Some apartment dwellers think that if they live in a small apartment, it is impossible to host a dinner party. Well, this is not necessarily true. The fact is no matter how small your living space is, there are several things you can do to pull off a fancy dinner party and entertain your guests like a pro.
Living Room Makeover Tips: How To Turn Your Living Room Into a Dining Room
If you plan to host a dinner but don’t have a proper dining room, worry not! We have got you covered with these nifty tricks that will glam up your living room, making it dinner-party ready. With creativity and resourcefulness, doing this may be a lot easier than you think.
The first thing you would want to do is move some furniture around. You can either move these pieces out of the space or just move them to the sides. What’s great about this is, you are forced to do some deep cleaning, making sure your living room is clean and comfortable. You can do this clean up (sweep, vacuum, dust, and polish) days before your dinner party.
Once space has been cleared up, it is easier to plan what to use as a center table. A good suggestion is to turn your coffee table into a dining table. Put some chairs, beanies, or pillows around it as seating and set up a nice centerpiece like a floral arrangement or some candles to give it that cozy look. You may also want to add some name cards for each of your guests for that personal touch. Arranging to seat makes your space conducive to conversation.
Next, if it is time to serve the food, serve the food on any available surface in your living room. If you have a fireplace, for example, you can place the desserts and snacks on top of it. Food can also be placed on top of living room cabinets, a credenza or spaces of shelves. One great tip is to serve food vertically. Get some tiered serving trays so you maximize space. Another creative thing to do is to display the menu in a space for all to see. The crafty sign instantly brings in the cozy restaurant vibe! It definitely adds some character.
Yet another essential thing to do is create mood lighting. Light up your living room with some lamps around the edges. For the rest of the space, fill it up with scented candles. You can even put candles in the windowsills, the appetizer table, dinner table and in between shelves. This creates an atmosphere of warmth with a touch of magic.
If you would like to include some cocktails in your dinner party, you can make a mini-bar or a bathtub bar. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Get a table or a trolley and place drinks that your guests can mix themselves. If you want to go for the bathtub bar, simply fill up a clean tub with ice and whatever bottled drinks you choose. You can even go as far as setting up a pitcher and glasses near the bathroom sink and turn the whole bathroom into a beverage station. This is a great idea, especially if you have more than one bathroom. This is incredibly fun and laid back!
Once you have finished figuring out your space, food, and drinks, the only thing left to do is to think of the music you and your guests can eat to. Create a playlist to start the evening and another playlist during the dinner party itself and when you feel you are about to do a nightcap. For an early evening, you will never go wrong with tracks by Charles Bradley, Frank Sinatra, Harry Conick, Jr., Coldplay, Janet Jackson, or Angel Olsen. But of course, read your crowd. Keep adjusting your playlist.
Atop these tips, the most important thing is to show off your personality and relax. Dress up and be your best self. Remember that it is your attitude as the host that pretty much defines the party. Your guests will notice if you are stressed out and frantic if you are seen running here and there doing last-minute things just because you failed to plan early on. If guests offer some help, don’t turn them down. They are people important to you, right? At the end of the day, a memorable dinner party is all about the people you brought together, and not really so much about how fancy the food is. Be sure to do your best to put everyone at ease.