WELCOME
The Act of Letting a Person into Your Home, Ed Ruscha, 1983, oil on canvas
This piece reminded me in stirring, glowing waves of oil paint what a gift it is to extend an invitation and be welcomed into a home. We chat virtually, work and dwell remotely and spend most days staring at blinking screens. Simple human connection is somehow, well, less simple. But, in the more analog space of a home over coffee or candlelight, we are afforded the luxury to kick our shoes off, sink into a couch and reveal our true selves.
By exploring updated etiquette, comforting places to wander and be a guest, and thoughtful tokens to make or pick up for those who host us, Good House Guest hopes that we can connect and feel a bit more at home, together.
WORDS
Playing guest in Kyoto, Japan and Berlin, Germany.
Hi. I’m Laura House, a Brooklyn-based writer of all sorts of things––from magazine stories to oddball commercials. Thanks for checking out my latest project, Good House Guest.
When I moved from Chicago for the possibility of New York, I found the downsized square-footage to be one of the most striking trade-offs. Along with the tighter living quarters, I gained an even greater appreciation for invitations to share in people’s personal spaces.
Being let in on intimate details, like where mismatched mugs perch in cabinets or the book titles stacked on a nightstand, elevates relationships to another level. Knowing these things about friends makes me feel more connected, grounded and at home in this city and life. So, in an effort to be more gracious about the doors opened to me by friends, family, and willing strangers I offer Good House Guest.
DESIGN
Susan Hildebrand. An extremely talented graphic designer who also happens to be in my book club.
PRESS
Momfilter …the new site Good House Guest is a must to check out! – December 2011
Prudent Baby picks Good House Guest as one of their favorite blogs. – Apartment Therapy, March 2012
Fathom catches up with me about all things travel with their signature questionnaire. – October, 2013
ah, brava! i can’t wait to settle in here, kick off my shoes, curl up in the corner of your couch, grab one of those mis-matched coffee mugs and explore the essential, oft-overlooked world of hospitality, an art if ever there was. an art the world most desperately needs, as we crumble into a civil discontent, and watch our finer selves whirl down the drain.
thank you, especially since you are someone well-versed in said art: http://www.pullupachair.org/
Thank you! I love this and feeling close to you even though we are so far apart. You are package of good taste and class, sweetness and beauty that make we want to hate you and be your best friend all at the same time. I can’t wait to see all that you have to share!
Thanks Faith! I hope to be featuring something from your creative camp soon. Send your brilliant creations my way please, they must be shared.
I have had the pleasure of being a guest in the House home many times when we were growing up. Laura learned from the best as her mother was the quintessential hostess. I think being a good guest/hostess is a lost art, one I intend to teach my boys. I am so thrilled to see Laura paying homage to this subject in a fresh, enticing way. My friends make fun of my over-the-top ways at times but it is good to know other “modern” women do care! I will read with pleasure.
Laura! Lovely website… sorry it’s taken so long to explore. I just now got the play on words- Good HOUSE Guest. Yeah, I’m not that bright
Look forward to checking out all the entries…