense of smell): Please do not add scent (spray, candles, diffusers etc) to cover a bad smell. Some of us catches both smells, and it has the feeling of using lots of cologne to replace a real shower. 🤢
I am one of those that pick up both easily too, it amazes me that people think "good smells" cover up "bad smells", they are all smells still and can be way too intrusive if you add a lot to try to cover something up. Floral scent does not balance or cancel out sweat or bathroom stench the way salt or bitter tastes can be balanced with sugar it just makes for a really freaky bouquet instead.
Agree x1000000! I used to know someone who hated changing her poor cats' litterbox and when they got so stinky they were antisocial she'd just spray a hose worth of febreeze around her place. It got so bad one time another friend and I forced her to hand over a couple Glad bags and we changed the litter ourselves. I guess she must have been embarrassed as she kept the boxes way better after that.
Those heavy peace’s are so nice. When I was in a hotel in Uganda, all the handles and locks (external especially) where old fashioned, solid and made the most wonderful thick clicking sound. Obsessed.
These items will be on my to do list. In my new home. BTW thank you for pointing out the use of "natural" scents. A lot of the brands out there are not only toxic but can cause allergies and asthma and even are not safe for people with chemical sensitivities. So if you use essential oils, just remember that they should be quality oils and the cheaper they are the more toxic they can be.
I make sure and have some beautiful background music going, smooth jazz, piano, whatever. Every gathering needs a soundtrack. Nothing blasting, just in the background.
So, any suggestions for those of us without a foyer/entryway? My house is from 1860 and has no real foyer. You just walk into the house! No closet, no where to put anything. We put up hooks and put out baskets for mittens and hats, but the kids have beaten me down and we have a huge pile o’shoes and boots lol. But, really, not having any mudroom or foyer is a huge challenge
@@kelleymcmorris7430 oh yes, of course, and that’s exactly what we did - it’s still a disaster lol. But I’m more curious about how a designer would approach the whole “no foyer” type house. This was a video about welcoming guests (remember when we did that) and he discussed the foyer/mudroom/etc and how to make it welcoming. But what if that space isn’t delineated or defined? What if guests just walk into your dining room or living room bc that’s where the door is? I know I’m not the only one
I would suggest a large armoire that can divide the space up and give you a big closet like space and get a multifunctional hall tree that has hooks for hats and scarves and a coral tray thing for umbrellas.. those would be pretty period accurate for that type of house. Just make sure the armoire has a nice backing to it.
@@1redsquirrel Every person gets one pair that lives at the front door. Rest need to live in their personal closets or another closet/basement space. (source: I grew up with a family of 4 who shared a small home with one bathroom). Enforce this before guests come over. My family also does the all the winter coats on someone's bed before an event to make room for guests' coats :).
1. I just spent ~$40 and broke three screwdrivers replacing the mismatched door hinges in my apartment. I had 3 colors: satin nickel, brass, and Landlord Special Paint. Now they’re all nickel and match the doorknobs which I love! 2. I am pretty sensitive to what dishes I use, I have a nice set of Norfolk Southern gray dinner plates + side plates, but I cheaped out on the cups and got a set of translucent gray plastic ones from Target. I figure that I’m far more likely to drop a glass than a plate! 3. I will invest in some nice wooden coat hangars for my hall closet, and maybe repurpose a shelf I have to store shoes off of the carpet in there. 4. The local Dollar store by my apartment has some $5 items, so I got a couple pairs of hand towels (also gray to compliment the shower curtain!) so I can easily swap to a fresh one! 5. Skipping down to his point about soap, I’ve gotten compliments through the bathroom door on my choice of the fancier “sustainable” pump soap from Target, Seventh Generation or something like that! It has a very citrusy scent. 6. I am very particular about scents, I have a Glade gel thing in the closet that is linen scented, another in the bathroom that is lemon scented, and I switch between a sandalwood + smoke candle and a ginger + vanilla one for the rest of the small apartment.
Regarding scents, some people, like myself, are sensitive to scents. I’ve gotten migraine headaches from some scents that people either wear on their person or infuse into the room.
Some terrific suggestions and observations, Nick, and such an organized presentation!. In fact, I'd already decided to buy several hand towels for each guest-shared bathroom, and this settles it. Not quite as sold on plug-in diffusers, as I'm not yet 100% sure of their safety regarding air quality (animals, children, elderly).. Only quibble: these are excellent and pleasurable things to BUY, but I wouldn't call them "investments," as so many do, at least not in the traditional sense. (They won't appreciate in value, and you probably can't re-sell them at a profit.) Thanks for such a fun and helpful start to a Saturday!
Some could be considered like an investment, good quality door nobs and silverware will last way longer, but fancy soap and fancy candles are more of a luxury
I live in a very tiny rented apartment, the door knobs are old, the walls are no longer straight, the landlord’s done the painting himself and spilled some places, BUT if I have guests over, the hand towels are always clean 😊
![Twenty One Pilots - “The Line” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E2Rj2gQAyPA/mqdefault.jpg)
So who is ready to have me over for a glass of wine? 😂🥂
Come judge my shabby chic Nick💗
😳 🍷😬😅
Let me work on the bathroom first 😂
Anytime!
I would love to have you over but I need a serious home makeover first lol. Thank you for pointing out the things that I never really think about. 💜
Thank you Nick, for always helping me tell my husband that he’s wrong in the nicest way possible.
You're welcome.
Not me sending all of Nicks videos to my boyfriend to prove a point👀
Worddddddd
Hahahahaha!!!!
I'm logging into my other account to like this twice, LMAO
This was a great video topic, Nick. I literally lol’d at the comment about ‘I won’t say anything to your face, I’ll just go home and tell it to 200,000 people on RUclips, because I’m a gentleman.’ 🤣
I died of laughter when he said that! LMAO
Exactly! We talk behind your back because... manners. 🤣
😂😂😂
@@carolboniuk1639 That's sooo true. That's exactly what he is! 🤣
Me too! That comment made me laugh out loud!😂
I was at a house party with around 40 guests. the powder room had a large stack of small wash cloths for the guests to dry their hands on. The host provided a large wicker basket for the used clothes to be deposited in. I loved the idea of a clean cloth for each guest, each time they washed. it felt so elegant and SANITARY!
