How to host a party in a small space without sacrificing style
Hosting a party at your home requires thoughtful planning and strategic preparation—especially if your living space happens to be on the smaller side, such as a studio apartment or house with limited square footage. Entertaining in a small space can pose unique challenges, and requires a little bit of extra creativity in your setup, but it can also foster a sense of intimacy and lead to a meaningful night of bonding. And as a bonus, guests will be that much more impressed with how well you’ve transformed your humble space into a bustling party venue.
If you’re thinking about hosting a party but your compact living space is holding you back, we’re here to help. Along with expert tips from event planner and founder of LC Events, Lisa Cokinos, we’ve compiled a list of ideas for how to host a party in a small apartment or house, without sacrificing style. From themed dinner parties to birthday gatherings and beyond, opening up your home for a memorable get-together with loved ones is always a good idea.
Table of Contents
Keep the guest list intimate
When hosting a small house party, put careful consideration into exactly how many people you’ll feel comfortable having in your home. An enjoyable night for both you and your guests may be more achievable with a pared-down guest list—when entertaining in a small space, “the more the merrier” isn’t always necessarily true!
“Since you know that capacity is limited, be thoughtful in your invite list and be firm,” says Lisa Cokinos of LC Events. “A common pitfall for a host is always inviting too many people and providing too much latitude with RSVPs.” Decide how many people you want to host, making sure you factor in seating, space, and the amount of refreshments you’re able to provide. Then, send invitations for your dinner party or other gathering with plenty of advance notice to ensure an accurate headcount.
When you send your Paperless Post invitations, set a maximum capacity as well as an RSVP deadline so you know exactly what to prepare for. You also have the option to allow guests to bring other guests, but we recommend limiting this to just a few plus-ones (if any!).
Cokinos also emphasizes the importance of event timing and communicating the plan to your guests. “Since your space is limited, when do you want guests to arrive and how long do you want them to stay? This is important to consider for party flow and clean up,” she advises. “All too often, hosts leave the end-time off of an invitation and guests will linger for hours more than necessary.” Add a Schedule Block to your invitation to let guests know the order of events, including the time your shindig will wrap up.
Prepare food in advance
Whether you’re hosting an apartment dinner party, a sip and see in your living room, or a 30th birthday house party, planning the menu is an integral step. And when hosting in a smaller space, it’s wise to prepare as much as possible in advance of the big day.
“Make sure you have ample time the day before to either cook, bake, or assemble most of the meal so that on the day of the event, you are not utilizing too much space in the kitchen,” Cokinos explains. Plan your menu early, and enable Guest Questions with your Paperless Post invitations to gather helpful information like dietary restrictions, allergies, or food preferences. Then, finish all your shopping a few days out from the party, so you don’t run into any last-minute issues with tracking down the right ingredients.
Cooking food the day before is also wise to ensure your apartment doesn’t feel more like a sauna than a dinner party. “In a smaller space, I would try to limit using the oven throughout the evening so as not to overheat the apartment or home,” says Cokinos. “Warming pads are a fantastic option to keep food warm for serving.”
As for the menu, think convenient, easy-to-serve options. “Finger foods that are one serving and easy to handle are best in tight situations,” Cokinos says. “Plus, bringing out food in strategic waves will help minimize clutter and congestion. I would recommend charcuterie cups and mini skewers (caprese, meat, fruit) to begin with, and then move on to small plate offerings that can be refilled (sliders, crostini, sushi). Dessert should also follow the same rules, but keep it festive!”
Offer a limited drink menu
If you live in an apartment, you may not have the luxury of an extra fridge in the basement or garage for drink storage. But, of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t host an impressive small party with plenty of libations to go around. Plan your beverage menu strategically by keeping it on the simpler side and offering a curated selection of options. Make it a dirty martini theme, a sophisticated wine-tasting night, or even ask guests to BYOB in a Details Block on your invitation
“If you have the space, then provide a full bar. If you don’t, I suggest limiting the choices, Cokinos advises. “Provide only one type of beer and a choice of red or white wine, along with only two spirits. If you are hoping to provide a signature cocktail, pre-mix the cocktail and place it in a vessel to be dispensed.” For parties in the spring or summer, think light, refreshing spritzes, sangrias, and mixed drink options like this Sparkling Strawberry Rosé Cocktail by The Spruce Eats. For a festive wintertime fête or cozy fall festivity, set out a bowl of spiked punch, like Jingle Juice from Delish.
