Unless you’re totally anti-social, you love hosting your friends, and you want them to have fun while visiting.
Nobody wants to throw a dinner party that guests can’t wait to leave. Many people think that, for guests to be happy, they need to cook a 5-course meal, their house has to be spotless, the furniture has to be aesthetic, and that weird storage room has to be locked up and not talked about because you’d die of embarrassment if anyone saw it.
Then you go to a friend’s house where the main course is mediocre pasta, and you spend the night sitting on a sofa that sags in the middle. And yet, you don’t want to leave because you’re enjoying yourself too much.
Your friends and family don’t care about your expensive rug or crystal glasses. They care about the atmosphere and feeling comfortable.
That’s what makes them want to stay.
Creating a Home That Feels Easy to Be In
Let’s pause for a moment and forget about you being the host. You’re a guest right now, and you’re going to visit your friend.
What do you notice when you walk into their house?
You’ll notice the temperature and whether the place smells like last night’s dinner way before you notice their new designer mirror in the hallway. And that right there is what sets the tone for the rest of the night. If you feel like the house will boil you alive because of how warm it is, you’ll want to leave right away.
With that being said, how the place looks isn’t completely unimportant.
It’s wonderful to be in a space that looks beautiful, but comfort is what’s more important than that. A sofa that costs an arm and a leg is useless if it gives you back pain, right? If the coffee table is so far away that you can’t reach your glass, what good is it?
Create an Outdoor Space Guests Want to Use
Nobody wants to think about where to put their glass or plan their next massage appointment in their head because the couch is killing them.
Hosting has nothing to do with buying nicer things.
You can do that if it’ll make you happy, sure, but don’t expect to be a better host because of it. One great trick that almost always gets people to linger is taking things outside. If you have a patio or a deck, then you have the perfect place for entertaining.
You do need to be a bit careful with the deck, though.
It’s not just a random pile of wood thrown together. The only deck that’s going to work is a quality one, and for that to happen, you’ll need a good contractor who knows how to adjust the features and materials to your particular climate.
If you take a Pleasant View TN deck contractor, you’d notice that they won’t build a deck the same way as their colleague in Scottsdale, AZ would.
The one in Tennessee would pay attention to drainage, and they’d make sure to choose materials that can withstand a lot of rain and humidity. Their colleague in Arizona, however, has to build a deck that won’t crumble in extreme heat and plenty of sun.
If you love to entertain, any kind of outdoor structure will be a plus, but only if it’s built correctly.
The Details Every Guest Notices
If all you care about is the big picture, then you’ll probably miss everything your guests actually care about.
Here’s what that is.
Seating
This one’s a no-brainer. Everyone wants to sit down on something comfortable, but there’s also something to be said about how the seating is arranged.
The best conversations happen in circles, where everyone can see each other, lean in, catch their friends’ expressions, etc. If you scatter a bunch of chairs around the room, then this isn’t possible, and conversation can’t flow as naturally.
With that being said, don’t try to cram everyone on one sofa, either.
The ideal way to arrange the seating is to make sure that nobody has to shout to be heard or talk to someone’s back. Every guest should have their own personal space, but they have to be close enough to each other to laugh and talk to each other.
Lighting That Goes With the Occasion
Unless the occasion is an interrogation, then you don’t want to have a single overhead light that’s bright and blazes down on everyone. Not that bright lights don’t have their purpose, but they have no place at a dinner party or a get-together.
Light has a profound effect on people’s mood, so this is one detail you REALLY want to get right.
What you want is warm, layered light. A lamp in the corner, for example, and then maybe leave the light on in the kitchen so you see a glow from it, and then add a few candles on the table. The room should be cozy, and you want the lighting to be flattering.
You wouldn’t want your guests to look tired, right?
Well, bad lighting can do that.
Keep Food and Drinks Within Reach
If your guests have to get up again and again when they want a drink or a bite, it’ll kill the mood. The conversation will totally lose its momentum if you leave everything in the kitchen and have the gathering in the living room.
Just bring food and drinks where people are. You don’t have to have a full buffet next to the couch, but get a few bottles, some water, and snacks so people can help themselves. But besides all that, this also works much better for you as well, simply because of the fact that you don’t have to wait for the waiter all night long.
This way, you get to spend more quality time with your friends.
Conclusion
If you want to be a great host, you don’t need to complicate things in order to find success (a.k.a. happy guests). There’s no need to pressure yourself or to overthink things.
Think about it for a second – it’s your friends that are coming over, and your friends won’t judge you if things aren’t tip-top perfect. They won’t inspect your house to check how clean it is. They won’t price-check your cushions or your curtains. They’re there to see YOU and to spend time with YOU.
So, take it easy.
All you need to do is make sure all of you’ve got a place to sit. Make sure there are (chilled) drinks nearby. Make some good food. And that’s really it.
And yeah, pro tip: if you’re doing something that’s got a strong smell (e.g., Indian food), just make sure you air the place before the guests arrive.