I do this too! I got the idea from travelling in Japan where you bring a facecloth with when you are out and about since public bathrooms won’t always have paper towels to dry with.
I restaurant in my town does that for their public bathroom. Nothing else about the bathroom is really special, but they had some extra space to make room for that one little touch and it made all the difference, to the point where I randomly mention it to people looking for restaurant recommendations.
I have a small hand towel rack stocked with a bunch of vintage hand towels I picked up for next to nothing at estate sales. Many are beautifully embroidered.
Love Mrs. Meyers hand soap.
Great idea....worst fear of mine handtowels in ....love the indevidual wash cloths. And please clea the bathroom! I chNge my handtowels out all the time and clean the bathroom daily.
One thing I've taught my kids is, guest won't necessarily notice when your place is clean. But they absolutely will notice when it's dirty.
I'm going to use that. It is so true. For me I'm not ocd clean, but I really hate going to other people's dirty homes. It makes me super uncomfortable. Doesn't have to be spotless, but should be clean.
My grandmother had a magnet on the fridge growing up that said "housekeeping is something no one notices (unless you don't do it)". Very accurate
Absolutely. A lot of the stuff that this video mentions I don't really notice notice, but the big one for me is a dirty bathroom. When the toilet and sink are caked in wet, sticky dust, and discoloured limescale, I feel instantly uncomfortable.
Adding onto doorknobs: I would make sure to provide adequate privacy to my guests, ie make sure the lock on the bathroom door. Maybe you never lock the door when it's just you in the house but when a guest comes over they will notice if the bathroom door lock doesnt work or the door doesnt close all the way and they will feel anxious the whole time!
Omg yes!! Lol! Esp if the door doesnt lock and they have young kids running around. - My partners parents have a giant cat door (no flap) cut into the bathroom door, and it really stresses me out. Also, my cousin's bathroom has no window coverings, and ive been to a lot of places where they only have sheer curtains on the window next to the toilet. 😳
I know your comment is 2 years old, but now that I've moved, your comment is the reason why hubby and I are TRYING TO REPLACE THE TOILET DOOR!!! It's currently old, rickety, has no lock and has a big gap between door and wall.
My dad helped me renovate my home when I first bought it. Everything was old and outdated, so almost everything had to be replaced. When it came time for the doorknobs, he recommended beautiful brushed nickel handles, and the price tag was WAY more than I anticipated for "just doorknobs". I still went with his suggestion and I totally get it now! It really makes a difference to have quality hardware! Thanks Dad lol
Do they need to match all the hardware in the house?
@@miasenna4107 you don't need to, but I chose to do brushed nickel throughout my house. I think it looks really nice!
Can you tell us which brand be recommended? There are so many wanna-be quality options disguised behind a heavy price tag.. but like you i would rather not regret my decision after a couple of years :)
@@rachismify I got them at Lowes so they weren't designer or anything like that. I honestly don't remember the brand since it was many years ago, though. I can try and find out!
Father Knows Best
All of this goes back to an old adage my mother taught me, the closer something is to your skin, the higher quality it should be. Nearly all the things you mentioned were things that were going to be touched.
The thing that impressed me the most at someone else’s house:
In the guest bedroom, there was a nicely-laminated channel listing and instructions for how to switch to the Blu-Ray. They have this in hotels all the time, and I’ve only seen it in one person’s home. They have a lot of out of town guests and want to make sure that people were comfortable and not running to them with questions about how to find a channel. The guest bathroom also was stocked with toiletries in case someone forgot something. They even had an unopened box of tampons, just in case. Some people get weird about women’s sanitary products, and the fact that they thought about a woman’s needs and had those ready...I was so impressed by that.
I put my wireless password in my guest bedroom. You know they’re gonna need it.
Agree that's how I set up my guest accommodations. I would hate to think anyone has to go out and purchase some forgotten or unexpected item. For one thing they always leave the excess I have no use for including toiletries. 😆
My goal is self-contained with TV, convenient USB receptacles at likely locations, adjustable (full to off) night lights identifying where the light switch is and night time foray's to the bathroom in the dark, an assortment of hooks - where I would be hanging things up for convenience, bath salts (the guest bath has the only tub),
hings like proper light bulbs, Kleenex, another roll of TP, individually wrapped feminine hygiene, sewing and glasses repair kits, Tylenol, antacid, Sudafed, the type of sunscreen to use in our restricted tropical waters, drying rack and two luggage racks, lint roller, another set of bed linens, alternate pillows and sleeping covers, reusable shopping bags.
Also, as a destination resort with unique places to explore and environment (and accessible only by air) include things like beach bags, a backpack for hiking trails, area and creature and plant ID guides, maps, reading material on a variety of subjects someone might be interested in especially when they didn't know they would be. 😊
@@theredrover3217 May i come visit?!?😊
I totally agree that taking note of the scent of your home is an important little thing you can do. But just a friendly remind for people considering a diffuser, that if you have pets, lots of essential oils are toxic to pets and should not be diffused in a shared space with them!
And consider people may have allergies as well. Maybe there should be a list of allergy friendly and pet friendly scent alternatives
Do not put s--t in the air for your guests to be forced to breathe..you wouldn’t allow cigarette smoking…don’t put other noxious chemicals in the air…some of us have very real respiratory diagnoses. I won’t stay in a place that has scented candles, diffusers, potpourri and so forth.
Of course, watch out for those toxins, our fur & feathered babies need to be safe.
