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Hosting guests in a small home can be challenging – juggling limited seating, finding enough room for dining and creating a comfortable space for family and friends. At Bifold Shop, we believe that with a few clever interior design solutions, even the cosiest homes can become the perfect space for entertaining.
If you’re looking for practical tips to host guests in small homes – especially as we head into the festive period – you’re in the right place. We’re sharing our expert’s advice and design ideas to make holiday entertaining stress-free and enjoyable.
(Spoiler: one of our favourite solutions involves space-saving bifold doors).
Most UK homes are modest in size. Recent surveys show that, on average, homeowners have just over 1,000 sq ft of internal space. That means every square metre counts, especially when you’re hosting family and friends over Christmas.
To help you make the most of your space, we’ve put together five small home ideas that can (literally) open up your home and create more room for guests. Let’s get into it!
When hosting in a small home, flexible furniture is your best friend. The right pieces can transform a cramped living area into a comfortable space for guests. If you’re refurbishing your home, we recommend furniture like foldable dining chairs, stackable chairs and ottomans with hidden storage – all of which can serve multiple purposes depending on the size of your gathering.
Arranging furniture with flow in mind is also important. If it were up to us, we would ensure there are clear pathways between the kitchen, dining and living areas so guests can move freely without bumping into tables or chairs. For example, consider using benches that can slide under the table when not in use, or tables that can be extended only during mealtimes.
And here’s a clever trick that can really expand your entertaining space: if your home has internal bifold doors, opening them temporarily can connect and extend rooms. This instantly creates more space for seating and movement, helping your home feel open and airy at Christmas.
If you really want to maximise your small home for entertaining, few solutions are as effective as space-saving bifold doors. Each system folds neatly back, connecting rooms or even opening your indoor space to a patio, balcony or garden. These doors not only save space, but also increase natural light and make your home feel larger – ideal for festive hosting.
By folding the doors away, you can merge living and dining areas, creating more room for seating, eating Christmas dinner or gift-giving around the tree. The additional natural light that floods in through glass panels also brightens your home, making even modest rooms feel open.
For families hosting multiple generations, we can also offer accessible bifold door options, suitable for homes with grandparents or young children. You can find out more about these in our dedicated accessible bifold doors guide.
Homes with external bifold doors can open them up to patios or balconies, adding a new dimension to your entertaining space. Guests can move freely between indoor and outdoor areas, creating the feeling of a larger home without any large renovations. Even a small balcony or garden becomes an extension of your living area, giving you more options for dining, drinks or relaxed seating. For more information, we recommend you read our guide on interior vs exterior bifold doors.
When floor space is limited, your walls become really useful! Maximising vertical space can help to keep your small home organised and free of clutter – a must when hosting holiday gatherings.
This could look like a shelf or wall-mounted storage to hold things like plates and serving trays. Floating shelves above sideboards or seating areas can provide convenient access to everyday items while keeping surfaces clear for guests. You can even use tall shelving units to store board games or extra cushions.
If you talk to even the most experienced interior designer, they’ll tell you that lighting is key to maximising small spaces.
One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by making the most of natural light (and coincidentally, glass bifold doors are perfect for this). With expansive glass panels, these doors allow sunlight to flood in, making your home feel larger, brighter and more welcoming for your guests.
Reflective surfaces, such as mirrors, glass tables or metallic accents, can also help amplify both natural and artificial light. For example, positioning a mirror opposite your space-saving bifold door can double the effect of sunlight and make your living space feel even more open and airy.
A tidy home instantly feels larger. That’s why decluttering before guests arrive is one of the simplest ways to improve a small space. Start by clearing everyday items from surfaces – you know, the mail, toys and work-related clutter that’s currently sitting on your countertops. You can use that vertical storage to safely put them away!
And don’t forget the finishing touches! Hiding unnecessary cords, arranging your cushions neatly and keeping pathways clear, especially near bifold doors, ensures your guests can move freely between rooms and outdoor areas.
If you’re hosting Christmas this year, there’s no need to panic. Even in a small home, there are plenty of ways to make your space feel open and welcoming for all. With a few design tweaks – clever storage ideas, strategic lighting and decluttering – you can create a home that’s merry and bright!
One of the most effective ways to maximise your space all year is with a space-saving bifold door. Folding back to connect rooms or open up to patios and balconies, these doors create additional usable space, improve flow, let in natural light and make even a small home feel spacious.
Should this be a good addition to your home, we recommend you visit our bifold door showroom in Cheltenham to explore bifold door styles, see real installations and get expert advice from our team, tailored to your home.
