Choose Your Style: Designing for Celebration
"Enjoy the little things in life, because one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things. Gather together, celebrate, and savor those moments." — Kurt Vonnegut
Ellen Cushing recently published an article in The Atlantic titled, "Americans Need to Party More." And we concur. But, as she states, we are "stymied by the logistics of scheduling in a world that has become much more frenetic and much less organized around religion and civic clubs." Which is to say, we're just too busy to bother making a party happen.
That makes the team here at House Warming kinda sad. Because the whole idea of House Warming is to gather together. To make a house feel warm with love. Corny, sure. But c'mon, who doesn't love a good dinner party? Whether you're making a five course meal and busting out the fancy plates, or you're throwing tortilla chips in a bowl, grabbing some store bought queso and opening a bottle of cheap Chard—we want to help America party more.
Read on for some inspiration on how to make your home party-ready. So the next time you feel the urge to celebrate something—a birthday, a baby shower, or just a good hair day—your house will be set up for success.
Refined Gatherings
Flexibly Fabulous
The easiest way to shift your space from a place where you eat peanut butter out of the jar in your pajamas to a classy joint ready for elevated dining is with detailed accents. Whether it's a nice tablecloth, elegant pillow covers, or shifting an upholstered chair from the corner to the main area, little touches can make all the difference.
Ready for the 'Gram
Love it or hate it, sometimes we do things for the 'gram. And it would be a nice little ego boost to know your guests were posting pics of your party in their stories. So give them something to talk about. Set up a loveseat against a nice backdrop that suits the occasion. And let the likes roll in.
Follow the Flow
Even if you're organizing the party around a multi-course meal like a scene from "Anna Karenina", you still want to have some furniture that can be rearranged. Whether it's for someone to shift to another side of the table for less cross talk. Or for the post dinner brandy and cigars you'll be having in the study. You want your guests to be able to easily pull up a chair, and that chair not to feel like it came from the local Elks Lodge.
Casual Get-Togethers
Keep It Cozy
When the goal is to chill out with your friends and maybe binge watch all your favorite Wes Anderson films, you want soft, luscious living room furniture. The cozier and squishier the better. But don't stop with a nice couch, add some throw pillows so everyone can customize their comfort. Your spot will be the envy of the AMC theater.
Make Room
Whether you're inviting people over to a three-bedroom house or a one-bedroom apartment, having sectional furniture is clutch. And they work for all spaces—big, small, tiny studios. Having a sectional, or a love seat plus ottoman, gives you the flexibility to make room for everyone. And give them room to shift throughout the movie. Because no one can stay in the same position for an entire movie, especially if it's LOTR night.
Intimate Moments
A well orchestrated party makes people feel like they can be extroverted one minute and introverted the next. Create spaces for intimate conversations by using lighting strategically in corners of the room or around smaller seating. So your two friends who never met but hit it off at your house party can take their budding new connection to a quieter space. Wherever it's going, we love that for them.