Entertaining Tips from HGTV Smart Home 2014

What could be better than a lazy afternoon in the HGTV Smart Home 2014? Having your favorite people over! Get design ideas that will wow your company.

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January 22, 2015

By: Carley Knobloch

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The kitchen is ready for casual entertaining. You can eat at the island, and prep food there. It's perfect to help get guests involved in getting dinner ready.

Check out the space-saving breakfast bar, which can also be loaded with snacks for a soirée. For over guests, open shelving means your early-rising friends can wake up and make themselves some cereal without awkwardly rooting around in your cabinets.

Guests might be slow to leave their room in the morning if it's as dream-friendly as this one. The remote control adjustable mattress is a clever touch that ensures everyone will be comfortable no matter what their preference. The locally-sourced art gives guests a sense of their surroundings.

A wall-mounted TV in the guest room is a space-saver, but can be hidden behind a curtain if your guests want to relax sans screens.

The guest bathroom is gracious, with a ceiling-height shower curtain that makes it easy to get in and out, and emphasizes vertical space. The rainfall shower head gives a luxurious, strong spray while still economizing on water, and the soaking tub features smart temperature controls. When bathwater cools, one button can heat it up again.

In the great room, plush seats face both toward and away from the TV, so guests who want to chat won't have to compete with the tube.

The flat-topped ottoman in the great room can be used as a coffee table or as an extra seat, and flameless candles add atmosphere without worry.

Dinner parties have a nice flow from indoors to outdoors, thanks to a deck that extends the great room outside. The deck is a great place for fixing a barbecue dinner and enjoying the view.

One side of the basement features a massive projection screen for cinema-style movie nights, and a large seating area so all your guests have a comfortable spot. The AV system is out of the way in a climate-controlled closet.

On the other side of the basement, a stage for impromptu jam session, a karaoke night, or a fun play put on by the kids. Lots of refreshments are served from a large shelving unit on the side of the room, so there are plenty of snacks to go around.

The basement exits to a covered porch with lots more seating, so guests can enjoy the outdoors if the music's too loud.

There's even a sensor-activated pet door on the back porch, letting pooches join in the fun.