Top Five Tips for Entertaining in Your Micro-apartment

With Christmas (and New Year, Chinese New Year and Easter!) coming up, hosting guests can be made simpler and more enjoyable with these five easy recommendations anyone can adopt.

1. Look the part

Make sure your apartment is clean and tidy. Remove extra items from coffee tables, or unnecessary appliances from countertops, as this will allow for more usable space. Hide such items underneath the bed or in your closet. In the washroom, remove or conceal toiletries and any items of personal use. Add extra hand towels, tissue paper rolls and either a candle or air freshener. Don't forget to add fresh flowers as a way to welcome your guests. This isn't about depersonalising, it's about editing so your guests don't feel visually or spatially overwhelmed.

2. Keep it vertical

Just like the city, build upwards to maximise space. Instead of laying out artwork and décor, try affixing them to the walls. Blu Tack or similar puttys won't damage the paint and works marvelously for prints and lightweight pieces (basically, it's landlord-friendly). As for refreshments, cake stands and risers are space savers, and small touches related to the season or occasion (pine cones for Christmas, for example) will make it all look appropriately polished. Utensils can also be neatly arranged in tall cups, and snacks and candies stored in slim glass jars.

3. Keep it simple (and small)

Bite-sized portions are easier to manage, especially in close proximity to other people. Prepare in advance; this saves time and energy for inevitable last minute details. Create a signature cocktail (make sure to have trial-runs to avoid a sour face!) naming it can be fun and a reflection of the host's personality. Complement with one or two additional libation choices, thereby avoiding having too many bottles and mixers that will overcrowd your bar cart. Get creative and have a bedside table or shelving unit serve a dual purpose, one that will only make its appearance as the beverage trolley during these special occasions. Finally, limit the amount of glassware, and label glasses and flutes with wine charms or something to differentiate them from other guests' drinks.

4. Integrate technology

If your home has a television, prepare a festive slideshow on loop or a special playlist that will set the mood you desire and get the party on the road!

5. Airy and flowery

Often crowded, smaller spaces can become very warm. Regardless of the time of year in Hong Kong, make sure to have a fan or two at the ready (vertical tower fans work best for space efficiency). Guests will feel cooler and more at ease. Finally, don't forget to add flowers or greenery. Keep it simple, but whether it's in the washroom or as a garnish on your cake stand, nothing says you care about the details more than fresh florals in the space you call home.