The art of hosting: Seasonal style, atmosphere, and architectural ease

Hosting a house party during the holidays, no matter how big or small, is an art form.

With the holidays just around the corner, the season of gathering is in full swing. And in Beverly Hills, unforgettable hosting starts with the home. From intimate dinners to New Year’s soirées, hosting a house party is an art shaped by space as much as style. This article will guide you on how to let your home set the scene.

ENTRANCES THAT WELCOME AND IMPRESS

In truly exceptional homes, the entry doesn’t simply greet; it anticipates. It signals how the evening will unfold, offering a preview of what’s to come. This is especially true during the holidays, when hosting becomes more ceremonial. The entrance deserves as much attention as the dining table or wine list. And in my experience, the most memorable gatherings begin before the door fully opens.

• Compose the entry like a seasonal vignette: A tall, architectural arrangement of winter branches or citrus foliage feels far more compelling than standard décor. For wider foyers, a sculptural grouping—a low bench, an accent table, and a single piece of art—can define the space without closing it off. Lanterns or low votives add warmth, but they should feel architectural in scale and placement, drawing attention to details like limestone floors or a graceful stairwell curve.
• Let scent play a subtle, supporting role: Scent, too, plays a powerful but silent role in first impressions. Avoid layering multiple fragrances or using overly diffusive candles. A single, well-chosen note—cedar, bergamot, or spiced orange—should register softly in the background. Place a lightly scented candle or reed diffuser near the entry, perhaps tucked discreetly on a console or shelf where it catches circulation. The goal is not to perfume the air, but to add to the atmosphere.
• Anticipate the moment of arrival: A well-designed entry accounts for more than visual impact; it considers how guests move through the space. Offer a place to pause—an upholstered bench, a sculptural valet stand, or a discreet receiving table. These elements bring ease and clarity to the experience, subtly guiding your guests as they enter.
• Designed a polished coat solution: Even in homes with staff or separate cloakrooms, it’s worth incorporating a visible, beautiful way to manage outerwear. A freestanding coat rack in bronze or wood, a built-in niche with hangers, or even a set of coordinated hangers behind mirrored doors helps preserve the tone you’ve set and keeps the entry elegant and composed.

CREATING A SENSE OF FLOW

During the holidays, when energy rises and guest lists grow, the ability to guide conversation and circulation through design becomes essential. When you’re hosting a house party, movement should be intuitive. Your guests shouldn’t hesitate at thresholds or wonder where to stand.

• Edit the room with the guest in mind: Furniture that works beautifully day to day may need refinement for entertaining. Pull back oversized pieces to open up walking paths and soften any hard angles with occasional chairs or ottomans. Float seating where possible to avoid pushing everything against the walls to create smaller conversational pockets within a larger room. You will have everyone mingling.
• Use subtle cues to direct movement: Think like a host—and a designer. A bar cart or champagne station draws guests naturally into a space. A rug can define an area without obstructing traffic. Accent lighting, a sculptural floral arrangement, or even music direction can help guide people from one zone to the next without the need for instruction.
• Layer temporary touches that support flow: During gatherings, it’s recommended to remove any unnecessary furniture—side tables, stools, or decorative objectives—that might clutter or confuse the space. Bring in flexible pieces instead: nesting tables for drink placement, extra seating that doesn’t interrupt sightlines, or a slim console to create a natural pause point between rooms.

TABLESCAPES AND TEXTURES

Once you’ve welcomed your guests and the house party you are hosting is in motion, the table becomes the visual and emotional anchor of the gathering. It’s not merely functional; it’s expressive. Linens, porcelain, metal, marble, candlelight against crystal—these tactile and tonal layers bring dimension to even the most expansive entertaining spaces in Beverly Hills luxury real estate.

• • Layer softness into architectural rooms: Modern homes and grand interiors often call for intentional warmth. You can do these by using fine textiles—layered runners, double napkins, soft placements—to add quiet contrast to stone surfaces or formal dining tables. A tonal palette in cashmere, velvet, or woven linen can soften the room without detracting from its scale.

Use lighting and tablescapes to enhance the mood of your party.

• Mix materials with restraint: Pair high-shine finishes with natural textures. A raw-edged wood board next to polished silver, or handblown glass beside lacquered ceramic, creates visual tension that feels curated. Keep the palette cohesive to maintain a sense of calm and control even in a maximalist moment.
• Make one statement, then edit: Every table needs a focal point, but never a competition of them. Choose a sculptural centerpiece, a distinctive set of chargers, or a designer glassware collection, and let that element lead. Everything else should support and elevate it. Remember: editing is often the final layer of luxury.

LIGHT, SOUND, AND SCENT

Great entertaining is multisensory. Long after guests forget the menu, they remember how a room felt in a particular moment, from the glow of the lighting to the way the music played just loud enough. With the right balance of light, sound, and scent, even the grandest spaces feel intimate—and the most intimate ones, unforgettable.

