The holiday season is coming! You know what that means. Bring on the holiday parties!

Hosting a party in an apartment can be a challenge. To help, we at The Daniel have compiled a list of party tips to make your planning a cinch!

Here are our strategies for throwing a party in a cozy space.

Furnish your Holiday Party with a Purpose

Rearrange

The best way to capitalize on limited space is to rethink your furnishing!

Start by decluttering. Remove any unnecessary objects from your party space including TVs, bikes, and unused appliances.

Next, strategize your event layout. In order to better use your space for entertaining, move your kitchen table into the living room and replace individual chairs with a bench or couch. This will allow you to fit more guests around the table and give the party a cozy feeling.

Multipurpose Spaces

Don’t shy away from using your space to its maximum potential for your holiday party! Find every opportunity to multipurpose your space for the event.

One great idea is to fill your kitchen sink with ice and use it as a cooler for drinks. This way you can use your counter and fridge space for food rather than storing cans and bottles.

Another way to repurpose your space is to put a white tablecloth over your coffee table and use it as a dining space. In order to create additional seating space, you can place pillows on the floor for a bohemian-style party.

Decorate Strategically

Rather than taking up valuable table space with useless decorations, choose ornaments that hang from the ceilings or walls. String lights, streamers, and floating flower vases are great ways to make your party festive that don’t get in the way.

It is also important to keep the space cool–both visually and temperately. Pale colors and appropriate lighting can make make a space appear larger. Using mirrors and warm lighting rather than overhead lighting can create this affect. Alternately, it is a good idea to keep your thermostat set at a low temperature so off-set the heat of a full apartment.

 

Optimize Available Space

Avoid Clutter

The simplest way to make your space appear more open is to avoid cluttering your space with overdone decorations. A room full of knick-knacks and ornaments can be suffocating for guests. Choosing simple details over ornate fixtures can go a long way. For example, a single flower as a centerpiece fits a small space much better than a bouquet that conquers your table.

In order to avoid building up additional clutter during the party, encourage guests to reuse their dishes rather than pile them in the kitchen by supplying them with wine charms or personalized drink stirrers to mark their own cup.

You should also assign a designated area for your guests to leave their things and encourage them to keep their shoes on. This will help keep your space clear rather than making it seem cramped by miscellaneous items lying around.

Map your Food Placement

Putting all your food on one table encourages your guests to congregate in one area. In order to avoid a crowd, layout your food in strategic areas of your apartment rather than all in one place.

Additionally, don’t let serving platters take up more space than they need to. Tiered trays are useful display your food in an appealing way that saves table space. You can also place several complementary foods on the same tray to minimize the number of platters you have laid out.

Finally, you can save space by minimizing the number of drinks you offer your guests. Rather than stocking up on a variety of beer and wine, choose one or two specialty cocktails to offer your guests.

 

Now you are fully equipped with an arsenal of party planning tools and a lack of excuses. Go forth and have yourself a merry little holiday party now!