I wish I knew the art of how to make your home a cool hangout place. There is a house in the neighborhood that is always buzzing with guests, and the hosts never get tired it. Every block has it, the place where people love to get together. The kids, the grownups all enjoy and have fun. There is something for everyone. I ever wondered how a home became a cool ‘hangout’!
While I was in college, I remember the spare room set of my house was the hangout for my circle of friends. Back in those days, it did not have any furniture, just a few mats and a mattress on the floor. I never understood why everyone simply loved hanging out there.
Generally, it’s not so easy entertaining guests when everyone has a different frame of mind. But if you love playing the host, have a look at how to make your home a cool hangout?
What Makes Home, ‘A Hangout’? How To Set Rules at Home And Yet Have Fun?
1. Incorporate a comfortable and inviting ambiance
Different folks, different strokes! While entertaining guests, you might notice that a set of people think and want things in one particular manner and the rest in another fashion. Make sure everyone feels comfortable in your home.
The entrance to your house should be inviting. Decorate the door or it in happy colors. Let the entrance say- Come on in and have a good time! Have enough sitting spaces like bar stools, sofa, couches, casual floor cushions, etc. do not go overboard. Fit in everything according to the sitting area. Make them feel home.
2. Activities that are entertaining
When your home has many in-house activities, the guests do not need to feel bored. Incorporate the events in your house taking into account the age group of your guests.
- For example, for a poker night, you need to have a poker table, but you do not need a poker table for a book club.
- For a book club, you need to have books and comfortable sitting arrangement so that the conversation can flow smoothly about the book.
- A pool party is to be hosted outside when it is summer season so that people can enjoy on the lounge chairs or in the pool.
- For teenagers party, a big screen TV with music system and a gaming console with a well-stocked fridge is all you need to let them enjoy the place.
Infuse in your charm and enjoy with your guests. Don’t just merely get stacked up in your kitchen. Mingle, and you can have fun.
3. Make it a tradition to hang out often
Start a tradition, monthly or weekly, where you invite your friends over and relax and hang out. If one of the friends refuses, don’t embarrass them by persisting. Chose a theme to make things interesting, try a different time of the day.
Start with a simple porch date and gradually move on to dinner dates. Make sure your group is not too big to attend to all your friends. No one likes to be invited and then ignored. And if your friends do not turn up at your home, it would not be a hangout!
4. Casual dining
Keep the dining casual. Set up a buffet table, where people can grab whatever they like to eat. Don’t plane a seven-course meal, served by servers. Keep it casual. People should be able to roam around, chatting, laughing and eating.
Offer a range of finger food, something that everyone would enjoy and a selection of drinks.
90% of people who host the coolest parties say that no one likes to hold heavy plates; instead, people actually enjoy casual food.
Many people who do not drink alcohol keep their fridges stacked to entertain their friends. People should have the opportunity to mix up with each other, thus have a wide variety of food to cater to everyone’s needs. Make the sitting arrangement outside. Get the grill on and invite your neighbors over for a BBQ.
Certain things need to be taken care of if you wish to enjoy your party and yet not feel burdened. Set some rules for yourself and your guests too, so that they are aware of what should be done while all of you have some fun.
Rules to Set While Throwing a Home Party
1. Never hover or try to be overfriendly
This rule applies to you as well as your guests. A nervous owner will try to please everyone and thus hover over their guests. Move quickly from a person to another, carrying a light conversation. Similarly, the guests should not keep following the host. They must not check the fridge, never bug the host or other guests with their over curiosity. It just merely spoils the mood of the party.
2. Don’t get personal
Never let your guests intrude your privacy. Whether it is the kids’ friends or yours make them aware that you would not like them to tread into your bedrooms. That is a part of your personal life. It also makes you less conscious of people judging you.
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3. Manage your expectations
24% of people who like hosting say that they expect a token of appreciation from their guests.
Expectations make it hard to enjoy your own party. Not everyone considers taking a gift to a party. Never feel disheartened by it. Ignore and smile!
4. Pets not allowed
If you would prefer not to have animals, kindly inform your friends who are coming over so that they can make the required arrangements for their pets.
19% of Brits feel they should be asked before if the guests could bring in their pets.
Allergies and unwanted hair is the main reason why many people detest cats and dogs.
The guests see your house as a cool hangout. They are not aware of the hard work that goes into making things look the way they do. Make sure that you have fun doing it and only then it would show when you host. Have some fun and let your hair down.
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