The time for parties, dinners and sing-alongs has come again as the festive season is among us. It’s time to decorate your Christmas tree, wrap the staircase in tinsel and spend precious time with your loved ones in your home. Whether you’re sat round the dining table tucking into Christmas dinner or popping champagne bottles and toasting the New Year, we have some top tips for creating the perfect entertaining space during this period.
Throwing a party takes organisation and it is all about the space. A home that is ideal for entertaining doesn’t have to be large, it is simply about how you design and adapt the space you have to suit its function. Let’s start at the beginning as first impressions always count! It is important to design an inviting entry that will set the stage for your guest’s experience. Often creating enough space for a group to comfortably enter and remove their coats is a good place to start. If you are able to set aside space for guests to hang their coats and get comfortable, this works nicely. The next stage is all about how the space flows, taking guests from one room to another with ease is key. Why not look for one space in your home where people can cumulate for the duration of the event? Perhaps with access to suitable outdoor space is always an added bonus.
The next key point to think about is lighting; the best entertainers use lighting to set the mood. Natural light cannot be relied on during this season, so it is important to consider a style of lighting that is ideal for the event and sets an ambience. If it is a day event natural light could be a winner, but for an evening party, dimmer lighting with candles would be well suited. It is also important to consider seating as you will need to find a balance between having enough seating for your guests but still leaving plenty of space for people stand, move about, or even dance! For the host, easy access to the kitchen is crucial and open-plan kitchen/dining rooms are perfect for this very situation. And finally, some homes benefit from fantastic and irresistible features which can certainly help create an unforgettable experience for guests. Whether it’s a wine cellar, an outdoor kitchen, or a bar, why not incorporate this into your party to ‘wow’ your guests and make your home on to remember.
We’ve gathered some of our favourite properties that we think are ideal homes for entertaining. Take a look here:
Burlington Road, W4
This fabulous family home in west London offers the ideal space for entertaining for a number of reasons. At the heart of the home there is a spacious and bright open-plan kitchen, dining and family room with access to the garden with further space for guests to cumulate. There is also a separate formal dining room for more intimate gatherings. In addition, there is also a third fabulous entertaining space on the lower ground floor of the property which consists of a reception room, cinema room and a wine cellar.
Welland Court
This historical Grade II listed house in Welland has a good mix of intimate family rooms and superb entertaining rooms for larger gatherings, for instance the grand dining room. It also benefits from an impressive hallway which provides a lovely welcome and a spacious entrance into the property for guests.
The Vicarage
Formerly the Vicarage located in the lovely Hamlet of Middle Green, this wonderful family home provides great space for entertaining. The property benefits from a grand entrance and a cloakroom, along with an open-plan kitchen/dining area with plenty of space to guests to gather.
Grove Park Gardens
This highly impressive house, and one of the largest private houses in Chiswick, benefits from four elegant and spacious reception rooms and one large grand dining room; providing plenty of space to host both large and more intimate gatherings.
Hanover Terrace
This extraordinary home in Central London, with gorgeous views over Regent’s Park boating lake, includes multiple reception rooms, a picturesque garden with seating, should the party move outside, and most importantly a remarkable bar boosting luxury and prestige – all fantastic elements to make a home the ideal space to entertain in and spend time with family and friends.
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