Celebrating the Holidays: Apartment Edition

You don’t need a sprawling estate to host holiday functions, you just need a plan! And we’re here to help you make the most of the end-of-the-year festivities with these high-impact hosting tips that will help you make a big impression with limited space.

Table the discussion

Does your table overflow-eth? If you’ve invited 12, but your dining table only seats 6, go ahead and set a spread on your coffee table or breakfast bar, too. Or, better yet, set your meal to be an appetizer-and-dessert event, finger food style, so that guests can just as easily sit or stand and eat.

Learn the “Mix over Match” Method

It’s silly to purchase extra silverware or dishes or chairs for an event you only host once a year. Beg, borrow—but don’t steal—what you can from neighbors and slip in pretty disposables where you can to save on sanity and cleanup. Or head to the local thrift shop and buy a bunch of mismatched items and send the leftovers home on them! Eclectic is good. And very hipster of you.

Make every surface work for you.

Forget stuffing all of the food onto one table—you have to sit there, too, remember? Set up the bar on the windowsill, use the coffee table for the dessert items, set up snacks on the fireplace mantel, and cover your washer and dryer with a cute table cloth to bring your laundry room into the party. (Fun fact: You can always keep the drinks chilled in the washer with a bag of ice if you have a top loader).

Cry happy tiers.

Tiered trays are the small-space host’s best friends. When table space is at a premium, make the most of it by layering in cake stands or make your own tiered tray with vintage plates. Adding layers of food to your table not only increases the deliciousness density, but it creates a gorgeous focal point.

Here’s to happy hosting!