My Mum and I struggle with strong or artificial scents, but my partner is really sensitive to any and all scents. What I do now, and this takes a whole day but is largely passive, is I first use small dishes of white vinegar to absorb any unpleasant orders and air when and to the extent possible (this probably means open everything up on a beautiful summers day, one or two windows for just an hour or so in winter, or maybe nothing when we are living in an apartment over looking a loud and smelly freeway). Then I might light some lightly sentenced candles or dilute some fresh natural smelling essential oils in an oil desfuser for about an hour. I make sure everything is off/out and the scented candles packed away a couple hours before my partner gets home. I also make sure I round up and rinsed out all the white vinegar dishes as my partner hates the smell of vinegar, but it really is the best at getting rid of kitchen odores and doesn't leave a smell behind itself once it is disposed of
One doesn't remember the source, but one of the suggestions was that you spend a couple of nights in your guestroom to give it the tweaks it might need. Things like do you have to twist all different ways to turn off the bedside light? Is there room for a book or a small carafe of water. Is that duvet really as comfortable as you thought it would be? Does that cute little rug by the bed like to slip when you get out of bed? Just move around the room naturally and see what annoys you.
The other suggestion was to sit on the guest commode and look everywhere so that you will see what your guests will see. That can be very enlightening!
And thank you, Nick Lewis, for the reminder that some people have problems with scents or have food allergies. It is embarrassing to have to leave the gathering because you can't see and your sinuses have decided to join the fun or leaving in an ambulance because the host forgot that there were peanuts in a dish.
Love your videos, Nick Lewis!
This is so true. So many times I've been to the toilet in someone's house and the back of the door is dirty. The rest of the room is spotless but they don't look behind the door.
There's no "guest commode" at my house. I clean the only bathroom I have to offer before anyone arrives at my house. I wish I had two bathrooms.
RE: bathroom, empty the trash before guests arrive.
OMG, YES!
Especially if you have ladies in the house putting their hygiene items in there!!
LOL
Always! Especially cuz mine doesnt have a lid. And the hand towel will absolutely be a clean one and used hung bath towels will be removed. I ALWAYS wipe down the bathroom and make sure everything to use is fresh
And have towels! And soap! And toilet paper! Preferably leave an extra roll in the bathroom as well! If you are receiving a lot of guests for an extended period (aka party!) those are even more important! I've been to many houses with beautiful and thoughtful furniture and decor and the hosts completely forgot about the bathroom 😢
I like the note at the end about people with allergies! Honestly, it’s really hard to ignore when you get to someone’s home and the smell is literally hurting you
Garrett LeChic calls doorknobs and fixtures “jewelry for the home”, which is a nice way to merge form and function.
I love ceramics knobs for drawers and cabinets on etsy
He's funny! He is using his professional designer's rules also to dress up! 👌🏼
As someone who used to work for a custom home hardware company, most of our clients considered hardware “jewelry for the home” and would spend upwards of $100,000 on hardware from us. Insane.
Me too, that's what I call them, jewelry for your home. Great minds right?
I like to scent my house with actual food. Open every door and window for an hour to air out the house. Then prepare a strong-smelled appetizer or drink. Time the cooking so that it finishes right when guests arrive and you can offer them a snack. In the cool time of year, there's always something good-smelling to boil or bake. Herbed bread, mulled wine, applesauce, blueberry pie, carrot cake, cookies, tomato sauce, roasted vegetables, or hot cocoa. In summer, wash all your surfaces with lemon juice and serve lemonade.
That’s the way to go, everyone loves the scent of fresh baked bread. I worked in the men’s fragrance department of a big high end department store for years and they would send us to fragrance school every year. And the scent that men love the most is fresh baked bread.
Hi, I wanna come over, when's dinner? Can I bring something? 🤣
Put a halved lemon in a pot of water on your stove and simmer. Your whole house will smell fantastic.
But only if you are sharing that actual food with your guests! It would be awful to have the house smell like something delicious that you can't have.
Natural baked goods smell is fine. But candles that smell like baked goods is like torture for me. Especially if you don't have any to offer.
I knew I was living right when my 12-year-old grand-nephew entered my home, looked around, and said, "It smells really good in here!" I use soy-based candles with mild, natural scents, and a particularly nice incense imported from India. I don't scent the house every day, just once in a while, but of course the fragrance lingers in the soft furnishings. The worst thing to do, in my opinion, is over-do chemical perfumes. It can make things unbearable for scent-sensitive guests (there are several of those in my family.)
You are so right! I am that kind of scent sensitive person and it immediately gives me headaches when people have several chemical scented candles or stuff like that around. It’s so hard for me to stay in these kind of homes 🙈
Me too! Big headache! Uggg!
do you have any recommendations for candles?
@@gravities I try to use unscented candles. Beeswax are the best. For fragrance, I diffuse all natural essential oils. No headaches.
Yes agreed! That is why I added my little note because I know some people are sensitive! I always take a less is more approach with scent.
When I renovated my guest bathroom I fell for a faucet that looks like a nautilus. It's a beauty and I still love it--but guests usually wander out to ask me how to turn the water on. So in addition to beauty, I'd recommend ease of use. ;-)
you need a cute sign to explain.
This suggestion is most important in a shower where people will not have their glasses on and there is potential for scalding if the tap gets turned on the wrong way.
These things do make a difference. We bought a house 2 hours away without seeing it in person, just a video walk through. (Long story) As soon as we walked in we noticed the vintage brass doorknobs, nice, thick curtain rods, beautiful faucets, unique high quality towel rods, even the toilet paper holder is really nice! Made me realize what a shit hole I lived in before!
It does! The people who owned my home before I did were very good decorators and a lot of the things Nick says to do or not do they already had covered. My home isn't big, but it feels really nice because of all the little touches.
@@aina3387 I feel the same way. It's not a huge house but feels luxurious to me.
I really appreciate when people have unscented soap as an option. I'm allergic to perfumes so it's nice to not have to get a migraine while visiting somewhere.
