How To Make the Most of Your Space When Entertaining

You love entertaining, but you haven’t been doing much of it recently because your living space just isn’t made to fit all your loved ones in it. Well, we have some good news. You don’t need a 5,000-square-foot home to host a party. With a little advance planning and attention to detail, you can throw a bash that’s big on entertainment value even if it’s in a small space. Below are some of our tips for how to host a party in a small apartment.

Organizing can make or break your party’s success. You want to plan ahead of time and get things where they need to be to make party day easier. Clean and declutter every part of the party area to make the space feel less closed-in. Keep these tips in mind:

• Bathroom: Stash personal toiletries under the sink. Keep the soap out.
• Kitchen: Ditch unused appliances that eat up valuable counter space. You can store them in a bedroom or in cabinets and cupboards.
• Living room: Put away throw pillows, remotes, magazines, games and anything else you won’t use during the party. The lack of extras will help the room feel bigger.
• Porch: If you have good weather and even a small amount of outdoor space, consider extending the party outdoors. Make the most of outdoor spaces by opening them up for beverages and socializing. You can even decorate your porch to match the inside theme and invite people to bring their own fold-up seats for hanging out.
• Playroom: Throwing a kids’ party in a small house means tidying up the playroom and moving things around. You need lots of space for little people to play games. If you have a Piaf or other playroom table, remove a leaf or fold it up.

Generally speaking, the less furniture in mingle spots, the better. You can keep your dining room table, chairs and your living room sofa in place, but consider clearing out other things, like consoles & displays, to make room for party traffic and encourage people to stand around talking. If you are lucky enough to have a multifunctional sofa like the Flex you are home free.

For the pieces you do leave out, choose creative ones that will spark conversation and make them functional. Place a pitcher of drinks there rather than setting up an entire bar, which sucks up valuable space.

Also consider moving furniture around to allow the flow of conversation throughout your space. While a sectioned-off living room area might be great for day-to-day living, moving furniture against walls will open up floor space, create a sense of cohesion and community, and help with the flow of foot traffic. Modular sofas, like the Flex, can be readjusted to allow for open socializing.

If you have people staying the night after your party, finding a comfortable space for each person may seem like a challenge. Not everyone may get a room all to themselves, but if you have multifunctional furniture, such as couches that turn into beds or wall beds, you can offer a comfortable bed without jeopardizing space.

If you have a dinner party in a small apartment or house, a buffet could be the way to go. You could try staging it in the kitchen so your tablespace isn’t crowded with food. That way, you can fit everyone at your dining room table, such as the Epsilon. You can also choose a table that’s out of the way during the day, and can be transformed into a dining table when needed, like the Goliath.

When space is tight in the dining room, position things on the table strategically, so people won’t have to keep getting up. For example, put several sets of salt and pepper on the table and a few bread baskets. Try using a tablecloth so the room feels more festive — and bigger. Keep the centerpiece small and simple so as not to take up too much space.

Whether you hold a dinner party or just serve drinks and apps, have people label their drinks with a sharpie, some DIY wine glass charms or different cup holders. This way you don’t end up with a pile of glasses on the counter, which makes small spaces feel cluttered.

Even a small home or apartment has lots of space. Here are a few unique ways to utilize these spaces for a party:

• Bring Light In: Don’t underestimate the impact of turning on a light or opening a curtain. A light space seems airier and larger.
• Use Your Counter Space: Counter space is worth its volume in gold while entertaining, so use it at a premium. Use tiered plates for dessert served on your kitchen counter, so you can fit more dishes. Clear off anything unnecessary, so only essential party elements are taking up space.
• Keep Table Space for Dining: Use a single, petite centerpiece rather than multiple ones on your buffet table. Serve appetizers on a small coffee table in the living room. Put decorations on the ceiling, such as streamers and light strings, instead of using things that take up space on tables, like vases.

At most parties, people stand around and talk, but they enjoy the occasional sitting break. Increase seating space by moving dining room chairs into other parts of the house. If you do have your dinner party at a table, borrow a bench like the Toda to swap in for chairs — you can seat more people there.

How to Have a Big Party in a Small House

Whatever you do to create the illusion of space and declutter will help people feel comfortable at your party. But don’t spend the whole night worrying about it. Enjoy the time with your friends, and remember that the rest is just details.