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a home + living guide for the post-college, pre-parenthood, quasi-adult generation

05.31.2001

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2. Make space: No doubt you’ve spent many long hours pushing this chair six inches to the left, that table two feet to the right, all in an effort to get your furnishings arranged just so. But while your oversized comfy sofa may look fantastic floating in the middle of your living room, it also takes up a lot of valuable floor space that could be better used, on party nights, to promote mingling amongst your guests, even a little dancing once the drinks are flowing and the inhibitions are down. So don’t be afraid to do a little rearranging. Use your bedroom, the garage, a second bathroom, your bedroom balcony, the laundry closet, your mammoth SUV, or whatever non-guest-friendly space you can find to house extra sofas, chairs, and other bulky furnishings. Smaller items, like chairs and little endtables, can even be stacked up in the bathtub, with the curtain pulled shut of course. Or, if you’re living in a closet and simply can’t find anywhere to stash to, at least push sofas and bed against the wall to clear up some extra space.

3. Seating matters: If you’re living in a cramped city studio, it’s likely that you barely have room for a bed and an armchair, never mind special seating for guests. In an ideal world, of course, that bed would be saved for entertaining only very special guests, but when there’s absolutely not an inch of room to spare for any other furniture, it’ll serve just fine as guest seating. Push it up against the wall on the long side, toss a nice blanket over it and load it up with plenty of pillows – voilà! You’ve got a comfy daybed for lounging. Assuming you have some space to spare but are still somewhat lacking in the chair department, floor cushions also work fabulously for makeshift seating.

4. Get out of the kitchen: There are two good reasons why people tend to congregate in the kitchen during a party, and their names are Food and Drink. Which is fine, if you’re lucky enough to have a beautifully-decorated, palatial-size kitchen. But if you can stand in the middle of your kitchen with arms outstretched and touch both walls, and if your countertops are a hideous fake-woodgrain chipped laminate, you’d probably be happy to get the guests out of there fast and into more comfortable, aesthetically pleasing surrounds. Corralling your friends into the living room might work as a temporary fix, but there’s only one sure way to lure the crowds out of the kitchen – move your edibles and potables and your guests will follow. 

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