Hosting Dinner Parties In Small Spaces

The Best Way To Host Dinner Parties In A Small Space

Whether it’s a celebration or a simple hangout, a dinner party in your own home is still a time-honored tradition for any homeowner. A sit-down dinner with some friends and family is always a welcome event, after all. The challenge begins when hosting in a smaller apartment or condo where space might be an issue. To help you out, here’s a couple of things for hosting dinner parties in small spaces to keep in mind when planning for your next dinner party.

Table Style

Many might assume that tables will be their greatest challenge. In a sense, they are correct. The thing is, this step is easily solvable. The best part is that, once you decide on a table layout, the rest should fall into place fairly easily. 

If you have a small space, then either the standard round or rectangular wooden dining table should work.  If, however, your dining room is large enough for multiple tables, then consider using two smaller rectangular ones instead of one large round one. This way, each person has their own space while still being able to see everyone else at the same time.

When choosing between wooden or metal materials for your choice of furniture pieces, we recommend glass tops over plastic. This is because they are more durable than other types. Examples include plastic laminate options.  These tend to break easily if bumped into accidentally throughout day-to-day activities, such as cooking meals with friends. 

Seating

A simple solution for small spaces is to use folding chairs. You can buy a chair that folds up and fits neatly into your space, making it easy to store when not in use. The best part is that these days, folding chairs come in all sorts of designs and materials, making it easier to match them with the rest of your furniture. 

Serving/Buffet Area

As for the service or buffet area, it’s important to factor in the space left by the other tables. What you should remember is that a large table is not always necessary. What counts here is how creative you can be with the space that you have. Vertically dynamic arrangements can help you utilize the space better allowing you to stack different dishes in an efficient albeit aesthetic manner. 

You’ll also want to make sure that whatever you use as an extension of this buffet/serving area has some kind of storage underneath it so that guests don’t have to stand around waiting for drinks or dessert after eating their meals!

Storage

When we talk about storage, we aren’t talking about ugly crates like the kind that catering services use. You can be creative with this part—for example, by integrating storage compartments into the walls of your home or using aesthetic storage boxes during your parties. 

It should be emphasized that storage is a crucial point when hosting parties. They can make your life much easier when setting up or tearing down the extra furniture and dishware, provided it’s in a convenient location. 

Conclusion

Planning ahead is the best way to ensure a successful dinner party when hosting dinner parties in small spaces. Finding the right space for your party can be difficult.  But once you have it all figured out and have everything set up, it will make hosting so much easier. Make sure that you’re organized before guests arrive and keep everything in place until they leave.

If you’re looking for a private chef that can provide you and your guests with the best dining experience possible, Food Fire + Knives has got you covered. Contact us so we can help you find the perfect chef for your next dinner party. If you want to learn more about what the in-home chef experience has to offer, check out our blog today!

Published By Kim Gandhi Kim Gandhi began cooking at 8 years old with a love of food driving her to experiment with her Hispanic and German heritage. She gained a BBA in Marketing and turned to the business world for much of her career. Her strong customer service background and her passion for great events that involve chefs, customers, and amazing food allows her to indulge in her love of cooking and enjoying what FFK chefs bring to the table.