Throwing a party? Don’t forget the kitchen when you put up the decorations. Whatever the occasion, there’s something you can do to make this key room part of the party.
Christmas
Sometimes the kitchen gets left out of the Christmas decoration plans – we’re so busy buying a massive tree and putting up decorations in the lounge we forget about the kitchen.
You’ll probably all spend some of your Christmas in the kitchen though: putting the lunch together, stuffing the turkey, basting roast potatoes and pouring the wine – so add a little festive spark with these ideas.
Add silver accents to doors and cabinets, or a wreath for the kitchen door. You don’t want tinsel dropping in your food, so just hang it around the kitchen door, maybe drape a little over a kitchen island or on top of kitchen cabinets.
If you’re eating in the kitchen, try a Christmas-themed tablecloth – maybe a gold or silver colour, or a more Christmas-specific tablecloth with Santa or holly motifs. For that extra touch, add some fake snow spray around the table (but away from plates) for a complete Christmas feel.
Put a miniature Christmas tree in a corner – you can even decorate it with lights and place some small presents underneath – maybe a gourmet dinner pack or tin for the family cat!
And don’t forget Santa! Leave him Christmas treats on a smart serving plate and a glass of wine to help see him through the night.
Valentine’s Day
Instead of trying to book a restaurant that’s going to charge you inflated prices for a standard meal, set the scene yourself with a home-cooked dinner.
The key to a successful Valentine’s Day meal at your regular kitchen dining table is charm. Lighting and decorations are essential, along with a delicious home-cooked dinner for 2, of course.
Try to infuse your kitchen space with red and pink, the classic Valentine’s Day colours. On the kitchen table, a red candelabra with pink candles is a good start. A Valentine’s Day-themed runner or table cloth will complement the gorgeous flowers you picked out beforehand. Sit them in a pretty vase.
In terms of lighting, try and use electric lighting as little as possible when dinner is served. IKEA has a wide range of candles for you to choose from. For a soft room ambience fill a clear or red-tinted bowl with water and pop in some floating candles.
The romance? That’s down to you, but hopefully this gives you a little inspiration to set the scene for love.
Midwinter Summer Party
Say goodbye to the winter blues with a midwinter summer party. The theme here is sand, surf and sun! You may not be able to get any of this in your home but you can at least bring a summery feel to your kitchen!
For a Pacific Island effect, wear a Hawaiian shirt, grass skirt or luau and scatter fake tropical flowers liberally around the kitchen. Hang luaus off doors, dress your table in a tiki fringe and place seashells in the middle of the dining table.
A bright, juicy punch served in a big bowl will go down well with your guests. Serve the punch with tropical drink umbrellas in colourful glassware.
Turn the heat up and enjoy the summer weather… in your kitchen!
4th of July Party
It’s red, white and blue all over your kitchen! For a fun excuse to throw a party for your friends on a summer’s day, celebrate the USA’s Independence Day.
If you can’t cook up a BBQ meal outside, recreate the American vibe in your kitchen. Think flags, lots of them, all in the star spangled banner style, draped around the kitchen walls and doors.
Add a classic red and white check tablecloth with stars and stripes napkins. Red dixie cups for drinks provide that college atmosphere, and you can garnish your hot dogs and burgers with pickle, ketchup and mayo.
Then just turn on your favourite Springsteen album and chant, “Born in the USA!”
Read our top 10 party ideas
Top 10s
See the full range of top tips from around the site
