There are two things to create in your home for a good party – comfort and curiosity.
A few easy tricks can make your space look comfortable when your guests first walk in.
Position your furniture around the perimeter of the room and cluster so only 2-4 people can sit together at any one time. This gives guests the space to move and mingle as well as to sit for a short rest, or an intimate chat. If you cluster your furniture for more than 4 people, fragmented groups may form which can be tough to break up.
Have enough seats for about 20% of your expected number of guests. Use cushions to make your chairs more comfortable if you have them.
If you have the space, dedicate one room to dancing and one room for refreshments and chatting.
Clear the dance room as much as possible so people don’t injure themselves or break anything. Have one or two small seating clusters though to get people in the room in the first place. Some people like to watch before they have the confidence to dance. For others, taking a break to watch others can be a great conversation starter.
If you don’t have the space, just keep all furniture around the perimeter of the party room. If you have an outdoor space and it is good weather, use this as the space for refreshments and chatting. The neighbours would probably appreciate you using the indoor space for music and dancing.
Remove low standing tables, such as coffee tables, and footstools, especially near seating. Your guests may put food there and just sit down all night. They also clutter a room and can be a tripping hazard.
Declutter your home. Put things you don’t need for the party in your cupboards to create a cleaner atmosphere and means you have more space to put decorative pieces relevant to your party theme. Keep lamps that set the ambience and put away the ones that don’t so your guests don’t turn them on and ruin the vibe.
Check the weather forecast a few days ahead and think about what you can do to manage room temperature. Generally, the dance area needs to be cooler than other rooms.
Make sure you have plenty of toilet paper, tissues and hand soap in the bathroom.
Walk around your home before the party starts to check you have no obstructions that stop people from moving freely. All pathways should be at least two persons wide wherever possible.
Create curiosity through decorations, food and beverages. It gives people something to talk about and gets them in the mood.
Get the balance right. You don’t want guests feeling overwhelmed with clutter and nowhere to move but you also don’t want an awkward environment with nowhere to sit and nothing to look at.
Where you can, arrange clustered seating near windows, lights or decorative pieces to encourage conversation.
Unless you have some kind of background visual that fits with your party theme, set your furniture to be looking away from the TV and hide your remotes. If you can, store your TV somewhere else. People flicking through TV channels is not a sign of a good party.
Make it easy for people to find things. Put up signs showing where the bathroom, coat storage or dancing area is.
There are also some things you won’t want your guests to be curious about. Put all your valuable and sentimental items away in a cupboard OR if you have a spare room you can lock, fill that with possessions that are out of bounds. Don’t forget to put your personal toiletries and appliances away in the bathroom.
If you have housemates and they’re away or out doing something else, lock their doors or put a sign up to ask guests to respect your housemates and keep out.