Setting the Stage - Successfully Activating Your Space
In my line of work (real estate), it’s critical to be able to set up an inviting space that feels cohesive, sophisticated and comfortable, regardless of the style of decor or the event. I’ve put together countless model homes and event venues over the years and have learned a lot from both personal experience and from working with some great designers. Below are my best tips and tricks for doing so quickly and having fun while doing it!
Thoughtful Use of Color
Choose a theme and ensure it’s consistent throughout the space. You don’t need to be matchy-matchy, but just have a few colors that carry through each separate zone. Each zone can have a different take on the same idea, but they should all be tied together with the same colors pulled together in different ways.
There are a lot of theories about how to pick colors. My go-to is to pick two or three colors that are close to one another that you use in varying shades, a neutral base color that goes with each of those, and then one color that pops that is complementary to the close colors.
For my wedding, I picked white, gold, pink, and purple. White was my neutral, gold was my pop of color, and pink and purple I used in varying shades throughout the space. It allowed me flexibility in application to choose varying shades of my “close colors.” It wasn’t too matchy, I didn’t have to worry about perfection in matching across different items from different vendors, and I was able to pull textures and spaces together using color that otherwise might not have gone together as well. For example, I used pink and purple flowers of different types for table vases, for a ceremony backdrop, for my bouquet and for those of my bridesmaids. It all went together better because it was slightly different but the colors brought a sense of cohesiveness.
Lighting and Space
Lighting has a HUGE effect on mood. How do you want your guests to feel? Identify that and what lighting would support that vibe. I really prefer open, airy, vibrant yet peaceful spaces, so I use lots of natural light, open windows or better yet outdoors, and no harsh or bright lighting.
For my wedding, we started the afternoon with light, airy, outdoor vibes, and then moved to more romantic and amber lighting for dinner, speeches and first dances. For partying the night away, we changed the lighting to dark with lots of pops of fun colors that moved and changed throughout the night to go with the music. Each portion of the event matched the mood, music and overall feel we were going for to help align the energy with the theme.
Texture and Print
Your event or space will feel much more professional and elevated if you have a variety of textures and prints that coexist along the same theme rather than being all of one kind.
For serveware and displaying food and drink, don’t use just one element. Instead, pull together metal and glass, or porcelain and cloth.
If you’re arranging pillows for example, be sure if your base furniture is a solid color and simple texture, that you bring in pillows with more color. The prints can be different as long as they are similar in theme. You could do different floral prints all in the same color scheme, or geometric or boho prints that are very similar but in different complementary colors.
I like to keep big pieces more simple and muted so that I can change out the smaller statement pieces more frequently to update the decor for whatever vibe I’m going for. I want a mixture of textiles and elements - cotton, leather, soft wool; metal, glass and porcelain; solid wood, rattan and leather.
I think mixing a neutral ho-hum element with two or more smaller accent pieces in more showy, statement-making elements looks best. So take your basic white painted wood and set it off with some natural live-edge end tables, and a rattan or leather ottoman. Tie it together with your chosen color theme and it will feel like it’s all really intentional and sophisticated.
Scent
Pick either no scent, or a subtle one. It should always feel fresh and clean. Don’t blast people with scent. In real estate there are so many scent systems that smack you in the face with what would’ve smelled good at a fraction of the impact. Keep in mind that many people are sensitive to scent and it can cause headaches. If you’re using a stronger or bolder scent, be sure you have really good airflow so you don’t overpower the space. Be prepared to pull back on scent when people are eating or drinking so you don’t confuse or overwhelm their palate.
Sound
This one is neglected most often, which is a shame because it takes things to the next level. Good choice of music helps put people at ease, especially in settings where they may be unfamiliar or meeting new people. Don’t kill the vibe. Let music fill the awkward silence so people don’t feel compelled to speak up to fill the void when they aren’t warmed up yet. Your #1 goal is for people to feel comfortable, as that is the only way they will have a good time and want to come back.
Let the music heat up as the event does. If you’ve ever been to a bar or lounge that’s empty, ear-splitting music makes it even more uncomfortable. The music should be softer when you’re starting or ending, and get louder as the event is hitting its stride.
If you are trying to make the sale, utilize music to help elicit the emotions you want your target customer to feel when they use your product or service. Do you want them to feel sexy and confident? Powerful and successful? Relaxed? Use sound to amplify these emotions and you are more likely to secure the sale by getting your customer in the right mindset.
Taste
Ensure you have a variety of food and drink available. The food should include items that are easy to eat without getting messy or having to take multiple bites, and should be easy to carry around and eat while socializing. There should also be food available at different stations where people will naturally socialize so that you never have a line forming or people sitting hungry somewhere with food out of easy reach. It should feel natural for people to grab a bite without having to interrupt their conversation to walk over elsewhere to grab something and come back.
You can have heftier items but these should be saved for spaces or times during your event where it is natural for most guests to be seated and eating together. If someone feels awkward sitting down and digging in, they aren’t going to eat and it’s going to go to waste. Again, how can your guests be most comfortable? Think through the timing of when different items should be out.
