Party Style: 11 Ways to Spruce Up Your Space

Rule one: sweating the often overlooked small stuff -- a pathway, for example -- will make your site something special. It's big-ticket embellishments tied together with often inexpensive details that really put the sizzle into your space. Read on for more of our favorite decorating ideas.

(1) Match the mood
First things first: Whether your party is a fun kid’s birthday or a swanky all-adult anniversary, your site will influence most of your design decisions. If you haven't yet decided on a decorating scheme, look to elements of the room for cues.

(2) Create a common chord
Especially if you're throwing a party for a kid or teen, a theme can really pull things together. Try to choose one that fits with the person being feted. What's their favorite color? What are their favorite activities? If it's a more adult affair, go for a more subtle touch of style -- a repeated design element that will make a lasting and personal impression on the space.

(3) Create some mood lighting
Carefully conceived lighting will brighten any room -- and can give any party a dramatic glow. Hire a lighting designer to focus guests' attention where you want it (on the hostess table, off an ugly dance floor).

(4) Look up
Stuck with an unsightly ceiling? Cover it up! Try draping strings of tiny white lights, coordinating fabric, or of course, bundles of balloons (kids can take them home afterward).

(5) Look down
Don't let a brown shag carpet dissuade you from booking your dream space. Hide that floor with ground-sweeping linens. Or cover it with a nice rental carpet, or a rented parquet wooden floor.

(6) Call for the wild
Warm up to the idea of an outdoor affair -- Mother Nature has taken care of the decorating budget! Take note of the surrounding wildflowers and choose your party colors accordingly. Keep the carefree outdoor vibe in mind when styling any flowers -- a tightly packed modern centerpiece might look totally out of place.

(7) Make a good first impression
Impress your guests with a grand entrance. Fun decorations on doors, colorful candles (votives are great) atop every table, a giant sign announcing the reason for the party -- any of these will get guests in the mood to celebrate.

(8) Beautify the bar
If you're having a bar, chances it will be the hot spot at your party(you'll have the bill to prove it!). So why not dazzle the rowdy revelers with colorful rented barware? Or go for over-the-top extravagance and construct an entirely new bar -- add bamboo, tropical parasols, and frozen drink machines. But whatever you do, don't disrupt the bartender's duties. Nix anything that will get in the way.

(9) Size up your tables
Sitting down to eat? Long banquet-style tables evoke a more family-style feeling and lessen seating arrangement stress (a bit). If your room is wide rather than long, go for a mix of square and round tables in various sizes. Eclectic table arrangements allow you to seat groups of people much more easily because you're not stuck with 10 to a table.

(10) Take care of the chairs
The challenge: oh-so-blah burgundy chairs. The solution: chair covers. There's nothing new about this idea, but funky fabrics are a great way to bedazzle a room. You could even dress your chairs with silk flowers, tulle, or ribbon. Just make sure the seats are still comfortable to sit on!

(11) Mind your manners
Much more than mere crumb-catchers, napkins are an easy way to add that extra little something to your tables. Using your party palette and choosing personalized napkin rings will definitely enhance the design, but we're hooked on the art of folding: From a spring-like tulip fold to the more difficult pocket fold that holds a menu card, origami cloth treatments equal elegance.

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