Whether you live in a small apartment, house, or condo, it’s possible to have a great dinner party. While you might avoid inviting people over due to the size of your cozy space, there are plenty of ways to enjoy time with family and friends no matter how big your home is.
Here are some tips for making your small space work for entertaining:
Serve One Type of Zinfandel or Cocktail
Smaller parties mean that you need a smaller list of foods and drinks to serve. Instead of offering a full bar, of course, you can easily select a favorite cocktail or bottle of wine to serve. Many people love Artizen Zinfandel for its unique blend of flavors and hint of pepper. It’s also easy to chill a few bottles of wine in the fridge versus needing them to be out and on ice. This can save a lot of space when you’re hosting.
Gather in the Kitchen
Make your kitchen the central focus of your home. When planning a dinner party, it’s important to keep in mind that the kitchen is the heart of your home. This is where you prepare food for yourself and for your guests, so it should be a well-designed space that reflects your style and personality. By making sure that your kitchen looks good on its own, you’ll be able to create an inviting atmosphere where guests will feel comfortable mingling while they wait for their food. Or you can set up appetizers on various plates throughout the kitchen during your dinner party.
Rethink the Menu
Offer a few finger foods instead of heavy hors d’oeuvres. Finding premade finger foods can save you a lot of time and space. Instead of preparing a lot of hors d’oeuvres that have multiple steps and make a lot of dishes, finger foods are a great alternative. Whether you’re gathering in the kitchen or the living room, these foods are the perfect snack for guests while the meal finishes cooking. You can even set out multiple plates that each have a sampling of the finger foods you made. This way people aren’t roaming around to get to one plate of food that has the best item on it.
Think Small When It Comes to Dishware
Your home is already small and after a dinner party, you’ll have plenty of dishes to clean. So, don’t be afraid to use small plates, glasses, and silverware. Smaller plates, glasses, and silverware are more attractive than large ones. They make the food look more appetizing and give it a sense of importance. Also, smaller plates are more practical because you can fit more on them and they’re easier to clean up after the meal is over. Smaller plates also take up less space when storing them in your cupboard or pantry. The same goes for small glasses; if you have guests coming over for dinner, there’s no need to have those huge wine glasses taking up room on the countertop when smaller ones will do just fine.
Use a Bluetooth Speaker for Music
Living in a small space has its perks. One of them is that a small Bluetooth speaker can often work just fine to add music to your space. Music can do a lot for a space, even if you’re working with less-than-ideal conditions. The right tempo or mood can instantly transform your home into an evening party venue, whether it’s in the kitchen or living room. You’ll also want to make sure that any music you play is appropriate for the occasion—you don’t want to throw on some pop songs when everyone else is expecting jazz standards. And you certainly don’t want angry girl music when you want to create an upbeat atmosphere.
Be Aware of the Lighting
Want to make your home feel cozy and intimate? Then turn down the lights. This can create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Use dimmer switches to set the mood, add candles for a warm, flickering glow and turn off overhead lights. You can also use low-wattage bulbs in lamps and place them strategically around the room so that they’re not too bright but will still provide enough illumination for people to see one another clearly.
Final Thoughts
Hosting in a small space doesn’t need to be elaborate. Keep things simple, remove unnecessary clutter, and make your space warm and inviting for guests.