Designing a home is never an easy task, with interior design trends seeming to change from week to week. However, for those who love to host family, there are plenty of design tips that can make your space feel bigger while simultaneously making it more conducive to having company. Before you buy another bulky piece of furniture, consider these tricks for making your house the perfect place to entertain.
Go open concept
If you want to build a space that’s ideal for entertaining, going open concept is key. If your existing space is more closed off than you’d like, you don’t need to start smashing walls just yet; simply extending the perimeter of doorways or adding some arched frames around doors and windows can make your home seem more open and spacious.
Build some built-ins
While bookcases may seem to have little to do with family gatherings, they can make all the difference in the configuration of a space. Instead of having bulky bookcases take up much-needed square footage in the center of your home, having built-ins can give you a place to put your books and other décor that might otherwise clutter up a room.
Add an island
The kitchen is, without a doubt, the heart of the home, so using that space efficiently is crucial. At Manhattan luxury building 925 West End Avenue, this dilemma has been cleverly solved through the use of a semi-open kitchen that offers both privacy for the cook and a usable entertaining space when not in use. If you have more room to play with, opt for an island in the kitchen; doing so will give guests a central place to gather and will give them a place to safely rest plates and cups, too.
Add pendant lighting
Take a page from luxury condos like 242 Broome and ditch that tin-can lighting once, opting for pendant lighting instead. While recessed lighting can certainly brighten a room, it also tends to be more stark than single fixtures; a beautiful pendant lamp’s warm glow not only keeps your home illuminated, it also provides a conversation piece for your guests.
Use mirrors to your advantage
Even if you don’t have massive square footage to work with, you can make it seem that way by adding some mirrors to your space. An expertly-hung ornate mirror or a wood-rimmed full-length standing mirror propped against a wall can make any room seem larger and more conducive to hosting get-togethers.
Whether you’re living in a Manhattan condo or a house in the suburbs, the right décor can make all the difference, especially when it comes to entertaining. Before you buy another piece of furniture that takes up space and will eventually find itself thrift store bound, consider your décor and use it to maximize space for you and your guests. Just a few changes to your decorating scheme can turn your home into the place to be for family gatherings.
