When you’re a guest in other folks’ homes, there are times you feel totally at ease, and times you don’t.
Sometimes, it’s about how close you are to the hosts. And it always depends how many times you’ve stayed at that home before.
But think back to the first time you stayed at EACH home where you’ve been the guest. And ask yourself:
- How easy was it to find a glass to serve yourself some water?
- Did you feel intrusive opening certain cabinets or closets to look for things?
- Did you have total isolation and privacy in the bathroom?
- Did you instantly know where you could leave your purse?
- Where you could set your unpacked clothes?
In the perfect setting, when the host says, “help yourself to anything,” you actually CAN. That kind of guest experience, though, is ANYTHING but an accident!!
These are the top home design features to make your space space truly intuitive for guests…
In the Kitchen
Can you honestly say, “our friends feel comfortable helping themselves?” THAT’S the best measure of a guest-friendly kitchen. (For starters, no one you’ve invited into your home should have to go on a scavenger hunt just to refill their water glasses…)
The best kitchen designs have an intuitive storage system (primarily the cabinetry) with go-to items often made visible. A guest’s feeling of independence makes everyone more relaxed—including the host!!
| Features to have | Mistakes to avoid |
| • Glasses stored near the fridge or beverage station • Coffee mugs, coffee maker, coffee supplies, and sweeteners grouped together • Trash and recycling conveniently located near food prep areas • A dedicated beverage station for guests • Island seating that doesn’t interfere with the cook’s workspace • Plenty of landing space around the refrigerator and sink • Good task lighting throughout the kitchen | • Storing everyday dishes in hard-to-find cabinets • Separating coffee supplies throughout the kitchen • Locating the trash on the opposite side of the room • Designing traffic patterns that force guests into the cook’s workspace • Prioritizing symmetry over functionality |
The Powder Room
For guests who are only visiting for a few hours, the powder room is the most personal space they’ll use in your home. It should therefore feel 1) obvious to find and 2) comfortable to use.
Seriously, just think about how awkward it feels to leave a gathering and start opening doors trying to find the bathroom!!
Or, once you’re inside, when you realize there’s nowhere to set your purse, or no obvious hand towel, or no trash can. Great powder rooms quietly answer every question before your guests have to ask…
| Features to have | Mistakes to avoid |
| • Easy-to-find location without walking through private family spaces • Counter space for a phone or handbag • Attractive but clearly usable hand towels • Visible wastebasket • Extra toilet paper within easy reach • Excellent lighting around the mirror • Easy-to-operate faucet • Hooks for jackets or handbags | • Decorative towels that look too expensive to touch!! • Hidden the trash can • No counter space whatsoever • Poor lighting • Requiring guests to pass bedrooms or private offices to reach the bathroom |
The Guest Bedroom
There’s a huge difference between spending the night somewhere and actually feeling WELCOME there.
When your overnight guests arrive, for starters, they shouldn’t feel like they’re living out of a suitcase. And they shouldn’t wonder where to plug in their phone or where to hang tomorrow’s clothes. It’s amazing how much more enjoyable a stay becomes when everything has an obvious place!!
| Features to have | Mistakes to avoid |
| • Luggage rack or bench for suitcases • Empty dresser drawers • Available closet space (with quality hangers!!) • Nightstands on both sides of the bed • Reading lamps • Easily accessible charging outlets • Full-length mirror • Hooks for robes or jackets | • Filling every drawer with your own storage • Overloading the bed with decorative pillows • Providing only overhead lighting • Few accessible outlets |
The Guest Bathroom for longer stays
Unlike the powder room, the guest bathroom serves the folks who stay with you for an overnight (or several). That changes everything!!
