The holidays are coming and before you know it, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah will be upon us. People will be knocking at your front door for the dinner party you've planned. But you're clearly not ready…Where is everyone going to sit and where am I going to store the food and drink for all of these people that keep filtering through the front door one after another…elderly, kids, dogs, cats, people I don't even know…and why are all of their faces turning blue…”Oh, thank goodness, it‘s a dream!”
You had better begin planning now! Last year's holiday parties turned out great but a few people ended up sitting on the couch in the living room completely removed from the rest of the group. This year, you have two goals — first, you'd like to have sufficient space for your party and second, you want to make a few updates and slightly change the decor.
Update Decor
With the cool weather comes the best party season of the year. The holidays are your time to shine, and entertaining is your specialty. This year, you'd like to make a few updates to your dining room. It's a new year and, quite frankly, you're tired of the same old room.
1.) Add Mirrors
As we all know, mirrors make a room look and feel larger. They can open up an otherwise small and cramped room. Try leaning a large, oversized mirror against the wall in your dining room or hang a collection of different mirrors side by side. They will surely reflect the love you've put into the room.
2.) Change Window Covers
One of the best things about curtains and drapes is that you can easily change them out with the passing season. During spring and summer, light and airy curtains are where it's at. Come fall, you will want to switch to a heavier texture to help keep the warm air inside your home and the cool air outside. Consider mixing it up this year with wood blinds. Their classic, yet contemporary feel offers a clean and streamlined backdrop for the rest of the room.
3.) Change Lighting
Fill space above the dining room table and over heads. Add a new chandelier, a funky monorail with interchangeable pendants or simply put your current lighting on dimmers in order to have adjustable change at your fingertips.
Make Room For the Holidays
You know you need more space because with each year, the family grows and your friends have children, but your dining room stays the same size. Begin making arrangements.
1.) Bring in Seating
Start collecting chairs now. Whether you go to estate sales or rely on local friends and family to help with seating, now is the time to begin stockpiling. If the day of your big dinner creeps up on you, there might not be any rentals available.
2.) Move Outdoors
An outdoor dining experience might be the answer to your holiday entertaining dilemma. Again, start collecting tables and chairs now, in this case, too. You can cover old ones with decorative table cloths and tie fabric over the chairs. If the weather is expected to be cold, space heaters are the perfect solution.
3.) Kid Tables
Not only will a kid's table make room for your adults, but it also allows for adult time! People don't want to spend the whole party tending to their children or other people's kids. Decorate their cute little table with Santas and snowmen and let them mingle together while eating reindeer cookies and drinking milk.
