3 Tips for a Party Friendly Home. Decorations are an important part of setting the mood.
But how your home is arranged and where you place the food and drinks plays a crucial role.
These ingredients can mean the difference between a fete that's a fabulous whirl of sparkling conversation and activity and a less-than-lively, staid affair.
Parties offer a chance to launch new friendships, and if you make it easy for people to talk to each other by creating space for the festivities ahead, everything else will simply fall into place.
1 Make room for guests.
Whether your home is spacious or small, if you're having a large party you'll want to make room for your guests in the living room, dining room, and family room.
-- Roll 'em up and move 'em out: Remove an area rug from your living room to clear out space for dancing; haul the big furnishings, like the sofa and ottoman, out of the living room and place them behind closed doors in another room.
-- Or, push the furniture up against the walls to open up more floor space and ease circulation.
After all, a lively gathering is one that encourages people to meet new friends. And with more space in which to wander, your guests will feel more relaxed.
-- Have fewer chairs than people: With the exception of dinner parties, a get-together stops being festive as soon as everyone is seated. Remove the dining room chairs, and let the table serve as an hors d'oeuvres station.
-- Keep guests circulating through your home: Place the refreshments in one room, the buffet in another, and the desserts and coffee in a third area or room.
-- For small groups, limit the social areas to just one or two rooms of your home and direct guests to the bathroom you want them to use.
-- Avoid opening your den or upstairs rooms to guests. Once the group disperses into your home's outer reaches, cliques will form that may make some of your guests feel left out.
2 Do up the festive decor.
Your party should be a reflection of you, so choose a theme that makes you feel bright and festive.
If pink's your theme color, scatter pink balloons about the ouse or fill vases with pink roses; greet arrivals with a rosy drink.
For a Mexican fiesta, place a different pinata on the food table in every room; serve drinks in margarita glasses.
3 Remember the big picture.
Be sure to look at the whole home setting - lighting, texture, scale and progression (such as pots of flowers lining the walk).
Fill your home with background music that's appropriate for the gathering's theme: classical for sit-down dinner parties, salsa for spirited celebrations.
Dim the lights for a more intimate mood.
The senses should be tickled by imaginative surprises: a centerpiece that soars above the buffet table, glitter scattered along a walkway, gardenias floating in glass bowls.
And remember - you'll enjoy yourself and your guests more if you finish decorating well in advance of arrival time.
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