Welcome back to Home and Hosting with Louis Burke.
I'm your friend at Home and Hosting here to help you create
a space where people feel welcomed the second they walk
through the door. Growing up in a family
restaurant and accommodation, I learnt the art of hosting early.
It was never just about serving food or making a bed, it was
about creating an experience. I watched people celebrate
anniversaries, engagements, birthdays and life moments and
then return again and again to feel that same magic.
That's when I realised that hosting isn't just about what
you do, it's about how you make people feel.
And today I want to share my tips of bringing that same sense
of experience into your own home.
So your dining table, your living room, your bathroom even
becomes a place where people want to come back to you again
and again. This is more than just food and
drink. This is about creating a moment.
Because most memorable hosts aren't the ones with the
fanciest dinnerware or the most expensive wine.
They're the ones who make you feel instantly comfortable,
cared for, and a little bit special.
So without further ado, here are my 6 tips to host the perfect
event at home. Tip 1.
The mindset of a natural host. Hosting is not a performance,
it's an act of generosity. When you invite people over,
you're saying I want to share my place, my time and my energy
with you. The goal is to make them feel
relaxed enough to truly connect with you and each other.
So let's forget about the Pinterest perfect tablescape
pressure for a second. I know, Can you believe that I'm
saying that? But hosting, like a natural is
about thinking ahead, making people comfortable and taking
the stress out of the room. If you've worked in hospitality
before, you would have heard of the sequence of service, which
is simply greeting the guests as soon as they walk through the
door, requesting whether they had a booking or they're a walk
in. Regardless, make them feel
welcome. Then greet them and sit them at
their table and ask them what water they want.
Then follow up with if they want a particular drink and then
return and ask them what they like to eat and so on and so on.
The same thing applies when you're having friends and family
over at home. Greet them at the door, welcome
them in, ask them if they would like a drink, be it a water or a
favourite drink that they like. Lead them into the space where
you'll be hosting them to begin with before before you sit down.
Speaking of that space, is it set up prior to them arriving?
Have you got enough chairs? Is the lighting right?
Are the flowers out? Is the music on?
Is it at the right volume? All these things matter.
I think a lot of us focus very heavily on the food and beverage
and not enough on the space itself and the sequence in which
you greet your guests and make them feel comfortable.
I think a lot of the stress that can come with hosting is being
unsure of how to approach approach things, and that's what
this episode is about. Let's move on to Part 2,
Scentscaping. It's one of my favourite things.
The smell of your home is the very first impression people
get. I like to scentscape before
anyone arrives to fuse something fresh and clean in the entryway,
have a candle burning in the living room and maybe a subtle
kitchen friendly scent if I'm cooking.
Avoid anything too heavy or cloying, you want it to feel
like part of the atmosphere, not a cover up.
And don't forget about the bathroom.
It's the one and only space. Guests will be completely alone,
which means they really notice it.
Make sure it smells good. This is where that really nice
hand soap and lotion comes into play.
And even stock some paper towel let's or a fresh hand towel. 4
guests arrive quickly wipe down the sink and clean the toilet
again. Those little details speak
volumes. Tip #3 is lighting and music.
The lighting is the quickest way to shift a mood.
Turn off overhead heads and turn on the lamps.
Dim them if you can. Candlelight instantly makes
everything feel softer and more flattering, including your
guests. Then when it comes to music, not
too loud, not too quiet. You want that perfect background
hum that feels any awkward silences without making people
shout over it. I personally love a jazz dinner
playlist on Spotify. It's a perfect mix of elevated
but not pretentious music. I'll link my go to playlist in
the show notes so you don't have to scramble when people are
arriving. Tip #4 is about seating and
flow. This is where most people go
wrong. They don't think about where
guests will actually sit and chat.
Arrange your furniture so the conversation feels easy.
No one should be shouting across the room if you have the space
at a bench, Ottoman, or even floor cushions to create layers
of seating and make sure there's a surface for everyone to put a
drink down. That alone makes people feel way
more relaxed, including you. Be sure to have some coasters on
standby if anyone has a marble coffee table.
Tip #5 is prep table setting and the little touches.
Hosting like a natural is about thinking ahead so you can enjoy
yourself too. Prep as much food as you can
before guests arrive. Chop marinade, pre plate if
possible. You're not stuck in the kitchen
missing the conversation. Consider dietaries ahead of time
and don't be afraid to ask guests to bring something.
Most people love to contribute to the dinner party.
When it comes to the table, elevate it where you can.
Tablecloths and napkins are instant ways to make the night
feel special. Even if you're just doing
takeaway serving cutlery, don't forget it.
There's nothing worse than putting down a gorgeous dish and
realising there's no way to serve it.
When it comes to flowers, keep them low so everyone no one can
see each other or move taller arrangements off to a buffet or
Cyborg so they don't block out the conversation.
And then there's the big decision food on the table or
buffet style. I personally prefer buffet style
because it removes the awkwardness of the can you pass
this can you pass that and allows people to serve
themselves the exact amount they want.
It also keeps the table feeling a little cleaner and calmer
while you eat and there's no interruptions of any
conversations. And tip number six is hosting
without stress. The golden rule of hosting is
this. If you're stressed, your guests
will feel it too. We've all been in those
instances where our mums, our aunts, the people in the space
are stressing and it puts us all on edge and it feels like
they're not enjoying the event as much.
It's almost like the stress is a part of the job and it shouldn't
feel like a job, it should feel like a moment.
You want to enjoy these times together.
Those little things like lighting the candles, turning on
a playlist, hey even pouring yourself a drink before people
arrive to help you relax. I think it's a great idea to
write out a list of things that you want to have done prior to
people arriving because it takes the stress away.
You don't have to have that mental load.
You can just get to work, do all the tasks and have it done.
And don't be afraid to ask people for help.
People 9 times out of 10 will come up to you while you're
prepping and going. Is there any way I can help?
If you have a list of things that people can do while you're
prepping, it actually makes it easier because it takes the
mental load of you trying to come up with something for them
to do. You know, I think people want to
feel more involved in what's going on.
So if you have little things like can you go put all these
cups out over here? Could you move the flowers over
to here? It's those little bits and
pieces that make people feel involved and a part of the
event. I think if you do it right when
your guests walk in, you should be able to actually be present.
Hosting should be as enjoyable for you you as it is for them.
That's what makes people want to come back.
Remember, hosting, like a natural, isn't about perfection.
It's about connection. When your home smells good,
softly lit, has music playing and a thoughtfully set table,
and there's little gestures that show you've thought about your
guests, you can create a place where people can exhale and
that's what they'll remember. Not the menu or the wine
pairing, but how you made them feel.
And probably the state of your bathroom reminds me.
One tip I do like to do is that if I'm leaving the table to head
into the kitchen, it reminds me of my server days.
See if there's anything you could pick up and take with you
and put it into the bin. It makes the cleanup a lot
quicker and easier. If you're inviting a group of
people around that aren't familiar with each other, you
can have a couple of games off to the side to kind of break the
ice a little bit. I don't think Cards Against
Humanity kind of vibes. I'm more think maybe Jenga.
And so that are all my tips so far.
I hope you found these ones helpful and you'd learn
something new. And if you try any of these tips
at your next get together, feel free to send me Adm over on
Instagram at Louisbourg. I'd love to see your setup and
learn if any of these tips help you out.
If this episode inspired you, feel free to share it with a
friend who's always the first to say we should do dinner
sometime. Because the more we make our
space for connection, the better our homes and our lives become.
I'll see you all in the next one.