Do you enjoy hosting dinner parties and evenings in your home but feel as though your house isn’t always conducive for entertaining? Hosting friends and family in the home is great, but if you don’t have the proper setup, it isn’t usually comfortable for your guests, and yourself. Rather than relinquish your duties as the host, why not take a closer look at your dining room and put your interior design hat on. With just a few tips and tricks that we’re about to cover, you’ll be able to add life to your dining room while making it better for hosting parties and gatherings.
Proper Lighting Should be a Top Priority
When it comes to décor and design, many people are quick to jump on things such as paint colour, table décor, and the furniture, but really it needs to start with the lighting. A beautiful light fixture such as a chandelier will add drama and elegance to the room, while also making sure that you’ve got enough light to properly enjoy your meal. Chandeliers from lights.co.uk could be a good option for you as they come in a wide variety of designs, sizes, and finishes.
At lights.co.uk you’ll find classic designs with crystals dropping from them, to more modern and simple fixtures that can work with a contemporary space. With a chandelier, there really is no such thing as ‘too big’, so even the larger varieties can be perfect for your space. As an added bonus, lights.co.uk feature free delivery over £50 and free returns within 30 days if the chandelier just doesn’t end up working with your décor.
As an added tip, you can also install a dimmer switch with chandeliers that will allow you to control just how much light they give off. You can have it nice and bright while eating, then dim it afterwards while everyone is chatting and sipping on after dinner drinks.
Invest in a Table with Leaves
For those who don’t have a very large dining room, but want a way to fit more people around the table, a good idea can be to invest in a table that has extension leaves. What these are is inserts you place in the middle of the table which essentially extends the length of it. Now obviously that oversized table won’t be ideal on a regular everyday basis, so once the party is over you can just take the leaves out of the table and have it back to its typical compact form.
Get Yourself a Home Bar
Here’s a design tip that will really take your hosting game to the next level, and that’s to create your own home bar. Today you can find a variety of cabinets and end tables that are actually bars with hidden drawers and shelves. Many of these are sleek and compact looking when not in use, then open up to show off all the fabulous bar essentials such as glasses, bottles of wine and liquor, a shaker, an ice bucket, and so forth.
When shopping for one of these home bars, size should be a top priority, as you want to be sure it isn’t too big for your space, but also look for one that has an emphasis on smart storage solutions, and with a surface that can double as a cutting board and serving table for drinks.
Music Helps to Create Atmosphere
While this isn’t exactly a design tip or trick, it is a tip that will help to set the atmosphere. Ensuring that you have music piping into the dining room is a great way to set the tone and create that welcoming environment. With all the digital devices and home assistants such as Google Home Assistant, streaming music is typically the best way to go.
Mix and Match Table Décor
Table décor will also go a long way in setting the tone and atmosphere in the dining room. If you host often, then it could be wise to invest in mix and match pieces that will allow you to create a different look each time rather than the same thing over and over. With mix and match, you want to stick to a basic colour palette for the main pieces, then bring in various pops of colour that can be switched out.
Create a Clear Unobstructed Path to the Kitchen
Finally, you want to think about flow in the dining room. There should be enough space for people to comfortably move around the table and find their seats without feeling too crowded, and you also need to maintain a clear and unobstructed path to the kitchen. This will allow you to serve your guests without any unfortunate accidents happening simply because you have tripped over a table leg or chair.
Each of these tips will help you to amp up your hosting game in a big way.