How to Make Your Next Event Shine
Planning a happy hour with a few friends? Maybe a small dinner party?
Exciting as the prospect of welcoming guests back into your home may be, you may also be feeling a little out of practice. We’re all slowly coming out of isolation and learning what it’s like to socialize again. That’s why I’m offering my best tips for creating a welcoming atmosphere in your home—to bolster your confidence and make your time together truly enjoyable.
Your kitchen doubles as a lounge
Set up your island, bar top, or breakfast table as a spot guests can occupy that won’t put them in the way of your food prep but keeps them close at hand. It’s always a good idea to have some magazines, cocktail napkins, and small snacks that invite your guests to sit and stay.
A good bar stool, a few appetizers, and your good company are foolproof ways to make your guests happiest at your kitchen counter.
Decide ahead of time what tasks you might ask for help with. If you need some vegetables chopped, bring one of your guests into your food prep space and leave the lounge area exclusively for lounging.
Set up a drink station in the living room
Nothing says “relax and enjoy yourself” like a drink station. If you don’t have a dedicated bar—not to worry! You can make a console or even a folding table elegant with a simple floor-length table cloth.
Arrange supplies for a couple basic cocktails beside a pitcher of your signature drink for the event.
If you do have a dedicated bar, make the most of it. Stock it with happy-hour essentials and put your most festive glasses on display.
Nothing makes a better bar display than a basket of fresh citrus fruits. They’ll have your guests’ mouths watering and light up your counter with a pop of color.
Create an atmosphere where everyone looks their best
Often we focus only on the look of light fixtures and fail to think about what kind of light is most flattering to us and our guests, Lightbulbs now provide us with a huge range of color and brightness with kelvin (color temperature) from 2700K-4000K. When selecting new lightbulbs for your home, think about which will cast the most flattering glow. Skin tones are typically complemented by diffused indirect warm light.
Turn off overhead can lighting, and dim overhead chandeliers, pendants or sconces.
Turn on lamps and light candles on the dining table, coffee table, or side tables where your guests will gather so that you can all enjoy the soft lighting.
Each of these easy steps will make your next event shine. Your guests will appreciate your intentionality, admire your extra touches, and look forward to future invitations to come together in your space. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to host a fabulous gathering!