• Light for softness: We can all agree that overhead lighting flattens a room. Opt for layered and indirect sources of light: table lamps, sconces, candles, and uplighting on architectural features to add dimension and depth. Dimmer switches are essential, and light temperature matters. Lean warm (2700K or lower) to flatter both people and interiors. In transitional moments—sunset, cocktail hour, late evening—lighting should guide the energy, not steal it.
• Set the tone with music: If you aren’t hiring live music entertainment for the house party you are hosting, curate a playlist. It should evolve throughout the evening, matching the arc of conversation and movement. Keep speakers low-profile and distributed across the main party space to avoid volume peaks. And pay attention to acoustics. Stone floors and tall ceilings may benefit from rugs or drapery that soften the echo of music.
• Let scent signal indulgence: Just as you used scent to welcome your guests, so should you use it to keep the party going. Amber, fig, or hinoki wood all feel seasonal without being obvious. Avoid layering competing fragrances from candles, food, or florals and keep it gentle to minimize the risk of allergies.

MAKING LARGE SPACES FEEL PERSONAL

In Beverly Hills luxury real estate, one of the challenges of hosting a house party is intimacy. In homes designed with dramatic volume—double-height ceilings, expansive entertainment wings, indoor-outdoor transitions—the task becomes not just hosting, but humanizing scale. You have to strike a balance between highlighting the space while creating a sense of closeness within that grandeur.

• Create social zones: You can create intimacy by breaking up scale into purposeful zones: a conversation nook by the fireplace, a bar near the terrace, or a dining area framed by floral arrangements or pendant lighting, to give you a few ideas. Use rugs, furniture groupings, and lighting to define each space without walls. This way, guests will still feel invited to move, not lost in the expanse.
• Avoid the temptation to fill every corner: Empty space can be powerful, and not in a melancholy way. So, resist the urge to over-style or furnish every area. Let negative space give breathing room to the focal points you do want to emphasize, like your statement dining table or an artful serving station you commissioned.
• Balance grandeur with softness: Soft textures and warm layers matter even more in large-scale rooms. Use fabric—drapery, upholstery, textiles—to temper echo and edge. Incorporate tactile elements that invite touch and linger, such as velvet cushions, suede-wrapped trays, and hand-poured candles. These choices add intimacy to all of the architectural drama.

THE ART OF HOSTING—WITH EASE

Even the most spectacular setting means little if the host feels stressed and scattered. True luxury lies in presence—being able to enjoy your guests, your home, and the experience you’ve created. Over the years, I’ve seen how most effortless gatherings are anything but accidental. They’re planned with precision, edited with restrained, and executed with calm.

Here are a few hosting principles I always return to:

• • Start with a single focal point
    Choose one element to anchor your evening. It could be an exceptional menu featuring your favorite holiday courses, a signature cocktail you had specifically made for the party, a rare wine you recently acquired, or even a striking centerpiece. Let everything else fall into quiet alignment. This narrows down your decisions and helps you plan with precision.
  • Do a final walkthrough before your team arrives
    Even with a planner or stylist handling the setup, take time earlier in the day to walk the space with fresh eyes. Test the lighting, check scent levels, and move through the layout as a guest would. Subtle refinements—a repositioned chair, a candle that needs replacing—are easier to catch before the evening begins.

Remember—you should also be able to enjoy your party.

• Assign points of contact to reduce friction
  Brief your team, house manager, or trusted support staff in advance. Who greets at the door? (You should be there, too). Who monitors the flow of drinks? Who handles music transitions or guest questions? The fewer decisions you need to make in real time, the more freedom you’ll have to enjoy your own event and be fully present in it.
• Edit the menu and bar
  An edited selection always feels more sophisticated than an extensive one. Offer one or two signature cocktails, two excellent wines, and a concise menu that celebrates the season. Work with your chef or caterer to build luxury—shaved truffle, caviar, or vintage glassware—without overextending service or attention. Less, when chosen well, delivers more.
• Keep surfaces visually clean
  Before stylists arrive, take a moment to clear anything that doesn’t serve the evening. Mail, chargers, keys, and excess decor should be tucked away. This preserves visual clarity and gives your team the space to build layers—florals, lighting, serveware—that won’t compete for attention.
• Give yourself space to arrive as the host
  Carve out time—ideally 30 to 60 minutes—to step out of preparation mode. Change attire, pour a glass of something, and move through the space as a guest would. You’ll feel a palpable shift in your energy afterwards. When the host feels grounded and excited for the evening ahead, the entire event takes its cue from that.

THE LASTING IMPRESSION

As a luxury realtor with decades of experience in Beverly Hills luxury real estate, I’ve seen how exceptional homes elevate the art of hosting, not just during the holidays, but year-round. When design, atmosphere, and personal expression align, the result is nothing short of spectacular.

If you’re seeking luxury homes in Beverly Hills that reflect your lifestyle and entertain as beautifully as it lives, I invite you to connect with me, Joyce Rey. With over $6 billion in career sales and a global network of discerning clients, it would be a pleasure to help you find your dream home—one that will also help you practice the art of hosting. Call me at 310.291.6646 or email me today to begin your search.