Same goes for drinks. A variety of drinks should be available, in multiple stations, kept either cold or warm (whatever temp it’s best at), both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, in glassware that’s easy to carry around. Martini glasses are cute but so hard to drink out of while walking, so I suggest coupe glasses, champagne glasses or other glasses with a tall body where things don’t slosh out easily. Be sure you’re using the correct glass for your drink type - there are plenty of guides on Pinterest or elsewhere that can help with this one.
You should have glasses available for all drinks to be poured into. No one wants to feel awkward carrying a beer can around a bunch of champagne sippers. Give the guest a glass so they can feel fancy and fit in!
Make it easy for your guests and think through the details. Will they want drink napkins? Stirring sticks? Sugar, milk? Fruit garnish or olives? Ice? How can you make it easy to access and set it out attractively?
Think through the drink display. A beer cooler is fine if it looks nice and won’t double as seating, and if it goes with your theme (camping vibe perhaps). If you’re looking to host something more elevated, you’ll want to either rent or invest in proper serveware, ice buckets, etc. If you’re purchasing for long-term use, then pick something that looks timeless that can be reused over and over with different themes. I like shiny silver, clear glass, and white porcelain without any extra colors so that I can use food, drink, flowers or garnishes to create the color and tie everything together without clashing.
Flowers and Natural Elements
One of the easiest and prettiest ways to make things feel fresh is with living decor - think flowers, succulents, air plants, or house plants tastefully arranged to accent the spaces you want to be natural socializing zones or comfortable seating or activity areas. This can take a space from cold or blasé to popping very quickly and inexpensively.
I try to choose flowers myself and keep a ton of small glass jars around to make simple arrangements. You can easily grab bouquets from the grocery store and rearrange them into 5-10 small vases. Even better is to pick up 5-7 different types of flowers in bunches, and then you can create arrangements from items you like 100%.
This arrangement is from my youngest daughter’s first birthday. Note the glass jars and simple arrangements with one large flower each, with clusters of smaller accent flowers and a greenery stem for dimension. I picked these up at a grocery store where you can pick small bunches of the same flower for $5-7 per type. I utilized a mix of glass, metal and porcelain (not pictured) for serveware. I pulled together different natural elements and different woods so as to make the mix-and-match decor feel intentional.
Keep the colors consistent with your theme. If you’re going for a dark and showy formal event, then the flowers should be unique and pack a punch. Don’t choose basic roses or carnations. Think bold, impressive flowers that can hold their own with just a few pieces of greenery, or a big lush arrangement (but be prepared to spend a ton if you’re using a lot of flowers to fill the space). If you’re going for a sweet, subtle vibe, choose smaller, lighter flowers and don’t overfill the vases.
My #1 tip for good-looking arrangements is to ensure your vase has a small opening. This helps the flowers stand taller, stick together (so you need fewer stems to make an impact), and you can place them where you want them and they stay put rather than flopping over.
Timing
Keep comfort and guest enjoyment top of mind. A tight schedule is typically not recommended. Plan for more activities than you can fill the time with, but know that you might not get through them all. The idea is that there’s never any dead time between activities and it’s easy for people to peruse or socialize at their own pace, without feeling pressure or like they’re too early or too late.
My rule of thumb is to tell people my start time, expect that a few people will show up early - and so I need to be prepared with something for them to do so they don’t feel awkward, while I can still continue setting up. Then expect that 70%+ of your attendees will show up late. If you’re planning a wedding, don’t tell guests to arrive at 5 pm and expect to walk down the aisle at 5:05. That’s super awkward and sets you up for disappointment. If you’re planning a birthday party and you really want to start singing and cake cutting at noon, tell people to arrive an hour earlier than you want to get going. It takes time to arrive, settle in and warm up!
Include your warm up and wind down time in the event schedule. If you’re expecting guests from 11 am - 1 pm for a brunch event, then know that you should be mostly ready by 10 am, expect some early birds and give them an easy task or have an early activity for them (perhaps they can put together their drink and peruse the beautiful decor you’ve already set up!), and then fully expect people to linger until 2 pm or longer. If you want to host a kickass event and leave people wanting to come back, you shouldn’t be shooing them out the door.
However - if it’s well past closing time, the quickest way to nudge those stragglers along who missed the memo is to brighten the lights, quiet the music and start cleaning up, with a smile on your face. :)
Final Tips - Space Design and Layout
Things tend to look best in odd numbers, such as groups of three.
Pick a shape or style you want to pull throughout the event that goes with your theme. If you’re doing geometric shapes like hexagons or bold clean lines, then arrange things in that way. If you’re doing soft and natural colors and light, then choose arches or less strict layouts so that your arrangement feels more flowy and gentle.
Be sure it’s easy to walk through and navigate the space without feeling like you’re encroaching on others or invading someone’s privacy:
Leave doors and windows open. Keep the music consistent and spilling throughout the entire space. Turn the lights on in adjacent rooms.
Set up a few natural seating and conversation areas in each room. Ensure you have food/drink/activity stations close by or within each conversation area so people can enjoy themselves while keeping the vibe going strong.
The advice above applies in so many situations: elevating the feel of a home party, setting the tone on the sales floor or rental unit/AirBNB, or taking a formal event to the next level. I use these tips for home decor so that I always feel cozy and happy and ready to host.
Now get creative and have fun setting the stage for your next project!
