When I have a gathering with more than four people in my small two bedroom, one bath townhouse, I am challenged with thinking of creative ways to make it comfortable for all of my guests.
In a small event space you need to pay more attention to seating, serving, and socializing. (Oh, gotta love the accidental alliteration!)
Here are five tips to help you host a successful event in a small space:
1. Make use of the walls and ceilings
When you can’t expand your party horizontally, the logical direction is to go up. No, this does not mean you need superpowers to dance on the ceiling. (Although, that would be awesome!) What you can do is pretty up the walls and hang your decorations from the ceiling. This will save space at the tables and help keep your place clutter free.
2. Use pillows for extra seating
Pillows are good for laying your head on or squeezing tight for comfort … but that’s not all … Pillows make excellent extra seating on the floor! This is a great option especially when your party includes children. Double the use by choosing bright, festive colored pillows and include them as part of your decorations.
3. Opt for appetizers
Save space by limiting how much food you cook and serve. You can do this by selecting a menu of small appetizers instead of a sit down meal. Or, if you prefer to make a full meal, think about serving it buffet style.
Make sure the food is not too messy so your guests can eat the food comfortably anywhere in the house. Mobile-style foods are great because you can spread the food through out the rooms so your guests won’t crowd in one area.
4. Rearrange your furniture
Determine which rooms you will allow your guests in and take a look at the space. Will the current set up work for multiple people? Maybe your kitchen table could be pushed up against a wall and used to display the appetizers or buffet. See if you can move your couch in a different position to allow for extra seats to be added in the living room. Move a bookshelf or TV stand to your bedroom temporarily to allow more space for your guests to move around.
My favorite way to make extra space in my home is to set up a larger folding table with a table cloth over top of the low coffee table in my living room. This provides extra table height and length for playing board games or serving food.
5. Offer more than food
When you fit a lot of people into a tiny space, your guests may start to feel uncomfortable. Lighten the mood by offering some entertainment. If it is a nice day out, ask if anyone wants to go for a walk or sit outside. If you have enough room, you can take it up a notch and start dancing or playing games. At the very least, play music in the background.
Remember, it is possible to have a party in any size space, and I mean it when I say ANY size! In college we had some pretty amazing parties with 10 people in a 12′ x 19′ dorm room, and all we had to do was stack the beds on top of one another … poof … there was a dance floor.
Have you ever been challenged with hosting a party in a small space? I would love to hear how it went. Please share your suggestions!
Happy savings … and remember to have fun!
SPEND LESS. PARTY MORE. 