The holiday season is nearly here, and with it comes a season of gathering: long-planned dinners, festive evenings by the fire, and unexpected guests who arrive at a moment’s notice. It’s the time of year when our homes become the backdrop for moments, memories and lasting connections.
Here in Colorado, you never know where the weather will go (one Halloween we had 14 inches of snow!), but in our neighborhood we do know one thing: the guests will come, rain or snow. Whether it’s family arriving for a long weekend or friends stopping by after a holiday party, a little preparation makes all the difference.
I’m Chris Shields, a luxury interior designer and decorator based in Colorado, known for my heartbeat connection-based method for creating interiors that result in fun and gracious homes that grow love - welcoming people in to create lifelong memories.
It’s that time of year again, isn’t it? As we lean into times of togetherness, you might have some special, maybe unexpected guests. In today’s post, I’d like to share some easy ways you can be prepared for all of the good surprises ahead.
Holiday Hosting: Easy Ways to Welcome & Entertain Unexpected Guests
Making Memories: Chic, Luxury & Vintage Board Games
The season ahead often brings a beautiful unpredictability, including the occasional unexpected visitor. With a little preparation, your home can feel effortlessly welcoming at a moment’s notice.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to stay ready for impromptu gatherings:
Keep a small collection of pickled vegetables, smoked fish, crackers, and a loaf of bread in the freezer for quick warming. Unopened cheeses, aged meats, and a favorite chutney or preserve can turn a simple spread into something special. A handful of dried fruits, roasted nuts, or even dark chocolate adds a touch of texture and sweetness.
A bottle or two of red and white wine, along with a few local craft beers, goes a long way toward welcoming unexpected company. I also like to keep ingredients on hand for a signature cocktail. I’d recommend a fantastic single barrel bourbon for sipping by the fire with friends called The Shaded Grove by local distillery Branch & Barrel Distilling.
A few well-chosen games can bring energy to an evening and help guests settle in. Check out my next section for some chic and vintage board game ideas. Having one or two within reach makes spontaneous hosting feel effortless.
A simple guest set tucked in the linen closet (clean sheets, fresh towels, and a small collection of toiletries) ensures anyone staying the night feels cared for. A cozy robe is a thoughtful touch. Hospitality, after all, is as much about comfort as it is about warmth.
One of my favorite memories growing up of family visits or holiday time was how we’d spend our time after dinner playing games. There was a difference in the games we played between my city family and my country family.
In the country, it was typically outside where the kids went to play hide-and-seek or go fishing. In the city, my grandmother would break out the deck of cards for hands of poker and blackjack or the marble board for an enduring game of Aggravation (a name well earned). We’d play “marbles” on the Aggravation board my father made in high school shop class (the board I now have in my own home).
I still adore board games, so I did a little digging to find the best of vintage and chic board games for this month’s column. As I dug into what is considered “vintage,” I quickly discovered that most of the versions of these games were the very versions I played when I was a kid… I’m not sure how I feel about that, but I guess that makes me vintage like a good bottle of wine!
Well, the good news is that many game makers continue to produce the titles most of us are familiar with, including Life, Monopoly, Battleship, Clue, Sorry, Chutes & Ladders, Scrabble, etc. I’m a little partial to old, excuse me…vintage, games in original boxes. I just love the artwork, and like an old book, I kinda like the vintage aroma. With that said, you can certainly acquire just about any of these game titles, whether vintage via websites like eBay or Etsy, or in new forms via makers like WS Game Company. In particular, I do like the very neat and tidy boxes WS Game Co. is producing these days… very chic indeed and easy to decorate with.
If you’d like to take your board games to a whole new, and very designed level, I’d invite you to check out the exquisite games being produced by fine artisans and makers like Alexandra Llewellyn and Madheke. These fine makers create games with the finest of materials and high degrees of artistry… think Backgammon boards of the finest marquetry using many exotic woods, or chess sets designed like pinnacle automobiles like the Bentley. These are true works of art worthy of continued display on your cocktail table.
Regardless of which board game, its origins, or its condition, at the end of the day (especially after dinner with a good Port) it is all about the time you share with your family and friends. Thinking of my Grandma Shields teaching me how to play Poker still brings a smile to my face, and a memory that will endure my vintage years.
Could the Powder Room be the final frontier of a welcoming home? Of all the rooms in a home, I think the powder room ranks right up there with the foyer as the room that welcomes guests, offers a glimpse of the homeowner’s character, and sets the tone for comfort. Honestly, I love a powder room that takes the homeowner’s character to the max and spills all the T (truth).
Recently, I was asked whether I take on smaller room projects. While my website showcases many selected works of larger-scale interior projects, I created my Pinnacle Design Method for interiors of any size and shape. I want to capture your heartbeat in all your interiors regardless of size, and the Powder Room is your jewel box opportunity to do just that. In fact, I think the guest bath or powder room is the perfect space to test your boundaries and inspire your creativity for the rest of your home.
I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your home and how we can perfect it for exactly who you are and how you want to live. I invite you to reach out and set up an introductory phone call to start exploring the possibilities.
I thought I’d leave you with a Powder Room concept image I created on the Midjourney AI platform I’ve been studying. Midjourney is considered one of the de facto imagery AI platforms available, and it gives artists and designers like me incredible tools for exploring creative ideas and concepts. While the use of AI in design is fit for another post, I see the future of tools like this as very bright and very important when it comes to design and concept research, producing thought-provoking results in incredible timeframes.
This image captures all of tenets of a high-style, luxury Powder Room, and all of the notes of my naturally evocative style: an unexpected floor tile pattern in unique stone (Victorian diamond with contrasting marbles), a dramatic wallcovering setting the scene while making a small room feel expansive (a sepia pattern of Japanese fir trees from the fine makers at de Gournay), a grounding wainscot in an earthy-green tile, a smart, jewel-toned vanity with a more contemporary vessel sink (from Made Goods), a singular mirror paired with extraordinary sconces and fine bath accessories to bring the room together with an exclamation point (also by Made Goods).
That’s the beauty of design… a single space with so many options and opportunities. What fulfills me, the joy of my work, is discovering exactly who you are and expressing it in the interiors of your home just for you! That's how I design a home that grows love.
Every project I take on begins with my Design Discovery. Whatever the space, size, or function, my first step is to capture, in clear language, exactly what I’ll design for you. We’ll spend time together in the space for a renovation, or gather around your Architect’s plans, to draw out the intent, the function, and the ideas we each bring. Most importantly, I’m listening for the feeling. How you want to feel and express yourself in your interiors sets the foundation for all I will design.
So, regardless of room size or function, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your home, your possible project, and your heart’s desires to cleanly and clearly organize a project just for you. Now is a great time of year to start the planning process for projects to accomplish in 2027. Here is the link to my website’s Contact page… why not reach out today and we’ll set up an introductory call. Thank you!
For over 18 years, Chris Shields has approached his design projects holistically. He is analytical and inquisitive. Both qualities inform his understanding of his client’s needs, surroundings, and aesthetics, and both are called on when Chris creates interiors that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also profoundly personal.
