Read our quick guide on creating a home for entertaining.
In increasing numbers, the top interior designers are being requested to create a home that is designed with entertaining in mind. Clients are keen to sculpt a home that nurtures a strong sense of sociability. Achieving the ideal balance between a space in which you’re proud to host guests and a comfortable family home is a fine art, but with the help of a professional and some creativity, it can be done. We looked at the work of London-based luxury interior designer, Callender Howorth, to find out how to strike a balance.
Talking points
A great space for entertaining will be just that – entertaining! Work with your interior designer to select artworks and interesting pieces that work together in a thematic way and reflect aspects of your personal tastes and interests. If you consider yourself to be an enthusiast of music, or feel that a particular colour best expresses you, you can use this motif to create uniqueness in your design. There’s no need to be neutral; owning a show home is no fun, nor is it practical. If you would like to create a space in which people look forward to gathering, you can be as bold as you like with colours, shapes, furniture, and decoration.
This was exactly the brief for, and the outcome of, Callender Howorth’s Mayfair Mews House project. Their client requested an expressive, personal design, with enough space to entertain guests and a beautiful use of light. The unusual, contemporary furniture and utilisation of artworks achieves this perfectly, and imbued the space with a sense of sophistication and fun. Glass partitions maximise the space’s natural light, while huge windows open entirely to bring the inside out.
Light and Spacious
Carefully plan guests’ journey into your home, from front door to hallway and living room. This route will influence the first impression of your home, and so should reflect your desired aesthetic most poignantly. For instance, the perfect home for entertaining might have a light, airy entrance area with space for greeting and hanging up coats, and even offering drinks on more formal occasions. Then, consider whether you want the kitchen to be the focal point, or whether you want to lead guests to another space, such as a dining area, a living room or even a patio or terrace.
The Regents Park House project is a unique example of luxury interior design. Set in three combined mews houses on a cobbled mews road, the spectacular, contemporary property gives no secrets away from the outside; the door is unassuming and the atmospheric area contrasts with the modern design of the interior. These features emphasise the element of surprise. The lofty interior comprises a swimming pool that spans the length of the property, custom gull wing windows that slide open to reveal the sky, and the latest technological innovations. This is the ultimate party pad.
Cosy Corners
Creating cosy spaces within a large room enables intimacy at a large gathering – an essential feature for entertaining. It’s ideal if your space already has unusual nooks for an inviting corner sofa or window seat, but if the layout of your place is fairly uniform, you can create the feel of a snug area with strategically positioned furniture and other spatial separations.
The Swiss Ski Chalet project puts oversized chandeliers to use over well-placed furniture. Colours divide the property’s large rooms too: cream-coloured sofas designate a living room, while oak tones indicate a dining room. Floor-to-ceiling windows make the most of the property’s spectacular views.
