Hourglass Design

As a kid nothing got me more excited than, the sound of furniture being dragged around the house, along with the scent of warm punch in the air, and the bright white light bulbs being exchanged for funky orange ones.

It could only mean, one thing, my parents were ready to throw a PARTY!

I love parties, events, gallery openings, and nice dinners at home. They always hold the promise of excitement, change, and right out fun. How does all this tie into a design blog? Well, pretty much, everything. Well executed events are throughly planned, thought about, and because they only "live" on borrowed time, every detail counts.

Most of my friends who enjoy our parties, think I should switch gears and cross over into the event planning world. I think the stress alone would just kill me. I honestly really don't know how event planners do it, and I have tremendous admiration to event planners who pull off a successful party.

So what goes into a successful event? I'm not really sure what would be the right recipe. It's an intuitive process with so many variables. Usually I break it down to what I know how to do. I know how to design, and the details and effort that go into a good design project, can be transferred into planning and creating successful events. The process for me starts with the space, and what I would like that certain space to become. Even a home can turn into a chic launch party site (as I have proven this weekend*).

Photo credit // Asaf Sinay

Like with office design, I have to think about the movement and interaction of the people in the space. What would be the first thing a person walking in would see, or what I would call the WOW factor, a centrally located element in the space, that can become a ice-breaker in the first few minutes, (art work is usually a good start). The flow and movement in a space has to be clear; where does one hang a coat, grab a drink or snack, stands or sits during in the event.

Like in any space, lighting is crucial, it has to be prefect (candles are always my to-go-to option), not too dim not to bright, but enough to create an almost hazy atmosphere, kind of like the color of a sunset, the hour of change. Fresh cut flowers always add a touch of high end festivities like no other prop can.

Smell is a key element of an event, you don't want your party smelling like a cheap candle store, so it's worth while investing in one expensive candle that will give the event that little extra air of allure. When food is served, the smell of it when first entering a space can be off putting, opening a small crack in the window helps too.

It's hard to figure out what people like to listen to. I guess that really depends what the goal of the event is, and who the crowd is. A playlist is a good option for the start of an event, but I have found that being flexible and asking friends to plug in their devices too, is a great way of making a person feel welcome and part of the party.

Lastly It's hard to leave and say goodbye, a small thing to take home is a great keepsake that allows for your party some extra sand grains in the hourglass.

*This weekend I helped launch Spatter click on the link to see more photos from that event