Your guests will be showering, unpacking toiletries, charging electric toothbrushes, hanging damp towels, and creating a temporary daily routine. A well-designed guest bathroom supports all of those activities naturally.
| Features to have | Mistakes to avoid |
| • Plenty of counter space • Convenient towel hooks near the shower • Storage or shelving for guest toiletries • Slip-resistant flooring • Easy-entry shower • Adjustable showerhead • Excellent vanity lighting • Nightlights (like toe kick LEDs) • Convenient electrical outlets • Accessible stocked towels | • Tiny pedestal sinks with no storage • No towel hooks • No shelf, niche or bench inside the shower • Difficult shower controls • Poor lighting for shaving or makeup • Nowhere to charge devices |
Outdoor Spaces: Where the Party Is At!!
We are NOT just entertaining inside anymore!! Outdoor living has become an extension of the home, and it should feel just as intuitive for your guests.
The best outdoor spaces include an extension of food and drink available indoors, and enough shade and seating to encourage people to stay a while. The transition between indoors and outdoors should feel effortless, too, so you don’t leave guests wondering if they’ve wandered too far.
| Features to have | Mistakes to avoid |
| • Wide, obvious access from the home • Comfortable seating arranged for conversation • Convenient beverage access • Shade structures where appropriate • Layered outdoor lighting • Clear walking paths • Convenient tables and surfaces to set food and drink | • Furniture that blocks circulation • Trips back inside for every drink refill • Poor nighttime lighting • Hidden steps • Insufficient shade |
Universal Design (“design for all ages”)
One of my professional certifications is as a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS), and that changes the way I look at home design. This is not just about aging in place, either—I call it design for all ages.
People usually hear “universal design” and assume we’re talking ONLY about accessibility or aging. But we’re talking about making homes easier for everyone to use, including small children, friends in wheelchairs, your son who broke his leg, or even our super-short and super-tall friends!!
To drive that point home, just think about the guests who have visited your home over the years: grandparents, pregnant friends, someone recovering from surgery, children, someone carrying a sleeping toddler, someone with arthritis…universal design accommodates all of them without making your home look clinical. People never notice it, they just notice how comfortable they feel when they come over.
| Features to have | Mistakes to avoid |
| • Lever door handles instead of knobs • Wide walkways • Excellent lighting design • Minimal thresholds between rooms • Slip-resistant flooring • Easy-to-read appliance controls • Curbless showers • Comfortable stair railings • Easy-to-reach storage • Contrasting stair edges for visibility | • Tiny decorative knobs that are difficult to grip • Unexpected floor level changes • Slippery polished flooring • Poor lighting in hallways and stairs • Narrow walkways • Heavy doors!! • High storage that’s hard to reach |
At the end of the day, your guests rarely walk away talking about your cabinet finish or your countertops. They walk away remembering how at home they felt. And your home design is part of that. It can anticipate needs before they arise while looking beautiful and showcasing your taste and personality.
Now, the big question: how does your home stack up?!
Leave a comment or schedule a complimentary 15-minute video call with me to share!!
About the author:
Robin Burrill, RID, NCIDQ, ASID, IDS, CAPS, is an award-winning professional kitchen, bath, and interior designer. Robin and her husband, Robert Mathews, have owned Signature Home Services, Inc. for over three decades, establishing a superior in-house team with a widespread reputation for delivering meticulous design to their many repeat clients.
In 2022, the national publication, Kitchen and Bath Design News magazine, named Robin to their Top Innovator list in recognition of her achievements in the field of kitchen and bath design. In 2024, she was named one of the Fall 2024 Market Pros and “tastemakers” by ANDMORE at High Point Market. In 2024 and again in 2025, Fixr identified her as one of the Top Professional Interior Designers for their nationwide audience. At the start of 2025, she then acted as one of Dallas Market’s “Style Eyes” at Lightovation and Total Home & Gift Market.
Over her extensive career, Robin has been quoted in Architectural Digest and Forbes multiple times; her design work has been featured in top national trade publications; and she has been interviewed for Designers Today magazine’s “Profiles in Design” video series, among others. Widely respected for the depth of her knowledge, Robin is a sought after speaker and judge for many design industry events.
In 2023, Robin designed a bench for Charleston Forge, making her foray into product design. Robin currently serves as a volunteer on the board of the Dallas/Ft. Worth chapter of the Interior Design Society.
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