Clear out any clutter
A small house or apartment can fill up fast. Whether it’s extra furniture, bulky kitchen appliances, shelves full of books, or decorative knick-knacks—hosting guests in your home may require things to get temporarily moved around or stored away to maximize usable party space.
When it comes to the kitchen, remove as much clutter as possible from the countertops so you can use them for your bar or as a food serving station. Tidy the rest of your space, clearing everything you don’t need for the party and placing excess items in drawers, closets, or a separate room if you have one available. If this leads to filling up your closets, invite guests to leave their coats and bags on your bed.
“If you can, remove some of your furniture,” Cokinos elaborates, “like magazine racks, extra throw blankets, and pillows, and clear some bookshelves—that would be very helpful. Also, do not bring in any additional furniture,” she states. Your guests will appreciate how much effort you put into cleaning and organizing your home for the ideal party setup!
Arrange furniture strategically
Depending on the type of event you’re hosting, arrange furniture to encourage the best possible flow and ease of conversation. For birthday parties or casual cocktail soirées, move your sofa or chairs to the perimeter of the room for an open environment, and make sure coffee and end tables aren’t taking up prime standing real estate. Parties in small spaces may call for more unconventional seating ideas, so feel free to bring in any benches or cushions from other rooms to provide extra options.
For dinner parties, either keep things casual with a buffet-style meal that guests can enjoy around the coffee table or on the sofa, or set up a formal dining table in the party’s main area, utilizing whatever seating options you have in your apartment. You can also push multiple tables together, if you don’t have one long enough for all your guests, and cover it in a decorative (and functional) tablecloth to conceal your clever hack.
Cokinos also advises hosts of small parties to set up multiple areas for serving food. “Spread out. Place your food in different spots of the apartment so there won’t be congestion in one area. I would create little signs at the food stations so guests know what they are going for from afar and can plan strategically to move more freely about the room.”
Utilize your surface space
Sufficient surface space can be hard to come by when hosting a dinner party or other festivity in a small apartment. Whether you’re laying out a buffet spread, setting up a full bar, or serving a gorgeous dinner on a thoughtfully decorated dining table, finding the right amount of surface space is key.
Clear whatever you don’t need off kitchen counters to make room for both snack display and beverage preparation. Use your coffee table as a dining area, for a casual vibe. Place extra supplies like cups, plates, and napkins on bookshelves. Cokinos also suggests creating even more surface space for dishes and treats—vertically. “Try to stack your offerings,” she says. “Use multi-tiered vessels and serving trays so there is enough room for different offerings.”
Cokinos also recommends adding a touch of visual flair to your surfaces, doubling as an easy cleanup trick. “If you are worried about surfaces getting damaged or not looking festive, line them with decorative paper to add pops of color and be on-theme with the festivities,” she recommends.
Get creative with décor
Decorating a small house party may feel like a tricky task—you want to make your home feel festive and beautiful without adding too much clutter to your valuable free space. To achieve this delicate balance, think outside the box when it comes to what should be decorated.
Floor space may be limited, so look up! Focus on decorating your vertical space: drape garlands and streamers from the ceilings and on the walls, go with colorful hanging decorations and shimmering disco balls, and blow up some balloons for a celebratory touch. Lighting is also a great way to set a vibe for the evening without sacrificing much space. “What works best to create a more dynamic feel in a smaller space is lighting. Line your window frames and perimeter of the room with twinkle lights,” advises Cokinos.
Keep any additional décor and tablescaping details minimal and use them to emphasize the necessities—like food and drink setups. “Placing décor around the food and drinks draws attention to your offerings and will lead your guests to those areas,” Cokinos explains. “Add simple and attractive decorative touches that utilize what you have in the home: fill vases with silver and gold balls, and place plants or small bud vases with fresh or faux flowers around the room.”
Be intentional with on-theme decorations and place settings in a designated color palette or complementary hues. Cokinos also suggests personalizing your place settings with name cards if your event has assigned seating. “Add a note, a picture of you and the guest, or perhaps create a little trivia game at the table that keeps guests engaged.”
From the smallest parties to life’s biggest moments
No matter the setting, occasion, or guest list size, Paperless Post is here to help make party planning easy and enjoyable every step of the way. Find beautiful invitations for everything from cocktail parties to milestone birthdays, customize any design to your liking with our easy-to-use tools, and track RSVPs in real-time. At Paperless Post, we believe in celebrating all of life’s moments that matter with the people you love, whether it’s an intimate dinner with BFFs in a studio apartment or a black-tie wedding in a grand ballroom.
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