- HB Home
How to Arrange Furniture for a House Party
Updated: Apr 17
If you're planning a get-together in your home, rearranging your furniture is as important as the refreshments and decorations. The right layout will encourage your guests to mix and mingle without making them feel cramped or uncomfortable. While it may take a few hours to reorganize the room before the party starts, your effort will help you get the most of the space you have.
Here are a few simple steps to arrange your furniture for a house party and create a warm, inviting atmosphere.
1. Choose Your Party Area
Your first step is to choose the area of your home that will serve as your party's main setting. It should be contained yet comfortable — preferably just large enough to hold the number of people invited. However, it should also be breathable with enough space to encourage mingling. If you're only inviting close friends, smaller spaces will give your party an air of intimacy.
2. Avoid Too Much Seating
Seating is important. When guests get tired, it's nice to have a place where they can relax. However, not every guest will want to sit down at once. In fact, having too many chairs and couches cluttering your party space can lead to overcrowding. A good rule of thumb is to aim for enough seating to accommodate 20 to 25% of your guests at any given moment. So if you have 50 people in your home, you should have about 10 to 15 seating options.
If your guests are left without a chair and want one, keep a few folding chairs nearby so they can join a seated conversation and feel more comfortable. Throw pillows can also serve as extra seating if needed.
3. Remove Nonessential Furniture
Coffee tables, footstools, entertainment consoles — while these items are great for your personal use, they can crowd a party area. Remove any furniture that's not necessary. Keep seating and side tables, as guests will likely need places to sit and place their drinks.
You may also want to leave out a few creative and personal items, like sculptures, photographs, decorative lamps, or tchotchkes. These act as conversation starters and can brighten the overall atmosphere.
Store your coffee tables and other unessential furnishings in another room for the duration of your party. Unless you're watching the big game or having a movie night, you may also want to think about removing your TV from the room as well — or just turning it off for the evening. TVs are distracting and can inhibit conversation among your guests.
4. Position Furniture Around the Perimeter
Avoid placing any furniture near the center of the room. This will give your guests plenty of space to walk around and mingle. Instead, position your seating and other furniture around the perimeter, preferably in small clusters near the wall to encourage conversation with other guests.
You'll also want to create a clear walkway. Arrange your furniture in such a way that it doesn't obstruct any doorways so that your guests can walk from one end of the party area to the other without running into furniture. A good pathway is about two people wide.
5. Arrange Seating to Encourage Conversation
Seating areas should include sofas and chairs arranged with enough space for two to four people. If you cluster your seating in one area, the room will feel unbalanced. Facing all your seats toward the center of the room will also discourage close conversations between small groups. A good idea is to visualize the room divided into quadrants and place an equal amount of seats in each of the four areas.
Let Your Game Room Furniture Take the Spotlight
While your couches, chairs and tables may be shuffled about to make room for your guests, house parties are the perfect opportunity to highlight elegant gaming furniture. Pool tables, dart boards and foosball create endless hours of entertainment. These games allow guests to mingle and converse while also enjoying a bit of friendly competition.
At HB Home, we elevate the look and feel of game room furniture. You'll find an array of stylish options perfect for any home setting, from elegant game parlors to contemporary bachelor pads. Browse our collections online to find your ideal game room furnishings.