When you’re entertaining guests, there are so many things that can make the experience more special.
But you might not have considered the potential impact that your space can have on your social time. When reviewing what to do with your space, take the time to decide how to design it so that you can make the best of your social time.
The more you curate your living, bar, or outdoor space to work for you, the more personalised and individual all your social moments will feel.
Here, the interior design experts from InHouse Inspired Room Design take you through some ideas for transforming your social space and making it perfect for you.
Think about your activities
The first thing to establish when designing your dream social space is desired activities. Try to think about how you most enjoy spending your time and then prioritise space for these activities. If you enjoy cocktail-making, then a home bar might be the perfect addition to your living space. Whereas if you really enjoy being outdoors then adding some seating, a dedicated BBQ space, or even an outdoor kitchen to the garden might be ideal.
You might find that accommodating your existing interests opens up new ones, such as adding a pizza oven to your BBQ setup or carving out space to keep wines next to your home bar. Either way, you should begin by making space for your hobbies and interests so you can share them with friends and family.
Decide on a colour scheme
When you’re designing your space, you should consider the colour scheme carefully. Different colours introduce different feelings into the room and can really change the atmosphere. Try out different paint swatches or make digital mock-ups to see what everything will look like. Reds and oranges are a great option for evoking warmth, but if you’d prefer a more calming effect then try out blues and greens.
Consider adding further individuality to your decorating, like a feature wall or even a mural. Whatever you decide, pick the colour scheme early on so that you can have it in mind for choosing other elements of your renovation such as furniture and accessories.
Utilise outdoor space
When you are sprucing up your house with social activities in mind, remember the potential of your outdoor space too. If you have French windows opening out onto a patio, consider blending the inside and outside with some biophilic room design. Biophilic design uses designs and colours inspired by nature to add to your interiors, often involving real plants too! This is a calming décor and will encourage you to spend more time in your outdoor space.
If you don’t normally use your garden, then consider installing some seating, a BBQ, pizza oven, or even a hot tub to encourage use of it. In the summer, relaxing in the garden can become a whole pastime on its own and even the colder months are enjoyable with a log fire, some hot drinks, and stargazing.
Consider open plan
Many people enjoy having an open plan layout because it makes hosting social occasions easier. Open plan design immediately makes both your living and kitchen area feel bigger, as you’ll have more space between furniture. You’ll also find that whoever is cooking in the kitchen will be able to socialise and talk with those hanging out in the living room. This encourages a much more sociable evening and mean that whoever is making drinks and snacks won’t be left out of the fun.
If you’re considering changing your living space to open plan, ensure you consult builders beforehand about any dangers of knocking through, or altering, partitioning walls.
“Making your interiors into enjoyable social spaces can be a whole pastime in itself. And you might find that you’ll enjoy remodelling and renovating before you even get your space finished! But it can also be demanding, so ensure that you take time to plan how you’d like the finished space to look and enjoy the process along the way. Consult builders and designers for their expertise as well as outsourcing any labour you might not be able to do yourself. Through booking a design appointment to discuss your space, you’ll be able to get the most out of changing it up, so consulting an expert is essential to any renovation or improvement plan.
“Design your space around your activities and those that you can involve family and friends in, and always take the time to make the space look enticing. The right colour scheme, new paint, coordinated furniture and your favourite house plants can all make a difference, and adding in accents walls or feature lighting will heighten the atmosphere”
— Christopher Dance, Director and Head Designer at InHouse Inspired Room Design
The Togo Sofa is having a moment
