Entertaining can be a mystery. We know what a good party feels like – but replicating a good time remains a mystery. Luckily we have Interior Designer extrodonnaire, Donna Hall, at our beck and call. Remember Donna from Work Smarter, Not Harder? She’s here to keep us in the know and on trend!
Donna recently invited me to a breakfast at new hot Chicago spot – London House. Here she shared her favorite hosting tips in honor of her new website launch. Her portfolio will blow your mind. She also lives in the most GORGEOUS downtown home – so you know she knows her stuff. Here is a special word from Donna and her TOP 10 ENTERTAINING TRENDS FOR 2016!
“Don’t panic if you’ve neglected updating your home and now face a house full of judgmental friends. I’ve got your back with 10 trends for all your entertaining needs both indoors and outdoors this year. Let’s dive in!” -Donna
OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING
- Extend Your Interior: There’s a reason this is rule number one. When in doubt, refer to this as the golden rule of outdoor design. Your outdoor spaces should be an extension of the interior. Whether your home is modern, traditional, or somewhere in between, the style should continue outside. Beautiful and sophisticated outdoor options are hard to find, but not impossible. With just a little work you can make it look unique and not like typical patios or balconies. Time well spent if you ask me!
- Let There Be Light: Lighting is often times overlooked in the exterior spaces but is one of the most important aspects. Because of the different light levels throughout the span of the day, it is important you have options. As with interior spaces, outdoor spaces need ambiance and task lighting. Lighting sources include candles, sting lighting, lanterns, fireplaces and overhead light fixtures. Get creative and use a combination of several types of light sources to add dimension and to extend the time you are able to enjoy your outdoor space.
- Mix It Up: Repeat after me: “I will not buy matching sets of furniture.” Can you tell I’m passionate about this one? {Donna went as far as saying if your interior designer presents you with matching sets – fire them! You are hiring experts to get out of your comfort zone and recommending combinations you wouldn’t otherwise think of!}. It’s easy to go to a store and buy every piece you need from the same collection. It takes a little more time and effort to create interesting spaces, but the payoff is worth it! If you’re not sure how to do this, head to your favorite design blog or Houzz for inspiration. Then shop online to search for outside-the-box pieces.
- Flower Power: What’s a party without flowers? A good tip: look for interesting vases at antique market so you have plenty of vessels on hand. When you see something you like, buy at least three of them so you’ll have styling options down the line. Varying size and heights of similar styles is also a good idea. When in doubt you can’t go wrong with white, metallic, or anything with an organic nature to it. You can usually mix these into any theme. With a little patience, you can make your own arrangements to make the ay even more special No patience? Send your inspiration photos to your florist and have them delivered the morning of your event.
- Make It Personal: I usually have one or two specialty drinks when hosting a fabulous party. I’m in love with anything bubbly, so a Prosecco bar complete with St. Germaine, orange juice, Cointreau, peach puree, fresh raspberries, lemon twists, edible flowers and fun stirrers is the perfect way to make your party fun, festive and memorable. Guests can play mixologist for the day and create custom cocktails perfect for their tastes.
INDOOR ENTERTAINING
- Make Your Edits: Go through your home and take out the following: dated pillows and rugs, worn out throws, excessive family photos or tsotchke collections. Replace with the following: shearling pelts, hide rugs, textured or patterned pillows, elegant coffee table books and a few well-chosen sculptural items. Without spending a fortune, you just revamped your place! If you have any bare spaces left, fill them with flowers and your are set.
- Serve It Up: Personally, I’m a big believer in investing in white serving pieces. If you build up a good collection of white basics, you can easily add in pieces that support the theme of that event. Same rule goes for black, gray or cream. Pick your neutral and stock up. For each party you’re planning, add some special serving dishes and linens to make things interesting. I always use Pinterest to look for inspiration for my table settings.
- Something Old, Something New: One of my favorite resources is our local monthly antique market. This is where I search for the unusual…candlesticks, vases, linens, and glassware. I’ve found the most interesting things at these markets that you will likely never see again. Try to buy multiples so you will have a lot of options when setting up your tables cape. I love to mix in random vintage glasses with my black and white standard and to take my table from predictable to dynamic! No need to have each place setting match. Just stick with a color scheme and go wild!
- Drop A Beat: It’s not a party without the perfect background music. Many of our clients invest in elaborate sound systems to carry the music throughout the house. If you don’t have this luxury, be sure to have a Jambox handy with a preplanned playlist of music that’s meant to set the tone you want for the event. Do you want sexy and sultry, retro and nostalgic, or a high energy dance vibe? Your’e the boss of this one. My preference? Find a hot local D.J. and have them entertain your guests in style.
- Let It Flow: My favorite way to entertain is to set up stations throughout my home. I’ll have appetizers in the kitchen, as well as passed by servers. A bar is set up in the living room with my specialty drinks (a his and hers is preferred!). Desserts are on the dining room table with varying pedestal heights. This setup keeps guests circulating throughout the house and avoids the typical kitchen island cluster effect, that always seems to happen. Side benefit is guests mix and mingle more!
What are your favorite entertaining tips? I have a few tricks up my sleeve, but answering the door barefoot – to make guests feel at ease – remains a religion in my household.
Flowers by the ever so talented Debi Lilly of A Perfect Event.
