An important lesson the past few years have taught us is how precious it is to spend time with friends and family. So, whether it’s a gathering to celebrate an engagement announcement or a holiday party, anytime is a good time to display a charcuterie board centerpiece, pick up that new bottle of wine you heard about, and invite a few guests over for a party. It doesn’t matter if you are in a small home or apartment; you can host a great party.
Making your party enjoyable for everyone can be achieved by following this easy guide how to throw a party in a small home. You can plan an intimate chic event by using the acronym SPACE.
S – Seating the space
P – Planning and Prep
A – Ambiance
C – Creativity
E – Entertainment
The following suggestions can be used to throw a great party in a small home.
Develop a Plan
Let’s start at the beginning by creating a plan. First, determine what the party’s vibe should be. Is it laid back or sophisticated chic?
Identifying the desired ambiance of the gathering can help lay the groundwork for everything that follows, including the menu selection, decor, and entertainment.
Now, let’s address the obvious. Your home can only comfortably accommodate so many people at one time. Therefore, take a look at your guest list and do some trimming if needed. Although you may want to invite many guests, ensuring they are comfortable and do not feel overcrowded is essential. In addition, the guest may appreciate having a little social distance between them and other guests.
Don’t let your home’s size make you believe you can’t throw a party in a small space even if it is an apartment. A recent blog article from Redfin titled “How to Throw a Party in a Small Apartment” offers additional helpful suggestions for those throwing a party in small apartments.
Prepare to Enjoy Guests
Even though you are hosting the party, you should be a part of the festivities. Selecting finger foods and no-fuss dishes frees up the kitchen for other uses, but it will also permit you as the host to enjoy your guests.
It is essential to have the food prep completed and the food displays in place before the party begins. As guests arrive, your attention should be on them, not finishing up cooking dinner and organizing the rooms.
Be Creative
Creatively think about rearranging your home to accommodate a good flow. Don’t be afraid to add or subtract a piece of furniture to suit your needs. Assess how each room can be used differently by looking at it through new eyes. For instance, a broad surface windowsill could double as a serving station for snacks and beverages.
Clearing off kitchen countertops and covering a stovetop with a decorative board or a large cutting board can be an ideal space to be used as a serving station.
Good Flow & Seating
If you expect many guests, you might consider having a strolling buffet or food station set up versus plated meals. Having various food serving stations helps keep the guests moving, making good flow. It will also help address seating issues since everyone will not be seated at once. Nonetheless, provide ample seating for your guests. Use existing furniture throughout the home or apartment, folding chairs, or even large throw pillows.
Don’t overlook using the bedroom as an overflow for guests to mingle. By throwing a few fluffy decorative pillows on the bed and positioning the bed with its side against a wall, it can double as a large lounge sofa used for extra seating.
Make Extra Closet Space
Depending on the season of the party, you may need to make room to accommodate your guests’ coats. So, get ready to clear out closets to hang garments. The one thing you don’t want to see are coats tossed about here and there, taking up space on the couch or chairs.
Reimagine your space and rearrange the furniture to find its hidden potential.
Create Ambiance
Now it’s time for your personality, style, and flair to come to life by creating ambiance. When it comes to decorating, think up and out. Because your area is small and you are undoubtedly already using portions of surface space to display food, beverages, and party supplies, you may want to minimize decorative elements.
By no means does this mean that you have to come up short on style. On the contrary, using decorative pieces, such as strings of fairy lights hung in front of windows, placing floating bud vases on wall shelves, or even having LED candles in holders, can create a warm, inviting space for your guests to enjoy.
In addition, keeping the area airy and free of excessive clutter can give the illusion of more space.
Additionally, upgrading the dishes, eating utensils, and serving wear can add immensely to the overall elegance and decor. Also, consider displaying your food and condiments in layers instead of laying them flat on the surface. Using items such as a shelf riser can help double your service area space. Moreover, consider displaying things like eating utensils and napkins in vertical upright containers. Doing this will free up space on the table for other uses.
If trying to keep your party more elegant, consider removing your television. If that is not possible, intentionally make it part of the ambiance. You can achieve this by streaming a video of a beautiful fireplace, pieces of art, or looped photographs.
Entertainment
Finally, filling the home with music helps create the perfect mood for the party. Having good music flow doesn’t mean that you have to have the music blasting. There is no need to have the neighbors upset with you.
Because the space is small, don’t overwhelm guests with loud music making it hard for them to carry on a conversation. Remember, the music should be in the background, not the main attraction. Therefore, when possible, place paired speakers in various rooms to better manage the sound levels throughout the home or apartment.
Creating a playlist or selecting a music streaming service with the station that plays the genre that pairs well with the vibe you are trying to create will leave your guests jamming all night.
Finally, think about other entertainment that you can add to your event in addition to music. From classic trivia and board games to hiring a caricaturist or master cocktail mixologist, paying extra attention to entertaining your guest can leave a lasting impression.
Taking these steps can help make any party enjoyable for all.
