Everyone loves a good dinner party, whether it’s a sophisticated dinner, big family gathering, an intimate party with close friends, or the last barbecue of the summer. However, if you’re planning on being the perfect host, there’s a whole lot of prepping and planning that needs to be done before your guests arrive.
Most importantly, it would help if you decided on what you’re going to eat and drink for the occasion, but once you’ve got that sorted, purchased, and ready to go, it’ time to start preparing your home, most importantly the kitchen and dining room.
In many modern homes, the kitchen has become a multi-purpose space not just for cooking but also doubling up as the hub for socializing and entertaining. Whether you have an open-plan kitchen dining room or two separate rooms, your guests will likely venture and possibly gather in the kitchen during your dinner party, so you need to make sure it looks neat and tidy, despite cooking up a storm.
Less Is More
First and foremost, the most distracting thing in a kitchen is lots of clutter on the worktops that, on a normal day, you may not even notice. But when you’ve got guests, and you’re cooking an important dinner, it’s a good idea to clear the worktops of any non-essential items, taking a less is more approach.
Leave any items out that you need to use during your dinner parties, such as appliances and utensils, but hide away those you won’t use. Keep paperwork, books, and unsightly pots were hidden away as they make a worktop look busy, but accentuate certain features with decorative accent pieces, such as a well-placed fruit bowl or vase of flowers.
This will give you more room to work and make your kitchen look organized and sleek so that guests will focus on the food and ambiance rather than the mess and clutter in the kitchen.
Wonderful Worktops
Along the same vein of clearing worktops, why not splash out on a completely new worktop that is sure to make your kitchen sparkle and give a lasting impression to your guests. And with no-clutter insight, everyone will be able to marvel at its beauty.
Lay The Table
Wherever you’re eating, you should pay close attention to laying the table. This isn’t something that should be rushed at the end, and simply laying out a few knives, forks, and wine glasses won’t cut it if you want to impress your diners, so give yourself plenty of time to get it right.
Start by deciding on a color scheme or theme for your table and make sure you have all your decorative pieces, along with table cloths, mats, crockery, and cutlery, ready in advance. Having a focal centerpiece is also a great addition to a well thought out dinner party while making sure you have enough crockery, glasses, and cutlery for each course will save you washing up between courses and allow you to focus on your guests.
Finishing Touches
The perfect dinner party is also about the detail and finishing touches. Little things like investing in some stylish ice buckets for wine will add an air of sophistication to the occasion while keeping wine hidden and perfectly chilled. You can also dress the kitchen and dining room with fresh flowers and well-placed candles or low lighting to give incredible mood lighting for the perfect evening.
As with any party, the preparation is key. So if you’re planning a dinner party, don’t forget to give yourself plenty of time to make sure everything is just right and your kitchen is dressed to impress.
I’m more of a more classic and traditional kind of gal, maybe this is why I like more the 4th image. I think this is how I wish my kitchen would look like. I would take into consideration adding a central piece to my table. Maybe some flowers. Thanks for the tips