apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/06/HOG5RMOQCC1.DTL

Maxwell was quoted in today's San Francisco Chronicle in an article on how and where to stash your holiday houseguests; nice plug for the book and some good tips!

I need to replace a refrigerator but need to hold a maximum width of 29-5/8". The largest one I can find is 20.5 cu. ft. Is there anything with a larger capacity that is no wider than 29-5/8"? I can remove the upper cabinets to make room if necessary so the height is no problem.

Great tips! I am hoping for an aero bed for Christmas, but I had never thought about putting it inside my closet. My family thinks I am nuts enough for living in a 600 s.f. studio, I would love to see the looks on their faces when I tell them I will be sleeping in the closet for the duration of their stay.

Alvin,
search this site for Conserv or Summit fridge
(and exhaustive disscussion of same)
tall, and very well designed so more stuff fits in less cu ft

I have a question about entertaining; specifically for seated dinner parties. What is the rule of thumb about assigning seating? I am expecting 8 people of which there will be 3 couples and two singles. (and no, there are no plans to try and hook up the two singles!)

I always thought that you broke up couples to facilitate better dinner party conversation, but one of my couples is balking at the idea of not sitting next to his partner.

Etiquette mavens (or P2), please help me!

Kathryn--
I'm no Emily Post, but typically, one does break up couples to encourage interesting conversation. If you have a couple that requires togetherness, feel free to yield. The last thing you want is a miffed guest (or two).

I like to seat couples within earshot of each other (like across the table, or across and one over), so that questions or reminders can be passed between them without too much trouble.

Kathryn, it is customary (and more fun) to break up couples at the dinner table, but as the gracious host you want everyone to be comfortable, so perhaps the balking couple could sit across from each other, giving each of them a chance to speak with two other guests. oh and please, by no means sit the singles next to each other.

btw, your loft is an all time fav of mine, so if you need another guest, i'm free ;)

There was a good article about seating dinner guests in a magazine recently...can't remember which, but I do remember it saying to put the shyest person next to you, the host, and it separated people by personality. Like alternating lively people with the quiet ones. And being wary of ones with outspoken beliefs...something to that effect. It's okay to separate couples. Check out Kate Spade's book 'Occasions' for a quick lesson.

jessi, i read that one too, can't remember where, either. the article also said to sit the trouble maker close to the host, but not too close to the shy person, so the host can jump in when the trouble maker starts (i wondered why i always got to sit next to the host!). seat the charmer next to the shy person. that's all i remember.
as a married person, i appreciate sitting next to someone i don't see every day (no reflection on the mate).

I saw that article too! The charmer and one other type could sit anywhere and then others were to be carefully arranged.

That advice sounds TOTALLY Marian McEvoy from Domino.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

See Luigi, I told you that couples are supposed to be split up and since we both know that you will be the designated trouble-maker at this party; expect to be seated next to me!!

But "couples" have to be broken up, so you two TOTALLY need to be separated!!! ;)

That magazine article about who to seat whom where at a dinner party was in Real Simple, the November issue.