Think You Can’t Entertain Because Your Place Is Too Small? This Couple Does, in 350 Square Feet!

Written by

Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
published Nov 16, 2016
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(Image credit: Nancy Mitchell)

Natasha and Rob live in a tiny space — just 350 square feet. With so few feet to work with, if you don’t put a little work into your space planning, you’re not going to have a very functional environment. But this clever couple doesn’t just tolerate their small NYC home; they cook in it, relax in it and yes, even entertain in it. If you haven’t quite gotten the courage to squeeze a party of guests into your small home, read more about how Natasha and Rob do it and get inspired.

Natasha and Rob say they entertain about once every two to three months. “The max amount of people that can “comfortably” hang out is about six to eight. Usually we entertain cocktail style with larger groups. But if it’s four to five, I like to bring the table out!” says Natasha.

(Image credit: Nancy Mitchell)

When I view their house tour and watch their house tour video, two specific elements stand out as being ultra helpful for small space entertaining:

1. Smart storage and huge drawers in the kitchen:

You don’t need all the latest kitchen gadgets and the fanciest servingware in the world to entertain, just like you don’t need a palatial mansion to invite people over. But, you need some things, and you need a little bit of space to store those thing. As Natasha points out in her house tour video, their home has deep drawers in the kitchen, and nearly every square inch of wall space is maximized.

2. Double-duty dining:

See that coffee table above? It’s not just a coffee table. This magical double-duty furniture piece is how Natasha and Rob are able to transform their living room into the occasional stunning dining room for guests, and Natasha highly recommends it:

“I did know that tables like this existed, but I didn’t know that this table existed. I had my heart set on a convertible table, and I made it my task to find one. I saw a few at retail, but none of them were quite right. I am a bit of an eBay/etsy/craigslist/Chairish fanatic, so I stalked those sites hard. I ended up finding this one on eBay. I paid $350 for the table and $150 to have it shipped from Florida to NYC.

I would absolutely recommend a Castro Convertible table. It is sturdy, and solid. I believe it was made in the ’50s, but it has many years left in it! We use it as both a dining table and a desk.

(Image credit: Nancy Mitchell)

More small space entertaining advice from Natasha:


What to do BEFORE guests arrive:
“We prepare everything beforehand. I’ll usually make something in a crock pot so there is no cooking while guests are here; that gets chaotic. We also like to set up a bar area. We’ll either do so in one of the bookcase shelves, or on the counter top. Last year we had a holiday party and we made a punch. It was a great way to keep the mess down and the drinks flowing.”

Tips/advice/encouragement for someone who lives in a small space but hasn’t gotten the guts to entertain yet:
“You can do it! Prepare everything before…everything, down to cutting your limes and lemons for drinks. Make your home feel cozy and welcoming. For our holiday party last year, we set up our bed with lots of pillows and blankets and invited people to hang out there. We give ourselves more counter space by placing a cutting board over the cooktop…definitely a great trick for more counter space.”


(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

See more of Natasha and Rob’s fabulous small NYC home:

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