Top 4 Home Design Features Perfect for Holiday Entertaining and Beyond

Santa Claus is coming to town and he’s bringing your in-laws, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and friends with him. As homeowners prepare to play host for family gatherings and out-of-town guests during this holiday season, they find themselves better equipped than ever to entertain with ease thanks to modern design features and amenities included in today’s new-construction homes by builders such as Edward R. James Companies, Lexington Homes, Red Seal Homes and Heritage Harbor Ottawa Resort, as well as architecture and interior design firm Morgante Wilson Architects.

From open floor plans to flexible living areas, many of the latest new-home features not only translate into better function and ease in day-to-day living, but also result in homes being well-equipped to comfortably handle large holiday gatherings. Here are some of the top holiday-friendly features that are sure to make the season “merry and bright” for everyone:

Party-Pleasing Floor Plans

Having an open floor plan is a must for any home that intends to be the entertainment hub over the holidays, noted Jeff Benach, principal of Lexington Homes. Lexington’s open floor plan designs have been especially popular in the developer’s rowhome communities, including Lexington Square 4 in Bridgeport and Lexington Shore in Hyde Park.

“All plans at both communities include a kitchen with a serving bar that opens into the dining and great rooms, making the whole floor ideal for entertaining,” said Benach. “Living space that is open to the kitchen naturally provides great party flow and lets hosts enjoy time with guests while they handle last-minute preparation. And the serving bar provides a great place for staging food and beverages, in addition to the kitchen and dining area, eliminating the traffic bottleneck that often happens when there is just one area for food.”

Kitchens For A Crowd

According to Jennifar Evans, director of design and coordination at Edward R. James Companies, many of the firm's buyers are seeking a large kitchen island that provides enough space to make holiday entertaining more sociable and convenient. The oversized kitchen islands offered at the firm's newest single-family community, Anets Woods in Northbrook, Ill., measure at 8 feet by 5 feet. "Although, at this size, it's really more of a continent than an island, it creates spacious serving locations and offers plenty of seating in the kitchen," said Evans. "It's really a nice way to bring everyone together."

In addition to more space around the island, homeowners are also looking for configurations of this popular kitchen feature that transforms cooking into a “spectator” activity to be enjoyed by family and friends when they entertain. “There’s an incredibly strong foodie culture right now, and serious at-home cooks who want to show off their skills are asking us for kitchen designs where they can share the actual preparation of the meal with guests, in addition to the end result,” said Elissa Morgante, co-principal of Morgante Wilson Architects. “We’re getting more requests to locate the range on the island, with seating all around and great lighting so others can watch the cook in action.”

Making Room At The “Holiday” Inn

While an open floor plan and large kitchen islands make it easy to entertain guests, first-floor bedroom suites can simplify accommodating family and friends planning to stay overnight. “Although first-floor bedroom suites provide convenience for the homeowner year-round, they are especially convenient during the holidays when their home is filled with guests,” said Benach.

That’s why Lexington offers several floor plan options to meet buyers varying needs. For example, at Lexington Towne, the builder’s new single-family home community just blocks from downtown Arlington Heights all three plans give buyers the opportunity to turn a study and powder room on the first floor into a guest suite with a full bath, which could be used for a nanny, older relatives or overnight guests during the holidays.

And when it comes to providing sleeping space for an extended crowd during the holidays, many buyers opt for homes with flexible sleeping quarters. At Heritage Harbor Ottawa Resort, a marina resort community in Ottawa, Ill., just 90 minutes from Chicago in Starved Rock Country, many residents create bunk rooms or sleeping lofts designed to accommodate a large number of overnight guests.

“Most buyers purchase a vacation home at Heritage Harbor as a place where the entire family can get away from their busy routine and gather for quality time year-round, including the holidays,” said Tammy Barry, director of sales and marketing for Heritage Harbor Ottawa. “They love that many of our cottages and single-family homes have either a loft space or extra-large bedrooms where they can set up several bunk beds and let grandkids and cousins all pile in together. It’s a fun experience that goes along with the great family memories they want build together.”

Santa’s Workshop

The holidays invariably bring with them a host of projects that require additional space – from creative crafts and extra baking to wrapping (and, if necessary, hiding) special gifts. For buyers who want a home with built-in room that can serve as Santa’s workshop, Red Seal Homes’ Willow Lake community in Lake Forest offers floor plans with oversized craft/mudrooms ideal for handling the overflow from holiday prep and activities.

“It’s a huge bonus to have this kind of flex space where you can not only set up a station for wrapping gifts and packages or addressing holiday cards, but it’s also out of sight from the main living areas,” said Karen Schmid, sales manager at Willow Lake. “With their built-ins and countertops, the craft/mudrooms are an attractive area to keep all of your holidays needs organized and out of sight, yet easily at hand.”