Entertaining
December 18, 2015
Editors’ Advice: 5 Easy Entertaining Tips And Tricks
We asked House & Home design editors to share their best entertaining tips. The common theme? Don’t stress! Here’s what they had to say.
“We don’t entertain a ton at Christmas — we usually go to my parents’ house. When we do have friends and family over, I bring in lots of natural elements to set a festive mood and fill the house with scent. I add potted rosemary plants and bowls of clementines with the stems still on — things that are really fragrant.” —Sally Armstrong
“I won’t pretend I have this figured out! I never have cocktails ready — I can’t get that organized. But I open the wine before people come so that it’s all ready. And I have a glass myself, so I won’t care quite as much!”
“I don’t take it too seriously. I try to remember: People are just happy to be there. I have people bring things, and I put people to work. I get someone who’s into music to make a playlist. You could always reuse the same dinner party playlist every time you host. And don’t forget to put whatever is left of the cheese plate out on the dinner table after dessert. We love to sit at the table forever.” —Stacey Smithers
“I always try to organize the food carefully beforehand — because there have actually been times we’ve done potlucks at our house, and everyone has shown up just with wine! So now I tell them exactly what to bring, and I keep close track of it all.”
“Another simple trick I use is putting washi tape at the base of all the glasses and marking them with people’s names — it’s fun and decorative, and we don’t run out of clean glasses! You could even use painter’s tape.” —Kai Ethier
“When I’m doing big parties, I rent dishes and glassware. It just alleviates some of the pressure. It doesn’t have to be fancy crystal or china — just good shapes. I add my own vintage china to the mix to make the tables or place settings prettier. You can send the rentals back dirty, so I put the empty boxes on my back porch and toss the used ones right out there during the party.”
“Before a party, I eliminate everything on all counters in the kitchen (I put it all down in the basement). That gives me extra surfaces for things like a coffee station and a water station with bottles of sparkling and flat. That way, people can just help themselves.” —Morgan Michener
“Consider your lighting carefully. Create a sense of ambience with a fire in the fireplace and lots of candles. Dim other lights to make your rooms feel cozy.”
“I find if there’s a fiasco, it usually has to do with food. The host loses track of time and things stay in the oven too long. We all know what we excel at — stick with that. Something with minimal work, care and fuss. Ultimately, you want to feel comfortable and de-stressed and have fun.” —Lauren Petroff