How To Plan For Entertaining in a Small Space

Here's How:

1. Decide how many rooms you are willing to use while entertaining.
2. Calculate how many people can fit into these rooms to determine maximum size of party.
3. Review all possible serving and dining surfaces.
4. Pick a place to set up your bar.
5. Decide whether you will need to purchase, rent or borrow another table for serving space.
6. Decide whether meal will be sit down, buffet, or finger foods.
7. If sit down, determine whether you will need to rent or buy folding tables and chairs.
8. In rooms where guests will be mingling, push all unnecessary furniture to sides of room, or remove to an unused room.
9. Look at space to decide what shape and size table will maximize available space. Don't forget to leave room around perimeter for moving about freely.
10. Mark out space on floor with a string to calculate appropriate table size.
11. Mark out space for chairs on floor.
12. Make arrangements to purchase, borrow or rent necessary tables and chairs.
13. For more casual dining, assess alternative seating possibilities you have available such as sofa space, pillows, bar stools, director's chairs, benches, etc.
14. If necessary, make arrangements to rent, purchase or borrow alternative seating.

Tips:

1. Unless you are serving a formal, sit-down dinner, you do not need a seat for every guest.
2. Strategically placed mirrors can make a small space seem larger.
3. If you will be using your counters for serving, keep your food simple since preparation space will be limited.