6 Holiday Hosting Design Essentials
We all know the holidays can bring magic, joy, love, and just a little (sometimes copious amounts) of stress! This year, our family is bigger and wilder than ever, and the holidays are going to look a little different. If you relate to this at all, keep reading to see how these interior design holiday hosting essentials can keep our families entertained, our stress levels down, and give us more time to enjoy our loved ones.
1. Adjustable lighting.
The first holiday hosting essential is adjustable lighting because it can create a total energy shift for guests as you move from one activity to another! Dinner lights can be dimmed, after-dinner can be brighter. Before you know it, you’re guiding your family and friends to gather around the table, put away distractions, and enjoy each others’ presence, all without having to repeatedly shout over kids and football games that dinner is finally ready!
Lights aren’t on a dimmer? Don’t sweat it! Use lamps, candles, or whatever lighting design you have to create a more intimate space while you eat!
2. Pre and post-dinner activities.
You’ve been cooking and preparing for days; the last thing you need is a bunch of hungry eyes hovering over you while you wrap up! Last year, we painted little gingerbread men, but I also kept a stash of coloring books and word searches on my dining table for easy access. This year, I bought a giant cardboard gingerbread house that everyone can play in and decorate! Don’t overthink it - just grab something easy and fun that the family can do together!
3. Plan for non-TV rooms.
Have non-TV rooms ready for chatting, hanging out, or (in my family’s case) a music sing-along! Or, if some of your family will be glued to football games, use a different room for the TV fireplace app or soft holiday tunes. You deserve a space you can retreat to and recharge in, too!
4. Don’t fight the vibe.
If your guests aren’t into the craft or activity you’ve got planned—let it go! Go outside for a family walk, or acorn-collecting, or whatever! What would everyone have fun doing? Do that! The most important holiday hosting essential is always going to be time with your loved ones, no matter what you’re doing!
5. Be thoughtful in your use of traditions.
Not everyone who will be at my family holiday gathering this year has had “Noni’s Christmas cookies” before. They may love them, they may hate them, they may cry that they wish they were having someone else’s cookies…all of that will be ok. We’ve got a million holidays together going forward—the first is just that. We can’t get too hung up crafting the perfect moment and be disappointed if it doesn’t go off without a hitch.
Use your traditions as a potential connection point. If they aren’t working for everyone, create new ones to add to the list together! Expanding families means more opportunities for new traditions and more love.
6. Relax.
Now, normally I am the queen of a tablescape with layered dishes all that matches my interior design style…but this year, I’m literally going with paper products on a plastic charger, and gift-filled crackers at each place. I’ve got plenty to stress about—I’m not letting the holiday tablescape claim a seat at my table! If creating the “perfect holiday aesthetic” will cause you more stress than it’s worth, do without!
