Holiday Tips for Entertaining in a Small Space
Hosting guests in a small home is not impossible - it just takes a little creativity. If the interior living spaces in your home tend to be short on square footage or if you have a small backyard, then you may want to consider a buffet style party. This way you only need a minimum of seating space and guests are more likely to socialize with each other.
There are ways to make entertaining in a small home run smoothly, and it all begins with decluttering and cleaning the space of unnecessary items on tables and in common areas. Temporarily removing most of your family's everyday items will go a long way in making a small space look larger. Here are more holiday tips for throwing an amazing party in a small space.
How to Throw a Party in a Small Space
Move Furniture to Create Gathering Spaces
If you have opted for a buffet style meal, then you should move sofas, tables, and chairs towards the walls which will create distinct areas for relaxing or moving around to socialize. Keep the seating places together to encourage conversation and interactions. Even the kitchen or dining room table can be shifted towards a corner, and serve as the party's eat and drink stations. Then use those dining room chairs around the perimeter of the room for guest seating.
Don't Overdo Holiday Decor
Keep your holiday decor simple, and if you are throwing a large party in a small space, then you may want to forgo setting up the Christmas tree until later. By all means, use your wall space to drape pine cones, hang wreaths on exterior doors, and consider some of these Gorgeous Christmas Garland Ideas along stairs or hanging from above! Keep your table centerpieces simple, so they don't hog the precious space needed by your guests.
Include the Kitchen for a Casual Area
Everyone wants to be in the kitchen with the cook, so why not open up your kitchen as part of your entertaining space. When you host a large party in a small space, you need to use all your available space. Consider speaking with a home improvement profession that can complete one of these small remodeling projects just in time for the holiday season:
- Open up a shared wall between the kitchen and living spaces
- Install a kitchen corner niche with bench seating and a small table
- Have a kitchen island counter installed to serve as a buffet space
- Add vertical shelving above counters and over appliances for storage
Increase the Light for an Open Air Feel
No matter what size home or apartment you have, interior designers know how to maximize space for a party with the illusion of light and mirrors. Plenty of natural lighting will create an airy and light feel to what is normally a small and cramped room. Also, hang large mirrors on the walls or even consider an entire mirrored wall to create the illusion of a larger space.
When natural lighting is limited, or you are hosting an evening event, use brighter light fixtures for serving areas and softer, incandescent lights for dancing and conversation. Use your table lamps, floor lamps, and wall sconces to separate spaces with light. And don't be afraid to go bold with a red or blue bulbs or even color-changing light bulbs to enhance the holiday festivities.
Take-Aways
- Begin with decluttering and cleaning your spaces of unnecessary items
- Move furniture to create gathering places and open floor space
- Consider a kitchen remodel that increases living and entertaining space
- Lights and mirrors can project the illusion of more space and create ambiance
Contact us at RWC Windows, Doors, and More, serving the West Caldwell, NJ communities with professional kitchen installations, bathroom remodeling, and replacement windows and doors. We've been relieving homeowners of the stress around home improvements since 1959. Talk with one of our design consultants about how we can help you with your home entertaining challenges through the holiday season.
2020 Bathroom Trends: What to Look For & What to Avoid
Home design trends come and go circularly, and 2020 bathroom design shows this concept with modernized versions of traditional bathroom styles coming back into fashion. The bathroom interior design trends for 2020 are really exciting this year as traditional tiles and color schemes allow for a wide variety of bathroom remodels according to individual tastes. Well built high quality bathrooms are gaining a new level of appreciation, and a certain clean simplicity reflects the functionality and versatility of open spaces.
Bathroom Tile and Color Trends
Bathroom tile trends of 2020 are the epitome of timeless class and functional quality. Neutral colors are a great starting point, as they allow towels, appliances, candles, and flowers to change the color palette seasonally or whenever you desire. Because of the tiles' durability and inherent waterproof qualities, they are great for floors and walls, counters and backsplashes, and even for custom designed showers or sinks.
Bathroom color trends 2020 have a wide range of popular designs according to what your preference is. Consider what you find relaxing when you want to take a long bath, what colors you enjoy while getting ready for work in the morning or getting ready for bed in the evening. Again, you can't go wrong with neutral colors and use decorations to set the color scheme, but unlike tiles paints and stains can be reapplied fairly easily if you decide to change them later, so don't be afraid to make a bold choice if you know that's what you like.
Bathroom Trends to Avoid
The main bathroom trends to avoid 2020 are any designs which are overly gaudy. Excessively fancy lighting, faucets, or hardware distract from the intended focal point which might be wonderful tile work throughout the room, a gorgeous well crafted vanity, or a luxurious tub and shower. An open and elegantly designed room is far more pleasant to be in than one which feels closed in and cluttered. Although there are plenty of great options and accessories to choose from to make your modern bathroom more functional, they can be overdone. Choose the features you know you'll use daily rather than trying to incorporate everything that “seems cool” in the showroom and you'll be happy with your bathroom for years to come. When it comes to bathroom remodeling trends to avoid, just remember that less can be more.
Small Bathroom Design and Remodeling
Even though large open designs are a popular trend this year, some home blueprints simply don't allow for a large bathroom. Using small bathroom design trends in 2020 can make a small space into a really unique, functional space. Consider perhaps having shelves instead of cabinets under the vanity, it will open up the room and make it feel less cluttered, as you'll intuitively keep the space organized. The same goes for a linen closet, removing the door is a great way to make the room feel larger, perhaps add drawers or sliding bins to keep everything in its proper place. When kept simple and clutter free, a small bathroom can be just as nice as a larger one.
Bathroom Ideas for 2020
- Consider neutral colors and classic tiles proven to work well in the bathroom.
- Avoid adding features you aren't going to wind up using.
- Keep the space as simple as possible to provide an open elegant feel to the area.
- Don't let a small bathroom make you think it can't be just as nice as a larger one.
Conclusion
If you're ready for a bathroom renovation, contact us at RWC Windows, Doors, and More to discuss what we can do to build your dream bathroom. As experienced bathroom remodeling designers in NJ, we can provide both small bathroom remodeling and master bathroom remodeling ideas! Visit our showroom, or have a representative come to your house at your convenience to discuss how we can provide you with a great new bathroom or any other remodeling project your home might need.