Home visit: how to host unexpected guests
Impromptu gathering at your place? Relax. Start with an open door, keep glasses topped up, and enjoy the spontaneity…
Go with the flow
Some of Costis and Anna’s favourite parties have been the unplanned ones. ‘We’ll have friends over for brunch that turns into evening drinks,’ says Costis. On winter nights, guests naturally gravitate towards the living room for drinks on the sofa. There’s no need for matching glassware – a mix of tumblers, flutes and cocktail glasses is better for a ‘bring-your-own-bottle’ party.
Create a sociable setting
Hosting a sit-down meal is not everyone’s style of entertaining. Serve shop-bought snacks and use music to set the party mood, with a playlist that your guests can add to. ‘If a host feels stressed, guests feel it too. Being together is what matters,’ says Costis. They bring chairs in from other rooms, and add pouffes and floor cushions for extra seating at short notice.
‘I love the surprise of the doorbell. For us, family and friends don’t have to announce their arrival. It’s more fun when they just turn up!’
Costis
Make the sofa your meeting place
‘We always wanted a sofa we could share with guests – and one with deep seats because we’re both tall!’ says Costis. Their STOCKHOLM 2017 sofa has plenty of room, inviting deep seat cushions and a tactile velvet cover. Easy-to-clean fabric means spillages aren’t a problem. ‘This house is not a museum, it’s a home. I want our friends to feel like it’s their home too.’
