The fact that you have a small space should not mean you can’t have big get togethers or the parties that you want. To help you make your space function well for entertaining — while still working for your day-to-day life — here are some tips for furniture, styling and even secret crowd control. You can have the night of your life no matter what your home’s square footage.
1. Color choices. As with any small space, a compact entertaining area can be made to feel bigger by using lots of light color — especially bright light tones—on the walls. However, an entertaining space sometimes is better off feeling cozy and lively, rather than airy and minimalist. Don’t be scared to embrace dark or dramatic hues on the wall as an accent, to help set a more intimate mood. You can also contrast dark or vivid hues with light, pale hues. These often will recede to create an interplay of depths that can make a room feel bigger and more energetic. Busy patterns will take over a small space.
2. Lighting. It’s especially important in an entertaining space to have a good lighting scheme that can be controlled to set the right mood. Even in a small space, a single light fixture in the middle of the ceiling can’t be expected to do all the work. Here in Michigan there are many months that we need more lighting. Make sure your room has balanced lighting.
3. Accents. Besides lighting, mirrors and lighter-hued accents can help a small space feel pleasing rather than claustrophobic. Items like white picture frames or artwork give the eye some visual breaks, while mirrors extend the sight line. Mirrors also give people an opportunity to surreptitiously catch a glimpse of another party guest — or simply check for spinach in their teeth.
4. Seating. When entertaining, you’ll want to be able to seat a large number of people. Another day, you might want a comfortable place to decompress alone (or even sneak a quick nap). Start your furniture plan with a large sofa, and you’ll be ready for both of these scenarios. When it comes time to pack in guests, you can sit good friends shoulder to shoulder on a long sectional, and the rest of the week you can lounge in comfort. An armless sofa frees up precious inches to squeeze in an extra person or two at the ends if you want maximum seating. You can then add in toss pillows to act as an armrest or backrest as needed.
Alternately, a modern sofa with wide arms will give people a place to casually perch while they chat, or an extra spot to set down a drink or snack. Just make sure to provide a serving tray with edges to catch spills or take to us about fabric protection.
Of course, a large sofa can fit only so many guests — and some people will probably prefer their own seat. To maximize seating, I like to balance a large sofa with some great side chairs. They add a little classic flair without taking up too much space. Need More ideas? Come visit us any day…(just not Sundays!) or Invite us over to your Tiny Home!