GUEST BLOG ALERT!
We are thrilled to welcome our newest Guest Blogger, Albert from Home Living Lab; A home improvement website built to bring you bright ideas & home comfort solutions. With a passion to help to help people make better decisions in homebuilding we collobarated based on our shared values of bespoke build and optimization of special home elements.
In true form, Albert has created a fabulous read about throwing Awesome Parties in a Small Home! Enjoy…
You love your home. And you love your family and friends. What better way to have a great time than to bring these together? You don’t need a big space to have an awesome party. With a little planning, you can have a wonderful time with those who matter to you – in the comfort of your own home.
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Divide your home
We all appreciate a party where there’s space to mingle freely. But it also feels so good to be able to sit down for a rest, without worrying about the lack of seats for others. Divide your home to create at least 2 separate entertainment areas. The first entertainment space could be around the dining table. Replace your usual chairs with more space-efficient benches / back-less stools if needed. 5 – 6 people around the table is comfortable, not too chaotic and ensures optimal conversation. Stagger your guests’ eating time so that each group of 5 – 6 can be served a warm, hearty sit-down meal in comfort. Those who arrive early don’t need to wait for latecomers, and latecomers don’t need to feel guilty.
The second entertainment space could be your living room. Move furniture to the sides to create a large central space for easy movement. Since it’s all standing space only, you can host 2 – 3 times the usual number of people, as opposed to if seats have to be provided. Your guests will also be able to move more freely between groups. Keep decorations simple and as 2-dimensional as possible. Hang things up (photos are great conversation starters and don’t take up standing space at all).
2. Host the party with a partner
How many of us recall hosting a party, but end up being too busy to catch up with anyone? Your guests are going to need things and help around your house, and only you are able to help them! To get around this, play host with a partner and set up a time-table. Take turns (perhaps in 1 hour intervals) to play the role of maître d’hotel. That is, for an entire hour, one of you will take charge of all things hosting-related: welcoming guests, showing them where to put their coat, bringing food to the dining table, topping up the appetizers and drinks, cleaning up messes, and basically ensuring all your guests’ needs are well taken care of. When the hour is up, switch places with your partner and enjoy an hour of being served (and of course that well-deserved catching up with your guests)!
3. Serve one-dish / one-pot meals
Plan a practical menu. Food with too many different components takes up space and it all adds up really quickly. One-dish / one-pot meals are excellent choices. These are wholesome and balanced. Most importantly, they are easy to prepare, serve and clean up. Think pizzas (you can easily have 2 flavors in a single pizza), roasted chicken surrounded by greens, savory pot pies, a beautiful seafood paella… the options are endless. Prepare multiple servings (for your guests who will be staggered for the sit-down meal) ahead of time, and pop the next batch for cooking once the previous batch is served. One-dish meals are easy to prepare, so your partner should be able to handle the cooking single-handedly while it’s your turn to have fun. The best part? All guests get to eat piping hot food freshly cooked.
4. Self-serve appetizers and drinks in the living room
To keep your guests satiated before and after their hot meal in the dining area, provide a self-serve appetizer / dessert table in the living room. Finger food and skewered items are perfect, as serving cutlery isn’t needed at all. Use tiered trays to maximize space; it makes sense to stack up these bite-sized food items instead of laying them flat. Ice cream is always a hit with both kids and adults – serve this on cones instead of cups.
For the drinks, variety is always desired but not always practical. Gauge your guests’ preference (based on age, profile and your personal understanding) and limit your party to serving 2 options via large drink dispensers. Use smaller glasses and show your guests where to return used glasses. Your guests can easily top up their glasses if needed, and you avoid having too many glasses of unfinished drinks placed all over the house. This also minimizes the risk of spilling accidents!
5. Invest in rectangular crockery
Invest in rectangular crockery because it’s simply more space efficient! You can use this at the dining table or at your self-serve stations. Having crockery of similar shapes also allows for easier stacking and movement to the kitchen when clearing up.
Conclusion
Food and drink are central to a great party. We hope that the tips above will help you to easily fulfil this basic requirement. That gives you plenty more bandwidth for real entertainment and conversation – the things that truly matter. Have fun!
This post was written by Albert Lee at Home Living Lab, a site dedicated to home comfort solutions.
