When I first moved to the city, I was slightly shocked by the size of my flat. It wasn’t much larger than the living room of the house I had grown up in, but for the area, it was considered quite generous! At first I despaired of having guests over and entertaining, but the truth of the matter was that this was just a challenge that needed to be overcome. I am, by nature a hostess, and no matter what my circumstances were, I found that there were many ways for me to make my guests comfortable in my new tiny flat. These were just some of the solutions I found for keeping my guests at ease.
Folding Tables
While my tiny cafe table was perfect when I was eating breakfast by myself or with one guest, I needed to find a solution that didn’t leave my company eating off of their knees! I discovered that there were some great folding tables out there that could be pulled out for company, though I did have to pick carefully. I needed a table with locking legs at the very least, which would keep things steady, and I wanted something that looked fairly fashionable. I found one lovely table that could be hung up on the wall as art when it wasn’t in use, and another that was made of gorgeous heavy wood. When you want to make sure that your guests are comfortable, make sure that they have plenty of elbow room!
Plenty of Seating
There is nothing more awkward than when you have guests and someone has to sit on a cushion on the floor. This was something that worried me on a regular basis, but then I discovered sofa beds; more specifically, I discovered sofa beds by CSL. These sofa beds are eons beyond your standard folding futon or bed in a couch set up. You get a fashionable, attractive piece of furniture no matter what configuration it is in! I found that I could seat my guests comfortably in the evening and then open up the bed to have great sleep at night.
Reduce Movement
The truth is that in a small city flat, you are just dealing with less space than you are used to. My first entertaining ventures were slightly uncomfortable because I expected my guests to mingle as they used to do. As a matter of fact, I found that I did much better with entertainment in general when I could keep everyone seated for the majority of the evening. Food can be brought out on plates; at all costs, avoid the buffet style of serving! Keep the group relatively small and engaged in games or conversation.
Use the Walls
When I first moved into my city flat, I found that I wanted to have everything on the floor. This turned out to be a problem when I quickly ran out of floor! The key to keeping things uncluttered so that your guests can walk through is to build up rather than out. Plenty of people have found that furniture that is skinny and tall rather than short and broad is key. For example, I didn’t really need a plant stand that partially blocked a doorway. Instead, I put my plants on the window sill. I switched from a plastic laundry hamper to a fabric laundry bag that I hunt off the back of the door, and I found bookcases that could be latched one on top of another. These were all things that opened up my space dramatically.
When you first move to the city, you may be a little despondent over how little space you have. If you’re like me, and love entertaining, don’t lose heart. It is entirely possible to keep your guests happy and comfortable no matter how small your space is. Just take some time to consider how you can make your space work for you!
Oliver Bray’s interested in interior design was sparked by the refurbishment of his house a few years ago. Since then he’s evangelised on the affect our environment has on us and writes about the latest fashion trends designed to inspire your life.
