Home visit: host a happy house party
This party season, make your get-togethers easy on the host and memorable for guests by letting everyone help themselves – to drink, food and fun. Enjoy!
Help-yourself hosting
“It’s nice when you make it so people can pick what they want themselves,” says Johanna of her hosting style. “I’m not one for standing round doing lots of cooking – I don’t want to miss the party!” Follow her lead. Swap the drinks trolley for big bowls of seasonal cocktails like glögg, Scandinavian mulled wine, that you can mix ahead of time and set out for guests to pour themselves – no need to mix individual drinks.
Try glögg! Simmer red wine, sugar, cinnamon, star anise and orange zest in a pan – the smell will fill your home with cheer! Serve from a bowl with a ladle. As an extra touch, put a cinnamon stick in each glass.
Create cosy corners and more
Think about the things people will want to do at the party – dance, chat, sit, drink, eat, take a breath! With some clever repositioning of furniture, you can create spots where all this is possible, turning your home into the perfect party venue! Push an armchair into a corner and you’ve got a chill space. Roll up the rug for your dancefloor, and stack stools by the sofa for a sociable spot.
Add some twinkle
One easy way to turn a room into a party place is lighting. Chain lights look twinkly and make you feel sparkly. Fill oversized vases with them, put them round door frames, up the wall – whatever feels good. Then add the candle light. “For me, you can never have too many candles,” says Johanna. And if you’re worried about how energetic the party will get, swap real candles for GODAFTON LED ones.
Use lights to set the mood
In some corners, you may want to create an intimate atmosphere where partygoers feel relaxed so bring down the light level. Turn off the ceiling light and use floor and wall lights to create pools of light that soften the edges of the room. Lamps with dimmers are perfect for this as you can really control light levels.
The cosy feeling of candlelight, good food and wine, music, big hugs, our company – those are the things that make our guests feel at home and enjoy the party.”
Johanna
Embrace the idea of one-pot feeds all! Carry your feast from the stove to the table, adding a serving spoon and piles of crockery. And set out share platters – chopping boards full of small bites so guests can pick and go.
We love to see our customers get creative with our products. Go for it! But please note that altering or modifying IKEA products so they can no longer be re-sold or used for their original purpose, means the IKEA commercial guarantees and your right to return the products will be lost.
Made by
Interior designer: Johanna Flyckt Gashi
Photographer: Benjamin Edwards
Art director: Jules Rogers
Writer: Helen Bazuaye
