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These Austin, Texas, homeowners love to entertain, but their closed-off kitchen wasn’t supporting the casual gatherings they enjoy hosting. They hired Etch Design Studio, which uses Houzz Pro, and Skelly Build to open the kitchen to the adjacent sunroom and create a layout better suited to the way they cook, eat, gather and entertain.

Interior designer Zoie Young led the project, beginning the design process by asking the owners to share inspiration photos. “They had selected photos that were mostly contemporary and transitional with a little bit of farmhouse thrown in,” she says. “That let me know they would want a touch of classic Texas traditional in there.”





This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .



These Austin, Texas, homeowners love to entertain, but their closed-off kitchen wasn’t supporting the casual gatherings they enjoy hosting. They hired Etch Design Studio, which uses Houzz Pro, and Skelly Build to open the kitchen to the adjacent sunroom and create a layout better suited to the way they cook, eat, gather and entertain.

Interior designer Zoie Young led the project, beginning the design process by asking the owners to share inspiration photos. “They had selected photos that were mostly contemporary and transitional with a little bit of farmhouse thrown in,” she says. “That let me know they would want a touch of classic Texas traditional in there.”





This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .



This Portland, Oregon, couple wanted to transform the basement of their historic home into a special place for entertaining. As parents in a blended family with three kids, they envisioned an adult-oriented retreat with a lounge, a home office, storage for their large wine collection and a bar for serving it when hosting friends.

After beginning construction with a contractor, they realized they needed more professional design help than they had anticipated. They initially hired Workaday Architects for a consultation on layout ideas, but the meeting inspired them to bring the firm on to design the entire project. The scope expanded to include built-ins, new stairs, a wine room, a powder room, the bar, lighting and more. The finished design balances the historic architecture of the home with the couple’s favorite midcentury pieces, meaningful artwork and modern updates.



This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .



An outdoor space — whether a yard, patio or deck — is high on many homeowners’ entertaining wish lists. Whether you like to have a crowd over for cocktails, a few friends for dinner or a small gathering for drinks around a fire pit, the right lighting helps extend outdoor enjoyment after sundown.

Solar-powered, battery-powered, or wired lighting, and even candlelight, can all work nicely. Choose warm white LEDs (2500 Kelvin to 3000 Kelvin) for a cozy feel, and be sure the fixtures are rated for outdoor use. It’s also worth choosing lights that are easy to switch off once the party is over, to help protect wildlife at night.



This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .



An outdoor space — whether a yard, patio or deck — is high on many homeowners’ entertaining wish lists. Whether you like to have a crowd over for cocktails, a few friends for dinner or a small gathering for drinks around a fire pit, the right lighting helps extend outdoor enjoyment after sundown.

Solar-powered, battery-powered, or wired lighting, and even candlelight, can all work nicely. Choose warm white LEDs (2500 Kelvin to 3000 Kelvin) for a cozy feel, and be sure the fixtures are rated for outdoor use. It’s also worth choosing lights that are easy to switch off once the party is over, to help protect wildlife at night.



This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .



Stock Your Bar and Pantry

While big gatherings are going to have their own grocery lists, keep your bar and pantry well-stocked for surprise visits and impromptu get-togethers.

For your bar or bar cart, think about warming liqueurs, winter cocktails and boozy coffees in addition to your usual selection. Be sure to provide low- or no-alcohol versions of favorite drinks.

To make life easier, consider serving charcuterie or cheese boards, bowls of roasted nuts and quick dinners made with pantry staples.

Keep snacks, coffee, tea and sugar on hand. If you’re an avid baker, make sure you have what you need to whip up a batch of cookies. If that’s not a hobby, packaged snacks kept on hand are just as good for welcoming guests.

Get Organized for Holiday Baking



This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .



“A wood-burning fire pit is the old-school way to go, with crackling wood, the hypnotic smell of smoke and as much heat as you can handle,” Langhorne says. Gas fire pits offer the convenience of just turning a knob to start or adjust the flame and create no ashes, soot or smoke, he says. Unlike wood fire pits, however, they require a gas line or fuel tank.

Portable fire pits can be easily added to most outdoor spaces, coming in many sizes and costing less than a permanent installation. “They’re relatively inexpensive, easy to relocate, require minimal cleanup and have little or no smoke to deal with,” Langhorne says.



This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .



Jamie Merida InteriorsSave Photo
Getting Ready

Accept your strengths and weaknesses as a host. No one can do it all. The key to a low-stress event is to play up your strengths and outsource your not-so-favorite parts of entertaining. For instance, finish a homemade meal with a lovely dessert from a local bakery or throw a potluck buffet or cocktail party instead of having a formal sit-down meal.

Keep things real. Your guests are there to enjoy your company, not judge your home or your cooking. If you’re not “done” getting things ready before your guests arrive, ask for help. Most guests are more than happy to pitch in lighting candles, setting the table, stirring a pot or pouring wine. And before reading the checklist that follows, remember that you can always rent party gear rather than buy rarely used items.



This article was originally published by a
www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .



Delaney’s DesignSave Photo
7. Multiple Seating Areas and Furniture Pieces

Giving guests options for gathering and relaxing is important for facilitating an engaging party atmosphere. So pros recommend creating multiple seating areas that allow for intimate conversations or larger chats, both inside and out.

Mixing seating pieces like sofas, love seats, chaise lounges, accent chairs, swivel chairs and movable footstools can make numerous arrangements possible.

“We like to provide multifunctional pieces to our clients who love to entertain,” designer Robin Violandi of Violandi + Warner Interiors says. “It might be occasional chairs or upholstered cubes that are easy to move to different rooms to provide additional seating. Multiple small side tables are great for providing a place to put a drink or a small tray for guests. All of these items are easy to move from room to room and can serve double duty.”

This Dallas living room by Delaney’s Design is a great example. It features a casual seating area near a limestone fireplace with a sofa and two armchairs. The armchairs can swivel around to face a second seating area with a sectional sofa and two movable ottomans in front of a large-screen TV.



This article was originally published by a
www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .



Rumor Design + reDesignSave Photo
8. Creekside Contentment

Outdoor entertaining played a big part in the design of this new-build cabin-style accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in Colorado, so it was important to have a large covered area that the homeowners and guests could use on sunny, rainy and even snowy days. Mountain Architecture Design Group, Rumor Design + reDesign and Dobell Contracting delivered, with a protected patio that turns a corner to include the main entryway. Bonus: Part of the roof is a green roof.

The ADU’s modern rustic look works with the style of the main home, which faces the entry, and a smaller historic cabin to the back on the right (not seen). It mixes bold elements, such as lounge chairs upholstered in a black-and-white houndstooth fabric, with timber and stone. The lounge area is joined by a dining area, with a nearby creek providing a soothing soundtrack.

Read more about this project



This article was originally published by a
www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .

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