Five Unsung Design Features for Entertaining at Home

Building a home means the chance to design for exactly the way you want to live and entertain – taking in storage and light, layout and flow, and accommodating every shape your family might take, not to mention your guests.

That’s where the Victoria-based Boutique Homes comes in. The premium residential home builder – known for its contemporary, energy-efficient layouts, with a seven-star rating on every orientation, floor plan and facade – believes where you live is more than just a house; it’s where life happens . That means designs account for entertaining. Plus, pricing is fixed from the outset, and the inclusions are anything but standard: quality flooring throughout, double glazed windows, soaring 2550mm ceilings and premium 900mm kitchen appliances. Qualified interior designers are on hand to guide you through the finer choices, from paint colours to fixtures and appliances. The new Portfolio and Edition ranges, in particular, offer an extra level of detail and tailored enhancements.

Here are five unsung design features that’ll make your guests feel at home long after the housewarming ends.

Start at the door

Entryways don’t seem important until you host a dinner and find guests stumbling over a pile of coats and muddy boots. A well-planned entry hides all that away, giving a slick first impression and neatening the flow of traffic. The best plans build it in from the start.

One clean double-storey design pairs generous entry storage with a powder room right by the front door, so guests can drop their things and freshen up the moment they walk in, restaurant-style. It’s the kind of thoughtful detail worth looking for: a walk-in linen closet, a dressing room and twin vanities in the main ensuite are the sort of quiet extras that make a home easier to live in.

Pull up a stool

The kitchen is undeniably the heart of an entertainer’s home. And a kitchen island or wraparound bench is where guests end up congregating. Not only is it a great casual spot to set down the cheese board or drinks station, it serves as the design centrepiece of the room. You can flex your style and display flowers, cookbooks or cake under a dome.

Position it well and the island earns its keep. It’s worth looking for a layout where the bench faces outward, so whoever’s perched at it can look right across the living and dining space and out to the covered area beyond, keeping the cook in the conversation rather than stuck facing a wall. Pair that with room to spread out, like a separate theatre or a few generous bedrooms, and the whole home starts to work for a crowd.

Boost the mood

Some homes just seem to hold the light. Look for tall windows and high ceilings that keep every room bright through the day. Natural lighting has been shown to significantly improve mood, so it should be top of mind for hosts considering a new build. Not only does it create a warm, welcoming space for guests, it makes rooms feel more spacious than they are. Plus, it’s flattering on food, interiors and faces – all of which makes guests happy to linger.

Hide the mess

A butler’s pantry does the quiet, heavy lifting on party day. Every home in Boutique Homes’ Portfolio range includes one, thoughtfully designed to make hosting feel organised, considered and effortless. Once the party starts, it separates the “working” kitchen from the “entertaining” one, giving you a dedicated prep zone and a place for cups, napkins and pantry staples, with the mess kept well out of view.

Take the party outside

On balmy summer evenings, there’s nothing better than a dinner party that seamlessly spills outdoors. Indoor-outdoor designs make your living space feel less crowded, bring in fresh air, and keep you connected to the gathering as you prepare snacks and drinks. Consider sliding doors that open onto a sheltered outdoor area so the party can drift in and out.

You don’t always have to head to the backyard, either. Boutique Homes Portofino home design wraps the entertaining spaces around an internal open-air courtyard, so the whole home unfolds around it. It opens up unexpected sightlines – one room might look across the courtyard into another – and the space itself becomes a secluded outdoor retreat, sheltered from the neighbours and made for a party that kicks on into the night.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Boutique Homes. Boutique Homes is part of the ABN Group, leaders in property, construction and finance. They have crafted a collection of home designs ideal for entertaining – including the Grange, Portofino, Barcelona and Toorak – to provide a well-considered canvas for welcoming people in. To learn more about Boutique Homes’ range of home designs for entertaining, visit boutiquehomes.com.au.