Décor
Even if you’re not planning a cheesy theme party, you’ll want to ensure that your room is bursting with atmosphere — otherwise, what’s the difference between your cocktail hour and your collegiate neighbor’s Friday-night kegger? We turned to Elizabeth Samia, designer for Longwood Events (the company that owns spaces such as the State Room and Belle Mer in Newport), for her largescale event experience that we can pare down to apartment-sized proportions.
To add atmosphere without going over-the-top, think simplicity, says Samia. If you’re working with a tight budget, organic materials like seasonal flowers or blossoms arranged in a beautiful bowl or cup that you already own can spruce things up nicely. Forgo as much artificial lighting as possible, and rely on candles to keep things illuminated and set the mood. Engage your guests; Samia loves deconstructed cheese bars, which allow partiers to choose toppings or spreads to pair with each variety, and gets them interacting with the food and each other. And, at the most basic level, appeal to your guests’ five senses. In terms of touch, texture is key. Work with furs in winter and lighter, textural finishes in summer. “I have a hard time throwing any old linen on the table,” Samia says. To appeal to partygoers’ nostrils, she does seasonal scents in each of the venues she works with (it’s lemongrass at the State Room these days).
Overall, just do your best to keep things fresh, clean, and simple. And if things go wrong — and something most certainly will — learn to roll with the punches. Says Samia: “It’s all about improvising.”