Holiday hosting: entertaining in style in a small space

There's no better time than the holidays to invite loved ones over for dinner or brunch. If your home, condo, or cottage isn't particularly spacious, no worries! You can host a great gathering even in a small space; it's all about planning!

Here are some key elements for a successful festive evening:

1- The Right Guests

Si l’espace vous manque, oubliez les grandes réunions familiales ; contentez-vous d’organiser de petites soirées intimes et relaxes avec un couple d’amis, vos parents ou votre duo de cousines préféré. Parfois, less is more, comme on dit, et vos invités apprécieront ce temps de qualité en votre compagnie.

2- Maximize Your Space

For the duration of the evening, rearrange your furniture: move the sofa along the wall or put away unnecessary furniture in another room. You'll gain space for an extra table or simply to move around more easily among your guests.

3- Provide Enough Seating

Regardless of the size of your home, the secret to a successful reception lies first and foremost in the quality and comfort of the seating. Nothing is worse than spending an entire evening on a hard, wobbly stool! If you want your guests to have fun, seat them comfortably! Consider accommodating as many people as possible, regardless of their age, height, weight, or abilities. Provide wide, sturdy chairs as well as a multitude of additional chairs or cushions. Whether you're hosting the reception at the table or in the living room, provide your guests with various options such as sofas, armchairs, folding chairs, armless chairs, floor cushions, etc. Have something for everyone!

4- A Friendly Buffet

Everybody loves a buffet! So, don't overcomplicate things! Free up a table, prepare some dishes in advance to avoid rushing around, and invite your guests to prepare a dish of their choice. Furthermore, suggest that they also bring containers to take home leftovers (unless you want to lunch on the surplus for the entire week). If you are short on space, transform all the surfaces in your kitchen into displays and arrange all the dishes on the counters and the island on lovely matching platters. Place a few decorations between the dishes (candles, decorative gifts, pinecones, etc.) for a truly festive result.

A few festive recipe ideas you can prepare hours in advance or very quickly:

Charcuterie board
Tourtières and meat pies
Mashed potatoes
Cheese and crudités platter
Grilled vegetable platter
Gourmet salads
Meatballs
Roasted turkey
Appetizers
Deviled eggs

5- Holiday Cocktails

In a beautiful carafe, offer a holiday-inspired cocktail to surprise your guests. We suggest doubling or tripling the quantities and putting it in a beverage dispenser or in a very large pitcher filled with ice.

6- A Beautifully Decorated Table

To impress your guests, set the table before they arrive to create a beautiful and warm environment (and save time). You can easily embellish your table with your fine china, cutlery, napkins, tablecloth, and wine glasses. To make it more festive, you can place a few candles, a pine branch, cinnamon sticks tied to napkins, dried orange slices, handmade place cards, pine cones, etc. Reuse what you have and create a magical setting for less.

7- A Festive Atmosphere

The final touch? A soundtrack of Christmas songs made up of timeless classics, homemade decorations, a large bowl of eggnog, cinnamon mulled wine, or festive fruit punch, ambient candles, and a beautiful Yule log for dessert. Success guaranteed!