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Thanksgiving has come and gone and now we’re in the midst of the holiday season. While it a wonderful time of year, it’s also a very busy and often stressful time of year. Unless you’re an advance planner, there is massive shopping to be done. Have you seen the traffic going to and from the mall? And with all these presents comes hours of gifting wrapping. Let’s not forget holiday parties.

Tis the season for our houses to come to the rescue. Instead of fighting traffic and crowds at the mall, you could do all your shopping online – if only you had a secure place for the packages to be delivered. Sadly, porch pirates are out in full force this time of the year.

Save the deliveries

Enter the Parcel Delivery Vestibule. This is a safe conditioned vestibule that allows various deliveries to be dropped off out of sight and out of the elements – perfect for all those online orders. It is comprised of two doors – the outer one is unlocked allowing the courier entrance, while the inner one remains locked as a traditional front door would be. This arrangement obscures deliveries from the street and creates a safe, secure place that is room temperature. Additionally, because the space is conditioned, you can also have groceries or food deliveries without concern that the ice cream will melt. Of course, this time of year, it can keep deliveries from being frozen – like that beautiful floral arrangement ordered for the holiday party.

Island Work Station

Once the packages have been delivered, we need a convenient place to wrap all those presents. Wrapping can be both artful and tedious. The ideal place to wrap is a countertop 36” inches above the floor to save your back! An oversized laundry room with ample folding area is ideal for this task.

The kitchen island is also ideal for wrapping, especially if you have 42” of depth instead of just the 24” of depth from the laundry room. Great for those oversized rolls of wrapping paper.

Get the Party Started

Now that the presents are wrapped and the food and flowers have been safely delivered, let’s move on to the celebrations. Today’s kitchens are the center of the party with their furniture grade cabinets and quartz countertops. Indeed, I love an entertaining island that allows ample room for hors-doeuvres to be artfully and temptingly displayed. The island design of the kitchen allows for great flow in and around the kitchen without being trapped in the U-shaped kitchen of the past.

Add an adjacent Messy Kitchen for the overflow items to be staged. Out of sight – but not far away for quick replenishment. Maybe it becomes a temporary home to the dirty dishes until after the guests have left.

Let’s not forget the in addition to food, we need to provide our holiday guest with drink. Instead of a cooler full of ice for the beer, what about a second beverage refrigerator easily accessible to guests? Not in the basement or garage, please.

Perfect for chilled beer, wine, and eggnog.

Thoughtfully designed homes have the potential to make our festivities easier and more enjoyable. Are there any rooms or spaces in your home that find new use during the holidays? What things would you include in your holiday house preparation?