If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to do more entertaining or perhaps host more interesting get-togethers, we’re here to help. Sometimes a slightly different point of view can spark lots of new ideas. With that in mind, we would like to offer some of our favorite tips for entertaining.

Entertain Your Way
Make a concerted effort to discover what type of entertaining you are comfortable with and enjoy the most. Do you love to throw over-the-top sit-down dinners with a meticulously set table and chef-worthy menu? Perhaps totally casual buffets are your ideal way to entertain. Once you learn what makes you happy and ultimately pleased with the results of your planning and preparation, then you’ll approach entertaining in a much more confident way. And your guests will benefit from that confidence and contentment.

Do the Unexpected
For maximum effect, be creative and a little surprising. For instance, instead of dinner throw a big beautiful pancake breakfast or brunch with sumptuous food and delightful drinks. There’s a lot of inspiration in the image above. The best menus feature food that people really love to eat.

Add Some Versatile Pieces
Even if your space is limited, a few double or triple duty pieces will make entertaining easier. As seen in this photo, an acrylic console table will barely take up any visual space at all and can be used for drinks, buffet or dessert service. Other versatile pieces include a lightweight wine rack and roll around side table. Low shelving units can also make for very convenient surfaces for serving snacks and drinks.

Invest in Extra Seating
On a related note, if you often host large gatherings or those with numbers of guests beyond your home’s normal seating capacity, consider investing in extra stackable seating. You might want to check our recent posts, “Holiday Entertaining in Small Spaces” and “Modern Stackable Chairs Provide Extra Holiday Seating.”

 

Set Up a Bar for Cocktails or Mocktails
When serving drinks, divide and conquer by setting up more than one bar area to avoid traffic jams as glasses are filled and refilled. Even if you or your guests don’t do alcohol, offer a variety of “mocktails” or a mix of cocktails and “mocktails” to please everyone. Be creative as seen in the images above. If you need help setting up a modern bar cart check out our recent post, “Holiday Entertaining: 8 Must-Have Items for the Modern Bar Cart.”

 

Get the Help You Need
The very best tip for entertaining we can offer is: Take advantage of all the amazing resources that are available on the Internet right now. From decorations to menus, recipes and must-have lists, today’s bloggers, online magazines and retailers offer ideas for entertaining beyond your wildest dreams.

Infographics are becoming popular vehicles for disseminating information in a concise understandable way. These little gems of information are invaluable sources of help for the single gentleman and everyone else. The one shown above offers exchanges for creative salad making at a glance.

Make Your Guests Happy
All of our diverse ideas for entertaining are meant to lead to one overriding goal—a gathering that meets your expectations and goes far beyond for those you invite. Above all, be sure to keep the comfort and happiness of your guests at the forefront of everything you do leading up to and during your get-togethers to celebrate the new year and beyond.

 

Images: StylebyEmilyHenderson.com; SmittenStudioOnline.com; ApartnentTherapy,com; CoolChicStyleAttitude; WestElm.com; Williams-Sonoma.com; TheArtoftheRoom.com

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