Staying in is the new going out, they say. So why pay a fortune to go out and mingle with strangers on New Year’s Eve? You can have an awesome party at home to ring in the new year. Not only does it mean you don’t have to worry about taxis, but you can also ensure you’re with your friends and not random drunk strangers.
The bar will have all of your favourites stocked, and the music will be perfect – because you’ve picked all of it. But what about the venue? Fret not, you can indeed transform your house into a perfect party zone.
The food, drink and music are the easy parts. What about the actual space? Depending on how your house is laid out and how much space you have, a party ideally has three spaces. You need a reasonably well-lit area for refreshments so people can see what’s there.
And, of course, you need the main party space where the music is playing, and the lights are lower. If you have space, a third space that’s a little quieter is a nice option for people who want to talk or chill out a bit.
Creating Your Party Zones
Your sitting room or conservatory is a great space for the main party action. Because it will be full of people, it’s okay if it this space isn’t as warm. If people are dancing and drinking, they will be warm even in a conservatory on New Year’s Eve. Clear furniture out of the centre of this space. If you want space to dance, you can even take the couch or other seating out. The stereo goes in here, but you might not want a big flat-screen telly here. You won’t want anything easily broken in here, actually.
Lamps, vases and ornaments will be safer elsewhere. You can create some festive lighting with fairy lights, but candles are not the best mix with drinking and dancing – unless they are electric candles.
If you don’t have a third room to create a chill-out zone, you can use part of your kitchen. Set out food and drink on the counters, and keep that side of the room well-lit. You can put the couch from the main party room – aka the sitting room – in the kitchen, away from the food and drink. If you can light just the side of the room with the food, you probably won’t need any lighting on the chill-out side.
All this moving stuff around can be challenging. You might find you have some items that are hard to store in the house, especially if you are having guests stay overnight. But don’t despair! You can use short-term storage for fragile household items or pieces of furniture that would be in the way of your party.
U Store It doesn’t require any long-term contract. If you’re in Dublin, Cork, Waterford or Belfast, you can easily store those bulky or fragile items and let the good times roll at home.
