The holidays can be as fun as they are stressful — especially when you’re playing host. When you’re working with limited kitchen space, that stress can double when it’s time to sit down for your holiday meal. Here are five easy ways you can maximize your current space for the ultimate holiday hosting experience:
1) Replace the traditional sit-down meal with a space-saving buffet
Setting up a serve-yourself buffet line in your dining or living room can be a game changer when you have a small kitchen. It prevents overcrowding in your kitchen, and it doubles the seating options by giving your guests the freedom to eat in other rooms in your house.
2) Be flexible with food prep
If your kitchen is too crowded for more than one or two people to be working at a time, consider spacing out some of the food preparation. You can create a drink station or a makeshift bar cart to keep people in need of refills out of your limited space while you work, or set up a chopping station on a nearby table.
3) Create clear paths to high-traffic areas
Make sure to declutter your space as much as possible before your guests arrive, and make sure all of the areas they’ll be using heavily (the bathroom, the front door, and wherever the drinks are being poured in particular) have a clear, wide path to prevent any pile up or overcrowding. If your kitchen space is smaller, you’ll want to be able to utilize every inch of counter space, so temporarily put away any appliances, cookbooks, or decorations that aren’t absolutely necessary for the occasion.
4) Make room for the dishes
If you have a dishwasher, make sure it’s completely empty before your guests sit down for dinner so it’s ready to house all of the dirty dishes after the meal, rather than stacking them in your sink and cutting down on your already limited space. If you don’t have a dishwasher, establish designated spots for dirty and clean dishes, and make sure your guests are putting them exactly where they’re supposed to go so they don’t overflow and take up more space than they need to.
5) Make sure your kitchen faucet is up to the task
When it comes to preparing, hosting, and cleaning up after a big meal in your kitchen, your faucet’s performance is crucial. If your faucet is old and in need of an upgrade, the Accent pull-down kitchen faucet from Olympia is an affordable option that packs a lot of power and comes in a variety of stunning finishes that look great in kitchens of all styles and sizes.
