Designing for High-energy parties!

So far, we’ve been talking about creating a pleasant space for mingling and low-key social gatherings, not ones where people will fall asleep, but ones for pleasant, upbeat, maybe even meaningful, conversations with others.

But that may be what you have planned for each of your end of year nights.

If you are planning what, in archaic terms is known as a “bash,” a loud music, loud talking, much dancing sort of event, up the visual complexity of your home in easy to install and de-install ways.  “Happy New Year” streams hanging from ceilings and lights.  Ornaments that would be right at home on a Christmas tree hanging in your well managed collection of indoor plants.  Some silvery paper snowflakes floating in space on from-above hangers or taped to walls.

Holiday decorating with things not actually found in nature will up the energy level to party-appropriate ones in ways that natural ones, such as garlands of fir boughs and a pine cone collection on display will not.

If you are planning a party, make sure to read these articles about designing for gatherings.  At any party, it’s important to consider people’s experiences beyond what they see.  Happily, for most of us, our noses and ears work well and our skin is adept at sensing what touches it.  Bring happy holiday memories to mind with the smell of the spices in hot mulled drinks, the tinkling of holiday bells, and the feel of warm and fuzzy blankets that make any hygge-enthusiast’s heart beat faster (for more on hygge, read this article).  We can overload on smells and sounds and touches just as we can with sights, so prudence (but not miserliness) is always a good plan.

Keep this in mind as you plan your holiday home, however, it may cause you to add a few more not-from-nature holiday decorations than you’ve planned: something (for example, you) seen against a more complex background seems smaller than it does when placed in front of simpler ones—something to bear in mind if the diet to get in shape for the holidays hasn’t gone quite to plan—but we’re more likely to eat in ways that aren’t healthy in cluttered spaces, which means more refreshments to buy now and more pounds to lose later.