YES. this is a golden advice. Im also scent sensitive and i cant bare having to wash my hands with heavily scented soap
Something I really appreciated in Japan when I went there to visit was that it was considered bad manners to wear perfume in public spaces (especially in the subway), and that everyday products, like soap or laundry detergent, were usually unscented. Not only out of consideration for people with allergies but also because people feel it's unfair to impose scents on others who can't escape from it. I wish this would be normalised around here in the West too. Nothing makes me feel as uncomfortable as visiting a home with strong scents that linger in my clothes and hair even after I've left. Or as annoyed as having to share a communal washing machine right after a neighbour who uses heavily scented washing liquid: the smell lingers in the machine, gets on my clothes and triggers my eczema. I've had to throw out so many clothes and handwash so much because of this, before I was able to get my own washing machine, sigh.
Same with those diffusers.. like just put a pot of water with some vanilla in the oven and you'll get the same effect without all the harsh synthetic fragrances or overwhelming someone's senses. I especially hate it when they have those diffusers/plug ins next to the seating area and/or all over the house. Some people are my job smell like they bathed in those plug ins. I can't imagine that's healthy to breathe in. Even thosr people's dogs smell like plug in rather than a dog..
ALL of this! I really notice scent in peoples' homes since I, too, immediately get a headache. Clean does not have a scent - if you need to perfume everything, it makes me wonder what dirty smell you're trying to hide.
@@xxgoodnevil17xx Plugins are absolutely the worst! They smell nasty, make me sneeze, and also give me a headache. Urgh!
Sometimes it's the smallest touches that make something feel "nicer." Look at switch plates and areas around those and your door and cabinet knobs. They get grimy so easily since they're high contact areas. Get some soapy water and get that gunk off -it'll make you feel so accomplished! As a bonus tip: they sell small boxes of switch plate screws at every big box store and it takes no time to switch them out if the paint is chipped or they've gotten rusty in a high moisture location like a bathroom! I went with bronze screws and white plates in some spaces because I think the contrast looks nice - make sure to choose which way the slot on your screws point intentionally! I prefer straight up and down.
Another tip: just dust and paint over the baseboards. Lol. Keep a small can of the baseboard paint, and touch them up every once in a while!
I just did this to my own place! My plates are a bit yellowish, probably a mix of natural colour and age, but when one of them broke recently, it forced to look at what was available in the store and I found switch plates that more closely match the colour of my cream walls. What a difference it makes!
@@meh5069 rails too !
The slot on the screws pointing the same way (either fully horizontal or vertical only)... You melted my OCD heart. ❤️
I believe face plates (and other older plastic fixtures) often go yellow because of frequent chemical cleaning (spray and wipe, etc). Use unscented baby wipes instead - they are so damn useful for cleaning almost ANYTHING: skirting boards, door frames and handles, window sills, grime and marks on walls, etc. Use in conjunction with paper towels for drying excess moisture, if necessary.
As for face plates that are already yellow and you can’t replace them for whatever reason, use a ‘magic eraser’ sponge/pad. They can work damn well on stuff like that, but bear in mind they are abrasive. So consider whether the outcome is worth some potentially visible scuff marks.
Mirror placement...I don't know if this matters, but as a really short person one thing I really appreciate as a guest is if the mirror behind the washbasin is big/ set low enough that I can actually see my face.
There's a guy from my mom's office that gifted us a set of wooden coasters that were made from discs of a small log. They look great and really interesting when stacked. Fits right in with my mom's rustic style.
He secretly likes her lol
@@jessicagameros5321 yes lol
@@jessicagameros5321 😂😂 oh I doubt it, he's happily married. Just really handy and really friendly
Beautiful! Yes they are such a fun accessory!
@@bandilenzimande5253 he made them himself? That's amazing
2:38
Chipped edges on glasses are DANGEROUS, Nick!!
"That's on you. It's fine... it's not, but." - Was thinking the EXACT same thing. Wash your towels people! Haha!
I so prefer when he says “I’m judging you for these design mistakes” to when he tries to put it delicately for those of us with poor taste and worse coping skills ✨
I do the bathroom tidy up/fresh towel when I have a guest or two. When I have a bigger group (like 10+) usually at the holidays I put out the decorative paper guest towels in a pretty tray- maybe tacky(?) . Just figure with a lot of guests that a hand towel that starts out clean and dry doesn't remain so.
Not tacky at all. It's treating your guests with consideration. I think thats a great idea!
Agreed! I think any gesture that shows that you care about their experience coming into your home makes a difference.
My aunt does something similar with a basket of washcloths and a “dirty towels” basket under the sink. I like it because they are reusable but every guest gets a fresh towel, but I could imagine if your parties are long or really big that would be less practical
That's a good idea, when you have a lot of guests you would need to change the towel every hour
@@Birdfreak2010 when the whole family is at my aunt's house (especially if we stay for the night) she puts a stack of towels on the bathroom shelf and we know that whoever notices the towel is starting to get wet throws it in the basket and puts a fresh one
“Consider the guest experience.” Eloquently put. You nailed it, Nick!
I literally cannot stop shaking from laughing at that "like a gentleman" line🤣🤣🤣
Omg I loved this video! When I have guests I open the windows all day so the house smells fresh. Plus I change the guest towels every time I visit the powder room, making sure I change the colour 😉. My favourite hack with hand soap is to mix my favourite grapefruit soap with an unscented soap, it dilutes the strong scented soap and I end up with 2 bottles!
I keep a basket of rolled hand towels in my powder room. When we have a lot of guests, it’s really easy to change out the hand towel when it gets damp.
Totally spot on. My entry closet is full normally, but I offload a bunch into the spare room when guests are coming. Yes, friends, the awesomeness of my closet is a sham.
Funny!!!
That made me laugh
Just be for guests? Hell no. Those things I do for me. 😁 And my guests get to share in that.
I mean, yes of course you are so worth all of these!
I do it for me then lock the door!
I'm with you on the nicely scented natural bathroom soap. I keep it out all the time... for me to use. Not sure my husband likes the scent as much as I do so the "soft soap" is available too. :-)
I bought a nice diffuser for the bathroom at the beginning of the lockdown here in Sydney (Australia) and I wanted to open it once we would have guests again.
But since the lockdown was never ending (the stay at home orders lasted for more than 3 months) at one point I decided to open the diffuser for MYSELF and enjoy my own house.
