Do you love to hang out with your friends? You should! Humans are, by nature, social creatures, and regular social connection with your loved ones has proven psychological benefits. There’s nothing quite like sharing food and drink with your friends or even just quickly touching base via text message or a short phone call. Yet a common hurdle to having friends over can be the lack of a suitable space to entertain them.
Perhaps your living room is cluttered and crowded, and you’re embarrassed for anyone to see it. Whatever the reason, don’t let the lack of a decent living room deter you from inviting your mates around. Let’s check out how you can transform your space into the perfect hangout spot.
Make Sure Everyone Can Sit
Unless you’re at a banging block party, people usually like to sit while they socialize. If your lounge rooms lack quality sofas in Melbourne, you’re unlikely to see your friends come back for another visit anytime soon. So, invest in a quality lounge suite and play the host with the most.
If you can’t afford a brand new lounge set, don’t stress. You can often find decent quality second-hand suites on eBay or Gumtree or even on the Facebook marketplace. Keep your eye out for a bargain, and before long, you’ll have the comfiest couches and chairs possible.
While a place to sit is one thing, there’s another aspect of your living space that you need to work on, the ambiance.
Affable Ambience
Good ambiance can be quite elusive. After all, everyone’s taste varies, and what you enjoy your friend might loathe. There are a few things you can do that should hit the mark, though. The first is the lighting. You want to ensure that your living space is well lit enough that you can see everyone, but not so well lit that it feels like an interrogation room. A few well-placed lamps will do the trick, or a medium-wattage or dimmable overhead light.
The next step is music. Now, be careful here. Even if you have a quality sound system, you don’t want to turn that death metal up to eleven. A good rule of thumb is to ask your guests what type of music you enjoy, then put on a playlist of that genre at a modest volume. The idea is to provide some background noise for mood, so people can still enjoy the conversation.
Keep The Drinks Flowing
Here’s a tip that will make you appear debonair and classy. Invest in a mini bar for your lounge room. Stock it with all the common spirits and liquors and be ready to make your guests a drink at the drop of a hat. It’s a pleasant and cultured touch that won’t go unnoticed by your guests and will increase your chances of a return visit the next time you invite them over!
A word of warning here, though – don’t go overboard on the drinks you consume or serve. First of all, you don’t want to get tipsy and embarrass yourself in front of your friends, especially if they are relatively new ones. Secondly, you don’t want your mates to drink too much and to do the same! So practice some moderation and keep it to a drink or two, and you’ll be right.
Make Sure To Enjoy Their Company
At the end of the day, your friends are more important than your living room, so enjoy their company. That being said, make sure you have an appropriate lounge suite for entertaining and invest some time, effort, and money into the ambiance in the room. Play some soft music that everyone can enjoy, and keep a well-stocked mini bar in the corner.
