Some people are born to entertain guests, some achieve entertaining greatness with practice and others find themselves unwittingly in charge of a shower or birthday party with no clue what to do.
Hosting friends, family or colleagues at home can bring out the nerves and stress in even the most seasoned entertainers. The hours leading up to the event can be a mad dash to get everything just right. Seasoned hosts know that great evenings begin long before the guests arrive, and that the secret to successful entertaining isn’t in choosing the perfect finger foods, crafting a custom cocktail or making personalized party favors. The secret to successful entertaining is comfort.
When you create a space and atmosphere that makes your guests feel comfortable, you free them from social jitters and help open them up to joyful engagement. Here’s our checklist for hosting a successful evening by design.
1. Make a Place for Everyone
When there isn’t enough seating for every guest to enjoy the night comfortably, it doesn’t just leave the folks left standing or on the floor uncomfortable. Before you entertain entertaining, make sure you have designed your home with ample seating to accommodate your ideal guest list. This includes the appropriate number of dining chairs and accent chairs for a complete home design, as well as comfortable, attractive occasional seating. Ottomans, poufs, and benches not only add style to the home, but can easily be accessed to provide more space for guests when entertaining. When not in use, occasional seating can be stowed attractively under coffee tables, against the wall or used as decorative display. An accent chair kept in the bedroom can also function as occasional seating without disrupting the flow of your design.
2. Remove Clutter
Cleaning before an evening of entertaining is a no-brainer, but dust around the baseboards won’t go as noticed as scattered odds and ends. Remove clutter, especially personal items like mail, calendars with private information and any other items that may inspire guests to do a double take. Storage ottomans provide an easy, attractive way to stash such items out of sight, while also providing additional space to accommodate guests. If you have books on the shelf that may make guests uncomfortable, they can easily be stowed in an ottoman in the living room. Store medications or other private items in a bathroom storage ottoman and top it with a tray with candles, incense or charming decor. This won’t just make your guests more comfortable, but you as well.
3. Have Something for Everyone
Furniture goes a long way in providing for the comfort of your guests. The next place to plan ahead for comfort is your pantry and kitchen cabinets. With dietary restrictions on the rise, and many people turning toward sober lifestyles, make sure you’ve stocked your pantry with options that enable your guests to enjoy the evening without having to feel like a bother. Gluten-free crackers, non-dairy dips and other more universal treats have a long shelf life and will make you a more mindful host. When purchasing wine or cocktail ingredients, add some delightful sparkling waters, sodas and juices so you can offer something to sober friends without drawing attention.
Craft Comfort with Wovenbyrd
Wovenbyrd designs modern furniture with comfort, function and accessibility in mind. Scaled to be used throughout the home, you’ll find versatile seating and storage solutions that bring gorgeous style and ample accommodation for guests. Our storage ottomans range in size to help you keep clutter out of the way, while our benches and poufs provide happy seating from taking shoes off in the entryway to playing party games in the living room. Wovenbyrd’s accent chairs can be used to make space for dinner guests gathered around the table as well as provide a cozy seat for an evening of cocktails and mocktails. We design furniture to bring out the best in your home and empower you to live the home life you’ve always desired, complete with successful evenings of entertaining friends and family. Find your new favorite pieces when you shop at Target, Wayfair, or directly on our website.