Best decision ever!!
If you learn to do these little things for yourself, to take care of your house because you love to live in it and not just to prepare it for guests, you will live in your own “spa” every day of the year!
Btw, you’re welcome to come and enjoy a nice wine in our beautiful wine glasses 😉
Yes! Door knobs and hinges are the upgrade I didn’t know I needed. Something felt off at my house and I realized it was because all cabinet knobs, door knobs, and hinges were different. Changing them all to matte black (to match my fixtures) made it feel way more cohesive and intentional!
As a migraine sufferer, thank you for the tips about natural smelling soaps. I hate walking into a restroom and having to use my purell as soap so that my hands don't smell like candy corn all day. Now to figure out how to survive the glade plug ins and melted wax pellets.🤮🤕
You crack me up! Keep em coming!
Overnight guest video lease!
There’s a special place in Hell for those Glade people
Same! These things can bring on a 3 day migraine for some of us ☹️
I laughed out loud when he said to avoid “strawberry cheesecake blast” scent 🤣 Yea, gives me a headache just thinking about it!
I chuckled all the way through this . I agree on all points, though I'd not thought of the doorknobs! Duh! The whole not judging to your face and sharing instead with 2k friends, hilarious. Great points! Love your videos 💜💙💚💛🧡❤
Not 2k, 200k haha
Such a small detail but it matters to much!
He's only sharing with 200,000 of his CLOSEST friends, and they're all very discreet, so it's not so bad.
Omg you’re so right! It is the little things. My in laws just visited for the first time in over a year and my mother in law was so impressed by my organization in our 2br apt - the shoe closet, the broom closet, the guest bath, the spice cabinet! she made a trip to the container store and is recognizing her 5br home 😆
Amen on the closet comment! Nothing I hate more than being asked to hang up my coat and having to wrestle with 30 coats on wire hangers packed in like sardines just to squish mine in. Because my front closet is so tiny, when I have a party I take all my own coats off their hangers and throw them on my bed (bedroom door stays closed anyway).
I always take my guests coats and I wouldn’t think of going in anyone else’s closet so this surprised me. I guess it’s just whatever your taught. Enjoy your videos. 👍💕
Yeah, I come from ‘that era’ where we just threw them on the bed in the nearest bedroom! 😂😆😁
I like to take the Windex to all shiny surfaces that will catch a glint of sparkle. It's not much but it adds up in the big picture. Pictures, ceramics, mirrors. glass shelves, lamps, vases...shine, shine, shine.
Oh yes, a quick once over makes a world of difference!
Wasn't Windex featured in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"? :-)
@@tinamcnalley2575😄 But I’ve never heard of it like that in real life. I prefer Invisible Glass: no ammonia, just fresh alcohol. Everything else in the movie though, definitely familiar. My church isn’t Greek but it’s Macedonian, borderline Greek 😁, the mom and dad would still fit in perfectly there. It was built on alcohol funds. Prohibition was a blessing in disguise. Maybe I should try cleaning my windows with rakija, the local version of vodka.
I'm glad you mentioned scent. It's even more critical with very small spaces (if you live in a studio you don't want to have your bed smell like the kitchen)
Before essential oils, investing in a sleek and efficient air purifier is a must.
Agreed! This is exactly why old school houses had the kitchen closed off in the back. So cooking smells don't permeate the air
"I would instead go home and share it with 200 000 people on the internet because im a gentleman"
haha thank you nick for being such a nice man !
Nick is the only decorater that I will watch. He is classy, informative, and charming. Thank you, Nick Lewis !
Yessss! That is one thing my mom has always done -before guests come over, you must put out a fresh hand towel.
On the topic of soaps/scents: being someone who is allergic to most scents, I really appreciate it when there is an unscented/lightly scented soap and you have gone easy on all the diffusers/candles
The first thing I’ve always made a priority every time I’ve moved is whatever I walk into when I walk into my home. An entryway, a room - the first thing people see is my first decor focus.
Nice. Talking notes!
Really useful video. I'm going to watch it through again and take notes !
One thing I would add is to consider things that are going to puzzle/confuse/worry your guests - like in the bathroom, pumps of soap and lotion side by side with nothing to tell you which is which. Light switches in odd places. Make sure there's enough loo paper without a guest having to search for a new roll themselves.
I love everything you said, but one thing I would have to say is that as a guest in someone’s home, I really really do not like going to somebody’s house and it is scented! It takes away from everything else especially if there’s food involved. Just enjoy the smell of the food and the wine. More importantly I and many others are allergic to so many different scents. I can’t even walk down the aisle in the grocery store with all the laundry soaps and fabric softeners because it literally hurts my head and sinuses. Some argue that the scent they’re using is natural. That doesn’t mean it’s still not bothersome or somebody’s not allergic to it.
Things that I care about when I visit someone:
- overall tidiness
- overall cleanliness
- clean dishes and cutlery
- clean bathroom, fresh handtowel
- comfortable place to sit
- good temperature
- smell
Things that I don't care about: all the rest
I can add just some good homecooked food.
Funny to say, people who critiques other people home , more likely don’t keep up with there own home.😀
I H - Thanks for your list. I find it hard to objectively assess my living or garden space because it’s something that has evolved over time. It takes a quick list like yours and the RUclipsr to help me see where I can improve.
Same.
YES!
It's useful to think about it as a guest as well. If I go to someone's house what would I like to see?
