Planning any party can be stressful, from sending invitations to booking a caterer to accommodating last-minute guests. Planning an at-home dinner party can be even worse. There’s 11th-hour panic cleaning, cooking, and hoping the neighbors don’t freak with all the cars parked out front. Not to mention decorating.
We polled D Home’s 2022 Best Designers for their favorite party decor tips and tricks, plus we gathered our ultimate dinner party must-haves.
Have fun with your plating.
“My favorite china is by J.L. Coquet porcelain. My perfect pairing is there pretty, scalloped-edge Samoa Platinum 8-inch plate with the bold Hemisphere Platinum stripes charger.” —Susan Bednar Long, S.B. Long Interiors
Perfect the lighting.
“Have multiple sources of lighting: downlights, uplights, chandelier light, and lamps all on dimmers.” —Barry Williams, Williams Design Inc.
It’s not glamorous, but wash the dishes.
“In the kitchen, try for two dishwashers, two sinks, two pullout trash/recycle bins. If you can’t have them all, most definitely go for the two dishwashers. A true game changer. I’ve never had a client regret it.” —Pamela Fitch, Pamela Fitch Design
You’ve heard of butler’s pantries, but what about the party pantry?
“Don’t forget about a place for all of your party storage, such as plates, platters, table cloths, extra wine glasses, etc. If we can’t house everything in the kitchen, we like to dedicate a nearby closet as a ‘party pantry’ and outfit all of the walls with custom storage and shelving.” —Alexis Pearl, Alexis Pearl Design
The glass is as important as the drink.
“I’m currently crushing over my new fluted highball glasses by Riedel. I serve Botanist gin mixed with lemon La Croix, mint leaves, sprinkle of stevia, lemon wedges, and heavy ice for a low-calorie refresher that is perfect on a warm Dallas night or around a fire on a chilly evening.” —Traci Connell, Traci Connell Interiors
Scroll through the gallery to for decor inspiration before your next bash.
