Transform Your Home From Everyday To Elegant In Minutes (NAPSA)—Where’s the hottest hangout in town? For many,it’s their own living room. According to a recent survey, more than three out of four Americans (aged 21 to 39) prefer to spend an evening with friends at someone’s home rather than at a bar or club. Whenit’s your house that’s become the destination for the evening,a little planning can make preparing for the party more relaxing. “Everyone stresses about having company, but by making just a few preparations and using everyday furnishings in new anddiffer- ent ways, the perfect party can take place in even the smallest of living spaces,” says furniture expert Penny Eudy. “Whether having the family over for dinner, hosting a cocktail hour or inviting the neighborhood over for game night, you'll appreciate smart fur- nishings that can adapt from everyday dcor to the changing needsof guests in a snap.” Create Conversational Clusters The typical living room is set up for comfortable viewing of the family television. To entertain guests when the television isn’t the center of attention, encourage them to mingle with conversational configurations, suggests Eudy. Sectionals such as the Inspired Living by La-Z-Boy “Benjamin” feature modularpieces finished on all sides that can be arranged and rearranged, to offer dozens of options and endless opportunities for conversation. Long bench ottomans and small chairs should come out from the wall on special occasions to form intimate groupings for friendly conversation. “Combine ottomans and small chairs with larger furnishings to create group- ings throughout a space, with the furniture facing each other,” says Eudy. “These conversational eS Encourage guests to mingle with conversational configurations and sectionals that feature modular pieces that can be rearranged. groupingswill encourage guests to sit and relax, instead of flocking to the kitchen, as we’re always so tempted to do.” Maintain a Friendly Flow While creating extra seating for guests is important, maintain- ing open space for impromptu gatherings, dancing and simply milling about also is vital to the life of a party. “When rearranging furniture for a gathering, consider the flow of traffic through the room and where crowds will congregate,” recommends Eudy. “Sizeable walkways between furnishings and clear paths to buffets, bars and seating areas promote friendly mingling and make guests feel more at home.” Avoid Clutter Chaos Organizing your everyday clutter and cleaning house for company can cause quite a stir after all is said and done. Keep clutter out of sight, but close-at-hand, with storage ottomans. Not only do ottomans such as the La-ZBoy “Cory” hide away everyday messes, they offer even moreseat- ing for your guests and can be moved throughout the evening to spur conversation and create table top space for board games and the occasional euchre match. Adjust the Atmosphere Ambience is key to any gathering. Create the mood, whether fun and funky or calm and serene, with adjustable lighting. Wellplaced table lamps and floor lamps makelight quantity and quality easy to control. Strategically placed candles can add a special glow to a room. Put lighting on side tables that will also lend themselves as resting places for beverages and plates of hors doeuvres. “By making just a few easy adjustments to your space and keeping a party’s theme and menu simple, anyone can become the ‘hostess with the mostest,’ no mat- ter how often your home becomes a hot spot on the social scene,” adds Eudy. More Information You can learn more online at www.lazboy.com.
