NOW THAT we’re shunning Zoom and starting to see each other IRL, any overnight visit is going to feel special. Practical niceties such as blackout window shades and access to an electric socket that doesn’t entail moving a dresser will make your guests comfortable. But meaningful gestures unique to their tastes—beloved lilacs bedside, a stack of vintage Esquire magazines by the tub—will touch them on a deeper level. Here, eight other ways to roll out the welcome mat rather unforgettably.
1. Easy Hookup
To save a visitor’s having to ask “What’s your password again?” print out Wi-Fi info in a friendly typeface, frame it and set it where it can’t be missed.
2. Cool Comfort
When Dallas interior designer Michelle Nussbaumer welcomes straight-off-the-plane guests to her house in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, she offers a cold cloth steeped in lavender oils, topped with a fresh sprig of the herb from her garden. “It’s a historic gesture that goes back to desert culture,” she said.
3. Pretty Pills
If it’s safe to assume libations will flow late into the night, decant three types of headache remedies—say, Advil, Tylenol and aspirin—into identical glass apothecary jars for the morning after.
4. Digital Direction
“We created a curated ‘Guide to Hudson’ on Instagram to easily share our favorite places to shop and eat in town,” said Anthony D’Argenzio, of New York design agency Zio and Sons.
