Till the pandemic upended our lives, our idea of entertainment was, perhaps, an evening spent with friends—painting the town red at the latest pub in town, karaoke bar or whatever held our latest fancy. Or perhaps it would be quality time spent with the family and kids at a movie theatre or mall, followed by dinner at a fancy restaurant.
But with social distancing putting paid to the best-laid plans, all these forms of entertainment have now been replaced with time spent in front of the TV or entertaining just a select handful of friends at home inside a safe and protected social bubble. Staying in is the new going out — and it’s time to rethink your home décor to match! How can you do this? We’ve got some ideas to get you thinking!
Open-plan homes for guests to mingle
There’s a lot to be said for the beauty of homes without walls. Open-plan homes are built for entertaining, and typically have a large open space that encompasses the living, dining, kitchen and family areas together. Families tend to connect more in open homes, and hosts can move between spaces easily while entertaining guests.
What’s more, open-concept floor plans make even compact homes look and feel much larger than they are, and flood the room with natural light. Ready to knock down those walls?
Set up a dedicated entertainment centre
Lockdown or no, it would take some serious effort to get us out of this stunning entertainment room, even on a Saturday evening! With a home theatre system and a gigantic screen at one end and a full-size pool table at the other, this is the perfect setting for a lazy weekend.
While this gorgeous basement space has got us drooling, there’s a lot you can do to carve out entertainment corners even in the most compact homes! Convert your terrace into a cosy recreational room, or enclose a large balcony and set up a table with a carrom board, and a couple of chairs. If nothing else works, convert an entire bedroom into your entertainment arena or fun zone. Game on!
Get ready to cook up a storm!
A large part of entertaining involves dishing up warm home-cooked meals that are relished by friends and family. The kitchen has to be redefined to serve as a core entertainment space, with a breakfast counter where your guests can sit around and chat, even as you whip up delectable appetizers or mix aperitifs. Open-concept kitchens with an island or a breakfast counter are now trending. Gone are the days when the chef-for-the-evening would sweat it out behind closed doors, far away from the crowd!
With work from home now the norm, the counter can also serve as the perch for your laptop if you’re multitasking, or as a table for kids to do their homework under your watchful eye.
Indulge in a weekend Netflix binge!
Nothing feels better than binge-watching back-to-back episodes of The Big Bang Theory with your besties, laughing your head off at Sheldon’s droll expressions when he just cannot wrap his head around something! A home theatre is the best solution to movie nights spent at home with family and friends.
Look out for the biggest high-res screen you can get, a state-of-the-art surround sound system and a plush couch that you can sink into. Add to this a small kitchenette, if your kitchen is more than two steps away, with a coffee percolator and a microwave for whipping up some popcorn.
We love this wood encased entertainment centre, with sleek black cabinets in perfect contrast to the snowy white recliner sofas that are perfect for some uninterrupted TV viewing. Now, where’s the remote?
Of cocktails and mocktails
Party times call for setting the bar high—with a well-stocked bar! Whether it’s a collection of drinks in a hideaway cabinet or a fully equipped open bar, the fun never starts till the wine is poured! Design your bar with a mixing station, a chiller and working sinks, and plenty of space to store your prized collection of liquor and expensive glassware. Don’t forget to pay attention to the design of the lights – they can set the mood for a rocking evening!
Draw up some sturdy wooden stools to the stone-topped counter, and start pouring!
Inside-outside spaces
Guests love to step out to catch some fresh air, and your balcony or terrace is the perfect spot for this. Set up a couple of chairs, a hanging bucket chair and perhaps a hammock too. Fill your indoor-outdoor space with a profusion of plants in pots, and hang up strings of pretty fairy lights or strands of party globes.
Make the most of your outdoor space, and let the party spill out on cool evenings!
Set up a cosy reading nook
And, finally….there are plenty of times when you could just be entertaining yourself, too, and a cosy reading corner might be just what you need! Pile a window seat high with comfy cushions, and fill your corner with potted plants. Make sure there’s a ledge or a small table nearby to set your steaming cuppa chai, as you settle down for a good read with the current bestseller!
Our homes have become so much more than mere shelters – they are now our offices, schools and even entertainment zones. While we hope these ideas have inspired you to host many happy hours at home with family and friends, do ensure you take all the precautions you need to stay safe!
This article is contributed by Dipti Das, VP-Design, HomeLane.com.
(The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of RoofandFloor)