Clean bathroom is number 1
A place to sit number 2 (I don't want to be moving around your stuff to be able to sit)
A smile and a plate of pasta and you are the best host ever 😀
For the soap one, I personally appreciate when I can determine that I'm not allergic to it. Blue dye allergy for anything that cleans is so hard, and being able to pick up and look at the ingredient list is a life saver, especially if it doesn't have dyes at all. :) I also have a hard time with strong smells so I also appreciate when someone's space is toned down in their communal areas,
I actually appreciate that there are small things that can be easily updated. Like there's no need to replace the whole dining table but maybe replace the utensils from dollar tree I bought back in college 😬
Literally. Every single detail you outlined is my life...and I'm an extroverted introvert who rarely has people over. But even for workmen or the EXTERMINATOR, I'll do every bathroom thing (thinking they may have to use it). I guess I'm a dinner party hostess in my mind. (Note, I stopped a contractor who was fixing an antique brass doorknob from switching it out for a piece of garbage and forced him to repair it. He was so confused lol)
I totally agree about bathroom hand towel etiquette. Personally, I love having a small, simple basket, tray or container filled with small white wash cloths (the small white square type) all rolled or folded nicely in container and guests can use it to dry their hands and then place it in an inconspicuous small, metal looking like garbage pail but smaller so it’s obvious what to use it for, or a small basket nearby for used hand towels of this sort can be tossed into. Makes a huge difference for a guest bathroom experience.
I watch you for the humor and sass. I wouldn’t even be mad if you clowned me to my face. It would probably be 100% true and you can’t hate that.
Yes. I really prefer people who are honest to my face over those who suddenly take their disapproval to social media.
Thank you! You were reading my mind! My friends still remember 25 people sit down dinner with complete place settings, tablecloths and fabric napkins. You are welcome to come over for dinner, drink or a cup of coffee anytime! If I know I’ll have people over, I usually have disposable linen paper hand towels in a pretty holder in the powder room.
Excellent breakdown! All of the things I touch I judge (for hygiene reasons in this day and age) and I'm with you on the wet gross hand towels in the bathroom 😝
definitely with you on the hygiene points. Other things I simply consider where the person might be on a financial scale, or a priority scale, and NO Big Deal.
My place used to be a rental and switching out the cheap rubber bath/sink plugs for chrome has made the biggest difference - it didn't occur to me to do it until I'd already been living here for two year but genuinely transformative and wish I'd done it way sooner!
Hello Nick! I have just bought my first ever flat and this video is basically like a checklist for me! I am sure I have thought about each of those items at some point - but obviously - haven't noted anything down - so having them all collected in one place is just an excess of convenience! Thanks again for the videos you are creating and please - take our warm greetings from Poland :)
Never mind the guests, these are all things I personally care about in my home! They're little things, yes, but all together, they make me happy about my living spaces. Love this video! ❤
Those are the things I also check before having guests! Others that for me are really important is a pretty and clean door rug, plants in the house entrance, and buying fresh flowers.
Fresh flowers here, unless it is the time of year when I have my own growing outside, takes an hour drive one way to purchase them. So... no. I do have plants growing inside, but the house entrance faces north. I like having a couple or so plants in the interior.
me too love flowers or flowering plants. all the time not just for guests. but if I have over nite visitors il put fresh flowers in there bedroom.
And so true about the coat/ front entrance closet! I once was dog sitting for my friend and I decided to sweep the main living spaces and back patio because I love sweeping 🧹lol. When I was passing the closet I decided to open it just to sweep a little inside but as soon as I did I noticed allll the dust. I couldn’t help but take everything on the floor out to sweep it the right way, there was so much dust and pet hair which is understandable but it looked soo much better after and it was very satisfying to clean! Win-Win!
Hi Nick. You're so right about all these "little" details, and not just for guests. In regards to the bathroom hand towel, I prefer to set out disposable ones and just have a decorative set hanging on the rack. Especially after Covid-19.
I like that you are encouraging the natural soaps/and essential oils instead of the Bath and Body works / Plug In types of products. Also keep in mind the people coming and what scents they may like. Even the essential oils can get stinky if you're not a fan of certain scents. I've often avoided peoples home that have all of the synthetic smells because they give me a raging headache and sometimes worse. Totally agree on everything. Only thing I don't care for were the entry way organizers. I would rather have the clutter behind closed doors whether that is an entry closet or a great armoire. I also think everyone should clean the bathroom for guests. Fresh towels, nice soap, cleaned from top to bottom and good toilet paper. :)
OMG the hand towel in the powder room - YES! I see this all the time and it GROSSES me out... I feel like I have to dry my freshly cleaned hands on something icky. I'd rather dry my hands on my own clothes.
Ha-ha! A relationship ended before it started when the gentleman in question invited me over for dinner and the only towel in his bathroom was so stiff with god-knows-what that you could stand it up leaning against a wall. Of course everything else was dirty, too, but that towel was awful. Shudder.
I will have a small paper towel box for guests to use in my powder bathroom. I will have the towel for decoration only.. yep. Towels are gross for guests…
I always use disposable hand towels in the vathroom when guest come over,they are great
🤢 Thanks Jean - I didn't need that visual! haha
Note to self: Always wear cotton when visiting others.
When we bought our house 6 yrs ago, the previous owners had done some really quality nice upgrades, EXCEPT, she really liked beige and gold. Every wall is beige and EVERY doorknob, drawer pull, cabinet knob, door handles, outlet cover , kick plate, light switch cover, fire place surround, ceiling fan parts, like every piece of metal just about is bright shiny blinding gold. It’s so much that we’ve been just buying a little at the time to replace or paint ALL that gold. I couldn’t believe she upgraded to that, we found out one ceiling fan was 600.00 and is wonderful, so I’ll fix those bright gold parts, but my husband and I loved the house itself and those things are easily changeable.
Great video!
Am I the only one watching this and thinking: “more like nice things for myself that I can justify purchasing because they’re nominally for guests” 😏 ??
Matching hangers!! Jaja
I’m like, uh…resale value!
Both is okay.
Haha… I feel like a natural interior designer! I’m in the process of refreshing the house and painted the doors, changed the door knobs and light switches to match, my package of bathroom bits arrived today so it’s all matching, glad to have seen this and know I’m on the right path, great video ❤
You forgot: FRESH AIR!!
If you're gonna serve your guests a meal, make sure to have let some fresh air into the room before seating!
My Virgo placements are really digging the towel and soap advice 😍 May everyone follow them! ❤️ But don't worry, if the towel is wet and dirty I will ask you directly for a clean one, as I won't touch it. Nor will I judge you ...for very long.
