A Guide For Having People Over In Your Small Space

By Ashley Paskill on February 17, 2020

This article is brought to you by CORT Furniture Rental. We take the hassle out of furnishing your new place so you can do more important things like read this article. Learn more about why furniture rental is the best way to get a great looking apartment.

Whether you live in a dorm or apartment, it is likely that your living space is not as spacious as you would like it to be. This can make it a challenge to have people over, either for a small get-together of friends or a full party. However, if you make the most of the space you have, even if it is small, you can successfully hang out with people in your living space.

Make the most of your apartment’s porch

If you live in an apartment, you may have a porch or an outdoor area that is all yours. This kind of space is perfect for get-togethers, especially when the weather is nice. Even if you intend to have an indoor party, you can have some seating outside so that there is enough room for everyone. You may even wish to put a fire pit on your porch, but make sure this is okay with your landlord first. Pick furniture that adds a nice atmosphere to hang out in, including a table and some chairs. Having outdoor seating helps balance out the congestion from inside your apartment.

Create space for fun

How you arrange your furniture can make a huge difference in how much space you have in your apartment. When setting up your furniture, think of what kinds of activities you plan on doing if you have people over on a regular basis. If you plan on having people over to study, do crafts, or eat, make sure there is a table with enough seats in a spacious area. Are you into sports or a particular TV show and plan on inviting people over to watch with you? Make a TV the focal point and arrange seating around it so everyone can see it clearly. However, keep in mind how much space you have. You should not have a party of 100 people or more if you live in a tiny dorm or studio apartment.

Image: Kelsey Chance via https://unsplash.com/photos/ZrhtQyGFG6s

Keep it clean

Even though you have a crazy schedule as a student, it is important to keep your dorm or apartment clean. Unnecessary clutter only makes your already limited space that much tighter, especially if you have items on tables or couches where your friends are meant to be. You also do not want friends and classmates to think you are a slob. If you find yourself in this situation, plan to clean up one section of your apartment or dorm each day. That way, you do not feel as overwhelmed about having to clean everything at once and you can do it in small chunks that fit with your schedule. While working on class assignments and studying, throw some laundry in so that your clothes are not piling up. If you have to, take your textbooks to your apartment’s laundromat and study there while your clothes are being cleaned.

Coordinate schedules with your roommate(s)

If you have a roommate, it is crucial that you check with them to make sure they do not have people coming over or other plans to use the apartment or dorm. Nothing makes a small space even smaller than having too many people in it at once. If you have mutual friends, this will not be too much of an issue. However, having two different study groups over at the same time can make your space more cramped. To fix this, have a calendar in a space that you and your roommate share so that you can each write down plans, particularly ones that involved having people over. That way, you will limit the congestion in your apartment.

Practical décor

As mentioned before, clutter can make your small space feel even smaller. In order to help decrease clutter, use décor that doubles as organizers. For example, make a picture frame key holder so you can hang your keys up as soon as you get home and you know where they are so that you are not scrambling to get out the door. You can decorate old shoeboxes as storage units by decorating them with decorative paper. Make a magnetic bulletin board out of an old cookie sheet to hang up important documents or announcements you want your roommate to be. That way, your apartment looks nice for when people come over.

Lighten up a bit

Darkness can make your small space appear smaller, so, on the contrary, light can make it appear bigger. This is especially important if you want to have people over. You do not want to feel cramped, especially since more people will add to the congestion. If you have the option to change your wall color, paint it a light color. If not, use ceiling lights and lamps throughout your space to make it appear lighter. Light-colored area rugs and furniture can help out if you are not allowed to paint or change the carpets.

Having people over to your small space can seem impossible, but taking advantage of any space you have and decluttering can help increase the space so you and your guests do not feel cramped.

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