I thought I had written alot about entertaining in a small space. Turns out it was one post 5 years ago! Whoops! I feel like this should have been talked about more here and I apologize. We entertain quite a bit and we’ve done it in 600 square feet with 2 kids and now we do it often in 900 square feet. It is truly much easier in our bigger space but more important than space is the fact that our kids are now 10 and 7 and don’t require constant supervision.

I still think we have found some systems/habits that are helpful in a variety of small spaces. Living in Vancouver most friend’s we go to are also navigating small spaces so these ideas have worked across multiple spaces.

Extra Seating

In most small dining rooms I’m often suggesting just having the minimum of seats around it on a daily basis. If there are only 4 of you normally at the table and you only entertain once a month, can you pull those seats from another area of the home? Benches can be really handy in these scenarios as lots of kids can fit on a bench and often an extra adult than you would think (get cozy!). We are often pulling a side table that doubles as a stool from our living room or a stool from the kids room to add to our table to accommodate 6-8. Our table can’t really seat 8, but we sure try. Trevor or I always take the least comfortable seats (like the tippy stool or hanging off the end of the over-filled bench) so our guests are forced to sit comfortably. Could you have a a stacking stool or two in your living room or bedroom for guests? Or potentially some folding chairs (Post about folding chairs here) tucked away in a closet (ours are beside in the washing machine in the bathroom).

Our ottoman and bench in the living room is extra seating and the bean bag chairs downstairs sometimes get brought upstairs for extra seats. I often sit on the floor so friends have a comfy seat (sometimes I think about getting cute floor cushions (but where would I keep them!?).

Feed the Kids First

This has been working for our gang for a while, especially with larger gatherings. Whenever the food is ready we round up the kids and feed them quickly in a flurry of requests for water, more salt please!, straw please, ketchup please!! Then once they’ve finished we clear the table and reset it for the adults. The adults can have a more leisurely dinner and the now-full kids can run away to play more.

When Harry Met Sally on in the background at a recent get together

Be a Good Host

I don’t know if we always live up to this but we certainly try. Make sure everyone has a drink (many friends aren’t drinking alcohol these days so that includes bubbly water, mocktails and n/a wine or beer). Have you tried Eins Zwei Zero? The sparkling rosé is the best non-alcoholic wine I’ve tried yet. Beside beverages I think just being present and spending time talking with friends is what it’s all about. Put on good music, turn down the dimmers ( my mom says she can’t see anything in our house because I keep the lights too moody haha), light a candle or diffuser.

We often make popcorn for the kids when they watch a movie which is low effort but always seems special to them.

Extra Items

What are you potentially missing to host people. not enough glasses, use jars. Not enough plates, consider paper ones, especially for the kids. Not enough cutlery? Have a friend bring some or get some from the thrift store. I’ve learned over the years to have more glassware (my favourite glassware that feels fancy for any beverage but rarely breaks) than we need on a daily basis and just make sure many of them stack. I also serve people on teeny, small and large plates. I probably could use a little extra cutlery at this stage of life so will work on that…

Make Some Space

Where can you make some extra space in your home to make it easier for guests? Can your coats go in your bedroom so there is room for your guests’ coats at the entryway? Can you put some of your shoes away so there are less at the door?

In our space we always put away our wall bed. This frees up space for people to move downstairs and creates some privacy for us as people walk through our bedroom to go to the kids room (there is no hallway and kids often play on our bed if we leave it down). We put away the bed and then put the beanbag chairs in front of the bed and set up the projector. It creates a movie set up ready for the kids. In our old space we put the wall bunk beds away so the kids had room to play in their room (previous post here).

Go Easy On Yourself

I’m an alright cook and cook for the family almost every day of the week (not my favourite part of parenting) so I find I am the best host if I can order in for dinner or just assemble something. Sometimes I pick up fresh pasta that just needs boiling and the sauce reheated. Or I’ll order pizza or a taco kit. Or maybe I’ll assemble a meal of charcuterie and dips. I much prefer cleaning my house and lighting candles than preparing a meal for others, I honestly get anxious about cooking for larger groups. So the nicest thing I can do for myself is to outsource the meal. This might mean we can’t have takeaway as a family that week but I would rather spend that money having friends over in our home. Anyway this isn’t a post about saving money but with food costs these days it’s always top of mind. So my thing is NOT making the actual dinner but what is yours? What can you outsource? Some friends of ours are amazing cooks and they dance around the kitchen effortlessly and make us gourmet meals while also holding a conversation (ahem Tina and Andrew). Unfortunately I am not there yet and may never be…

Brunch

I find brunch can be a great way to have a bunch of people in a small space. It can be easier to navigate with little ones with schedules/naps etc. A build your own bagel or croissant type set up or make ahead frittata can be easy yet still feel special. I like to make everyone’s coffee how they like with my aeropress and frother. Anyway just an idea if dinner still feels hard at the season of parenting you are in.

Don’t Apologize

I’m absolutely sure that your home is wonderful and your friends or neighbors are there to see you and your family and not analyze whether you have enough plates or cups or chairs. Most of the best hang outs I’ve had are sitting on the floor or standing and chatting will holding a plate. It’s wonderful that you are having people over and they appreciate you for it. You’re doing a great job.

As usual please let me know what I have missed in making hosting easier in your small space. We’ve actually been having some overnight guests so I will work on a post about that, mainly that we don’t have enough bedding !! I blame this ethos.

8 Tips for Entertaining in a Small Space