A small apartment is actually a good place for a holiday party. People stand closer, conversations overlap, and it feels busy with fewer guests. You just have to plan where people will stand, where the drinks go and where all the coats end up.

How many people

A rough guide: about one person for every 10 square feet of floor you can clear. A 300-square-foot living area that’s half furniture fits around 15 people standing, fewer if most of them want to sit. If you’re inviting more than that, plan for people in the kitchen too, because that’s where they’ll go anyway.

Move the furniture before anyone arrives

  • Push the coffee table against a wall or into the bedroom. It’s the thing that blocks the middle of the room.
  • Put a few floor cushions (on Amazon) along one wall for people who want to sit.
  • Clear one surface completely for food and another for drinks.

Separate the food and the drinks

If food and drinks are in the same spot, everyone crowds there. Put food on the kitchen counter or a table, and drinks somewhere else: a bar cart, a sideboard, a bookshelf. It spreads people around the apartment without anyone having to direct them.

At the drinks: a bucket of ice, glasses or sturdy cups, a bottle opener, holiday napkins (on Amazon) and a small bin for bottle caps. A sign isn’t needed.

Food that doesn’t need plates

In a small space, food people can eat standing up is much easier. Things on toothpicks, small sandwiches, a cheese board, cookies. Put snacks in two or three spots on trays (on Amazon) so nobody has to walk across the room to get to them.

Lighting

Turn the overhead lights off. String fairy lights (on Amazon) along a bookshelf or window, turn on every lamp and put flameless tea lights (on Amazon) on the surfaces. Low light makes a crowded room feel cozy instead of cramped, and it’s flattering for everyone. Real candles are a risk with people reaching past them in tight space.

Coats and bags

Decide before the first guest where coats go. A bed with a clean throw over it is the usual answer. Or clear a closet rail and put out extra hangers. A lidded basket (on Amazon) by the door for hats and gloves keeps the entry from turning into a pile.

Music and neighbors

Play music at a level where people can talk without raising their voices. Let your neighbors know about the party a few days ahead, or better, invite them.

Cleanup

Put out a visible trash bag and a separate one for recycling in the kitchen, so people use them instead of leaving cups on every surface. Run the dishwasher halfway through the evening if you can. The next morning goes much faster.