You are too honestly and too real ! We spent money after redoing the doors in the hallway right through the bedrooms on new handles and hinges all matching. Big difference.
You are so right on. Thank you.
When I visit friends, or invite them over, it’s for the pleasure of their company. I couldn’t give a damn what other people’s coasters are like, or how they decorate their homes.
These items are important to make sure you yourself are having a nice experience in your own home!
Exactly!!!! My husband and kids get upset bc I spend a lot of time on these details. They say
“Nobody comes over”, my reply is “it’s for me!”
Another soap angle to considered for guests- My severe allergies can handle the essential oil scents in soaps but, if I use the artificial scents, I often have reactions. I know a lot of other people who are that way too. So, better to use a product that is more natural for soaps for guests.
As for scents, there are some homes I won't visit again because the heavy artificial scents will set of my asthma and may lead to a hospital visit.
I really appreciate when people dont use artificial scents in their home as Im somewhat allergic.
That first minute did make me laugh out loud. More, more, more please! My partner's parents came to our house for Sunday lunch for the first time ever in ten years yesterday. I checked off your list just there and feel quite smug now. We are eclectic/shabby but the table was immaculately set with new linen, slate coasters, white bone china, vintage Dansk flatware and accessories. They loved it! One thing I always notice in other peoples houses is how clean the 'hand touch areas' are such as light switches, light pulls, door handles and banisters (also remote controls and handsets). We have original 1930s brass door furniture which is quite beaten up and patinated but still working beautifully, and I love them. They were all cleaned on Saturday in advance of the visit, along with all of the hand touch areas. I disagree with you and with Ikea about pedestal mats. In Ikea, when I asked, 'Why no pedestal mats?', they told me that they, 'were finished with all that!', but sadly my family and friends have not finished with leaving the odd drip on the bathroom floor, which I would rather have immediately and safely absorbed by a mat that I can whizz into the washing machine that evening, than end up on the sole of the next toilet visitor's foot and then walked down the hallway. There you have it!
Beyond aesthetics, getting a more natural soap for guests is considerate of sensitive skin. Those Bath and Body works soaps have something in them that wrecks my hands.
Yes! I also like scent free
Bath and body products always give me headaches. So fake and gross smelling.
I always refill the beautiful soap bottles I bought with sensitive as well and people still tell me how nice it smells 😆
And they smell nasty
Probably sulfates. One of my babies was in the NICU for a week (born with a blood infection, needed antibiotics-she was so active she kept knocking out her IV, even though it was splinted, so they had to stick it in the top of her head 😬, and she’s still a whirlwind at age 8 😆), and all visitors had to scrub hands with antibacterial soap for 2 minutes, and I had to go in to nurse her every 4 hrs day and night. (Also was recovering from emergency c-section + surgery for extensive adhesions. 😩) But I had a bad reaction to the soap, and the skin on the backs of my hands was cracked and inflamed. Dr brushed it off, just gave me a tube of Aquaphor, which of course did next to nothing. 🙄 Anyway, ever since then, my skin is sensitive to soaps with sulfates in them. Dove is OK, and so is the knockoff Dove from my local dollar store, but the scent is not ideal. Haven’t gotten around to buying fancy soaps lately.
I agree! Saje’s Gratitude in the diffuser is heaven.
You forgot the most important thing... Full roll of TP! Towel second
Great video. Yes I like setting my home up for guests as 5 star as possible.
I would invite Nick to my home with the sole intention of him roasting me to a crisp.
😂😂😂😂😂
Totally! Haha
Oh I'd just tell you that you have a lovely home. That's the Canadian way! lol
That’s ace!
@@Nick_Lewis Knowing they are actually despising us?
As far as putting on a nice place setting at your table, you don't have to go broke doing this. All 12 of my white china plates and white coffee mugs came from a thrift store. All my soup bowls came from the same store, they all match, burnt orange. Smaller bowls, same thing, same store, 10 of them, burnt yellow, all match. All the serving bowls, platters, etc all came from that same thrift store and have similar 70's hues that match.
All my glassware and flatware came from a restaurant supply store, yes its used but it all matches and looks like new. Replaced a bunch of cookware as well with nicer stuff that works on my new induction stove. I really cleaned house during the pandemic with all the restaurants that went out of business, that store was practically giving REALLY NICE stuff away. I haven't used a paper plate, plastic fork, or red solo cup in my house in 15 years, felt like I was trashing the environment.
OMG the hand towels!! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to someone’s house and they don’t even HAVE a towel in the bathroom to dry my hands with.
And those quality wooden clothes hangers support your guest's clothes properly. There's nothing like placing a heavy winter coat on a plastic hanger and it goes plop on the floor. We're in the process of furnishing a new guest room, and I keep telling my mom it needs this or that for the guests. USB charger, decent lighting, full-length mirror, maybe a decent candle.
I have NEVER, not once in my 36 years on this earth, hung my coat in the coat closet at someone else’s house nor has anyone done it at my house. Am I alone in this???
Come to think of it, I haven't either. Visitor coats usually go on wall hooks, coathangers or chairs don't they (sometimes on a bed when there's a party but that's not so great). I'd feel awkward opening a closed door at someone else's place unless it's clearly the bathroom. But even then I ask first, just to make sure haha.
Never in my 56 years
not in my 61 years either I always take the coat and hang it up or if no room in closet the bed. and I always have space in dressers and closet for guests.
No, you are not alone. My foyer closet is tiny. If I were having people over during coat weather I would put their coats either in the guest room closet,or simply lay them on the bed in the guest room.
@@janicefield9671 Hey! First comment I saw that uses the ole “ bedroom coat stash”! 🤭😆😁😬
First projects I am doing in my home I just bought is overhead lighting fixtures, doorknobs, and electrical switches/outlets. Not a ton of money, but I can already tell a difference when I'm interacting with the ones I've changed out vs the ones I'm getting to later.
