It has been a while since you invited guests over for a party but with the lockdown restrictions being lifted and the vaccine rollout taking place successfully, you can prepare to host one of your famous dinner parties again. If your space is not set up for guests, the dinner party could go from fabulous to awkward in no time. The living room in your home is one of the most important rooms and it will welcome, host and entertain the guests. You need to ensure that the living room is ready for a party. Even if you only have an hour to clean up, focus on the main areas of the room to get it ready in no time. Here are five creative ways to prepare your living room for a party and to make your guests feel at home.
1. Clean
To prepare any space for a party, you need to clean it and pick up all the clutter. You need to ensure that the living room looks clean, fresh, and comfortable. Those who have the time must do a thorough cleanup and not leave anything behind. Start a weekend before the party or at least a few days before to avoid stressing out. You do not want your guests to arrive while you are still picking clutter and scrubbing the floor. Hence, dust, sweep, vacuum, and polish. Go through every corner in the room, check behind the cushions and move the couches. You do not want the guest to find to find a missing popsicle from the couch. If you do not have enough time and have left the cleaning for the last minute, do not panic. If the dust or clutter is out of sight, it is fine. Just take a large bag and sweep the clutter into it. Now store it in the garage until after the party. Place the pillows in place and wipe off the dust from the coffee table, and you should be fine.
2. Create mood lighting
Bad lighting- whether too light or too dark can kill the mood instantly at any party. If you want to uplift the mood in any space, you need to use the right type of lighting. The guests should feel comfortable and there should be enough light so that everyone can see. Use mood lighting and layer different types of lights and lamps at varying heights. Ensure that all the light bulbs are working and immediately replace the burned-out bulbs. If you do not have the time to bring in lights, just dim the overhead lights and use some candles to give it a cozy and clean look.
3. Seating
Now that the room is clean and the lights are up, make sure that the furniture is organized in a way that allows group conversation. The party environment must feel natural and the conversation should flow easily. Place the chairs at the same height so the guests can see eye to eye and place the bar stools in a separate space so that people can sit there and talk. It helps to have multiple conversation areas so that people can have private conversations and join the group when they feel like it. You must not worry about things matching. You may not have enough seating but you can pull in chairs from other parts of the home. Bring in other tables, or ottomans, and more stools.
4. Think of safety
If you are inviting guests from different age groups, you need to think about safety accordingly. If there are children, keep the hot drinks away so they cannot reach them. Keep a first aid kit handy at all times and ensure that the battery in the smoke alarm is fresh. You can also talk to the parents about how to prepare to keep the kids busy. Remember to plug up the outlets with safety mechanisms and ensure the candles are out of reach. You may also want to put safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs.
5. Decorate
Finally, you need to decorate the space to make it look welcoming and pleasing. Use fresh flowers to change the feel and look of the room instantly. You can also make them look special by placing them in a unique container. Use light scented candles to add a fresh and festive feel to the room. And if it is a cocktail party, make a drink station or mini-bar. Allow guests to mix drinks the way they like and place the pre-dinner snacks near the bar.
If it is cold and you are planning to use the fireplace, make sure it is ready and well set up. With these five ways, you can make your home look fresh and party-ready in no time.
