Living Room Transformation for a Fab Soiree!
4 Materials
$300
1 Day
Easy
With a minimal investment and a little time, I transformed my house into an elegant destination for a party. Simple additions, rather than a major upheaval of my living room and kitchen, made the day, pleased our guests, and required only slightly more clean-up. I refuse to use paper plates and Styrofoam cups!
What I miss most about living in California in the '90s was the parties. Dotcom founders with more money than common sense threw some of the most outrageous ones, complete with high-value gift bags and open bars and held in the trendiest venues in Silicon Valley. The public relations agency I worked with threw an outdoor soiree at the home of one of the partners; not satisfied with a simple buffet, she hired a staff of uniformed servers to pass hors d'oeuvres on silver trays and top-shelf drinks.
My brief foray into the financial services industry also saw the type of extravagance one associates with that industry at the time, with even more opulence than the dotcoms. With billions being made on speculative ventures and derivatives that I couldn't even begin to explain, the money had to go somewhere – and a good portion of that money went for limousines, downtown offices outfitted by high-priced decorators and filled with antiques and priceless artwork, and of course, endless parties where the annual party budget was probably larger than the GNP of some small countries.
In the offices of one financial company in particular (which later took a big fall amidst front-page scandal), we didn't have the traditional logo'ed coffee cups in the breakroom, we had English china. Our monthly staff meetings didn't have donuts and coffee, they were catered by a swanky restaurant and included Bordeaux wine. We had servers whose only job was to walk around and pour coffee when our cups were empty.
Naturally, the event started out with stocking up on top-shelf liquor, and learning a few bartender tricks and special holiday drink recipes like the "Santa's Mule," or the "Jingle Bells Martini." Twelve-year-old Scotch is a must-have.
I had purchased a kitchen island with a fold-out panel, which allowed it to serve as a bar. I purchased a couple of bar stools, and thoroughly enjoyed playing bartender that night, mixing up my signature Manhattans, martinis and margaritas, along with the special holiday drinks. The "Santa's Mule" was a holiday version of a Moscow Mule that was a big hit, served with a splash of cranberry juice and with a candy cane for a swizzle stick. I made egg nog from scratch with good bourbon. I made martinis with Lillet and pretended to be James Bond.
I may not have had the same budget as did the extravagant party planners of the '90s, but I was able to put a not-too-expensive party together that was impressive, especially to my Midwestern friends who are usually content with egg nog out of a carton spiked with cheap booze.
Paper napkins – Yes, I'd need plenty, but instead of Dollar Store bundles, I decided to do something special. Old high school friends would be there, and I had come across a wonderful old photo of us from the '70s. We had some serious hair back then, more polyester than should have probably been allowed, and a white sport coat from when I was trying to look like Barry Gibb. I had originally thought of just setting out some "Happy New Year 2018" napkins, but ForYourParty.com will print full-color napkins with a photo reproduced on the front. How could I resist, having a stack of paper napkins with our 1970s selves on the front? They were a hit. People took them home with them.
Frosted beer mugs – It doesn't cost any extra, and it's a nice touch. The morning of the party, rinse your beer mugs with cold water and put them in the freezer, and then serve beer in frosted mugs. Yes, here in the Midwest Rust Belt we typically chug it straight out of the bottle, but if you're really into your beer, nothing beats a cold, frosty glass.
Real wine glasses. I bought a box of a dozen wine glasses at a Macy's sale for ten dollars, and the was so pleased with them that I went back and bought another box. You'll spend a little more time at the dishwasher later on, but it's worth the extra trouble. Ten or twenty dollars' worth of real glasses, as opposed to Styrofoam cups, is going to make your party dazzle.
Spend some time in the kitchen on the day of the party. It's tempting to go to the grocery store and just buy some party trays, and one or two may be in order – but your guests will remember those special treats you made from scratch. I made a dozen individual crème brulee, which is time-consuming, but on the upside, you get to play with a blowtorch when you're caramelizing the sugar.
What I have found makes a great party is inviting a mix of people outside of your everyday social circle. Include people who have different opinions and unusual careers, and of course, good story-tellers. I invited someone I hadn't seen in about twenty years, but who used to be part of our '80s inner circle, and that's always a natural conversation starter. I discovered another great party idea – include a few "quirky" party activities – to liven things up. This can be something as simple as bringing out the somewhat irreverent "Cards against humanity" card game, which I did, to the great embarrassment of some of my more conservative friends who went to Catholic high school.
Finally, if your house is big enough, set up sitting areas in multiple rooms, to facilitate different conversations at the same time. Combat the natural tendency of everyone to hang out in the kitchen (which is where I had set up the bar). If everyone is in the same room, the conversation will naturally be dominated by a few. Breaking it up into multiple rooms will help stimulate more conversation, and encourage your more soft-spoken guests to participate. As host, make sure you circulate between the rooms every now and then with a tray of drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
All in all, the party budget didn't break the bank, and two months later, people are still talking about it. I'm still not sure how I'll up my game for next year's party, but I'm sure it will be an event to remember.
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