Feeling hopeful: Got most of the list done, except the bathroom situation - we’re in a post-move remodelling so I’m holding off the finalising touches until that’s done. Fresh soap & clean towels, even If it’s not fancy.
I will say this about scent (I suffer from an excellent sense of smell): Please do not add scent (spray, candles, diffusers etc) to cover a bad smell. Some of us catches both smells, and it has the feeling of using lots of cologne to replace a real shower. 🤢
I am one of those that pick up both easily too, it amazes me that people think "good smells" cover up "bad smells", they are all smells still and can be way too intrusive if you add a lot to try to cover something up. Floral scent does not balance or cancel out sweat or bathroom stench the way salt or bitter tastes can be balanced with sugar it just makes for a really freaky bouquet instead.
Yes - and less is more!
Agree x1000000! I used to know someone who hated changing her poor cats' litterbox and when they got so stinky they were antisocial she'd just spray a hose worth of febreeze around her place. It got so bad one time another friend and I forced her to hand over a couple Glad bags and we changed the litter ourselves. I guess she must have been embarrassed as she kept the boxes way better after that.
@@sparklie962 And lighting a scented candle in the room that houses the litterbox doesn't make it smell better either!
Those heavy peace’s are so nice. When I was in a hotel in Uganda, all the handles and locks (external especially) where old fashioned, solid and made the most wonderful thick clicking sound. Obsessed.
"Because I'm a g e n t l e m a n"
Nick this is one of the funniest channels on RUclips, keep up the great work
This is the best subject for a video!! It's easy to become blind to the stuff you see everyday. Love it!
These items will be on my to do list. In my new home.
BTW thank you for pointing out the use of "natural" scents. A lot of the brands out there are not only toxic but can cause allergies and asthma and even are not safe for people with chemical sensitivities. So if you use essential oils, just remember that they should be quality oils and the cheaper they are the more toxic they can be.
I make sure and have some beautiful background music going, smooth jazz, piano, whatever. Every gathering needs a soundtrack. Nothing blasting, just in the background.
So, any suggestions for those of us without a foyer/entryway? My house is from 1860 and has no real foyer. You just walk into the house! No closet, no where to put anything. We put up hooks and put out baskets for mittens and hats, but the kids have beaten me down and we have a huge pile o’shoes and boots lol. But, really, not having any mudroom or foyer is a huge challenge
A shoe bench, and some woven baskets to dump backpacks/umbrellas into?
@@kelleymcmorris7430 oh yes, of course, and that’s exactly what we did - it’s still a disaster lol. But I’m more curious about how a designer would approach the whole “no foyer” type house. This was a video about welcoming guests (remember when we did that) and he discussed the foyer/mudroom/etc and how to make it welcoming. But what if that space isn’t delineated or defined? What if guests just walk into your dining room or living room bc that’s where the door is? I know I’m not the only one
I would suggest a large armoire that can divide the space up and give you a big closet like space and get a multifunctional hall tree that has hooks for hats and scarves and a coral tray thing for umbrellas.. those would be pretty period accurate for that type of house. Just make sure the armoire has a nice backing to it.
@@1redsquirrel Every person gets one pair that lives at the front door. Rest need to live in their personal closets or another closet/basement space. (source: I grew up with a family of 4 who shared a small home with one bathroom). Enforce this before guests come over. My family also does the all the winter coats on someone's bed before an event to make room for guests' coats :).
My house is from 1920... I turned a portion of my enclosed porch into a mud room.
1. I just spent ~$40 and broke three screwdrivers replacing the mismatched door hinges in my apartment. I had 3 colors: satin nickel, brass, and Landlord Special Paint. Now they’re all nickel and match the doorknobs which I love!
2. I am pretty sensitive to what dishes I use, I have a nice set of Norfolk Southern gray dinner plates + side plates, but I cheaped out on the cups and got a set of translucent gray plastic ones from Target. I figure that I’m far more likely to drop a glass than a plate!
3. I will invest in some nice wooden coat hangars for my hall closet, and maybe repurpose a shelf I have to store shoes off of the carpet in there.
4. The local Dollar store by my apartment has some $5 items, so I got a couple pairs of hand towels (also gray to compliment the shower curtain!) so I can easily swap to a fresh one!
5. Skipping down to his point about soap, I’ve gotten compliments through the bathroom door on my choice of the fancier “sustainable” pump soap from Target, Seventh Generation or something like that! It has a very citrusy scent.
6. I am very particular about scents, I have a Glade gel thing in the closet that is linen scented, another in the bathroom that is lemon scented, and I switch between a sandalwood + smoke candle and a ginger + vanilla one for the rest of the small apartment.
You're so funny. I love your videos just for honesty and sarcasm
Anything guests use is important, it tells how much you care for them.
Regarding scents, some people, like myself, are sensitive to scents. I’ve gotten migraine headaches from some scents that people either wear on their person or infuse into the room.
So right about the doorknobs. I made sure to change all mine - even in my basement - when I updated my home!
Some terrific suggestions and observations, Nick, and such an organized presentation!. In fact, I'd already decided to buy several hand towels for each guest-shared bathroom, and this settles it. Not quite as sold on plug-in diffusers, as I'm not yet 100% sure of their safety regarding air quality (animals, children, elderly).. Only quibble: these are excellent and pleasurable things to BUY, but I wouldn't call them "investments," as so many do, at least not in the traditional sense. (They won't appreciate in value, and you probably can't re-sell them at a profit.) Thanks for such a fun and helpful start to a Saturday!
Some could be considered like an investment, good quality door nobs and silverware will last way longer, but fancy soap and fancy candles are more of a luxury
Good point about the door knobs (and I’d add bathroom hardware)!
I live in a very tiny rented apartment, the door knobs are old, the walls are no longer straight, the landlord’s done the painting himself and spilled some places, BUT if I have guests over, the hand towels are always clean 😊
I wish my Mom could have known you. She lived by your rules and would have loved loved loved your thoughts. ♥️
I agree with all your items. Growing up I learned these things from watching my mother. She trained me well.