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7
Steps
on the Path
Towards Party
Nirvana
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1 2 3
continued from 1
3
Create appropriate mood lighting.
Bright lighting is great, when
you’re reading, or writing, or working on some project that requires
you to clearly see what you’re doing. But there’s no better
mood-killer at a party than a blinding, glaring light that reveals every
little blemish present. Fluorescents, especially, should be avoided, as
they give off a greenish-hued light that makes skin look unattractively
pasty and sickly. Soft, warm, minimal lighting is absolutely key here,
as it will make everyone look much better than they’d look under
ordinary lighting conditions. Replace any 60W or higher incandescent
bulbs with lower wattage white bulbs or, for a funkier atmosphere, use
colored bulbs (I like red and blue.) Black light (UV) bulbs are another
fun option, since people seem to find perennial amusement in the sight
of white shirts and white teeth glowing violet in the dark (this despite
the fact that the phenomenon ceased to be novel for most of us about 2
decades ago). Strings of white Christmas lights also work well, as do
big pillar candles (if you do use candles, be careful about where you
place them, as you’ll want to be certain that no one will accidentally
knock one over and set your whole house ablaze.)
4 Rearrange
your furniture.
Different furniture arrangements
suit different purposes. At my place, for example, a cramped living
room-type area – along with an insane number of futon sofas -- means
that there’s very little open floor space. This happens to work just
fine for hanging out to watch tv or just chat with a few friends. But
for parties, it’s better to have some open areas where, one hopes,
people might actually decide to dance. Besides, the availability of too
many comfortable seating options is, in general, non-conducive to one of
the basic purposes of a party – mingling. It’s difficult to mingle
if you’ve been swallowed up by the too-tempting luxury of a deep,
cushy armchair. So move that coffee table to a spare room, push your
sofas against the wall, do whatever you have to do to clear up some
space .
5 Invest
in a good sound system.
You’ll need a decent stereo
system, preferably with a 5 or 6 disc CD changer, and with good-quality
speakers. Your little boombox purchased in 1988 simply will not do;
chances are also good that the speakers that came with your all-in-one
mini-stereo system are going to sound like crap when you have the volume
turned up. Oh, and obvious though it might seem, I feel compelled to say
this (since I actually have witnessed this happening): for god’s sake,
make sure your stereo and speakers are in the same room where the actual
party is taking place.
but
wait, there's more!
--------------------------->
lounge . nourish
.
host . laze
. home .
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