Put those empty surfaces to good use by setting up a buffet with decorative dishes and platters, suggests interior designer Karen Vidal. Another way to keep guests from congregating around the bar—and to save money—is to serve “a signature drink that you can put in pitchers or dispensers with cups next to them” throughout your home. For the dining table, Lee suggests using your sofa as seating and putting a table next to it. Depending on the size of your home, she recommends getting “a thin 30- to 36-inch-wide table, or a piece of plywood cut to size and putting it on top of the existing table. Protect the table with felt or other fabric and use some tape to secure the top from moving, then put a nice, inexpensive tablecloth on it.” You can go to any home improvement store like Home Depot or Lowe’s for the plywood, which is thin enough to store and use for your next dinner party. Or, make each place setting stand out: “Instead of a centerpiece, use bud vases as place card holders,” says Barfield. “Then, in the center of the table, place an odd number of candlesticks at different heights to give some visual interest.” Interior stylist Jason Grant also suggests adding rope lights on the floor or hung from the ceiling for a warm glow. “I like to remove some books from shelves and use that space as a makeshift bar or beverage station—windowsills are also great for this,” says Lee. You can also free up some space in your fridge with this trick: “Make your sink an oversized wine cooler,” says Barfield. “Freeze flowers or berries in ice cubes to make it look prettier.”
