A lot of people think that because they live in a small apartment or house, they can’t entertain more than a couple guests at a time. For many small space inhabitants, dinner parties are seemingly out of the question - not enough room at the dining table, if you have a dining table at all. For those of you who’ve been following along here on B&B for a while, you know being dining-roomless was the case for me up until this year. But I’m here to tell you, don’t let small space livin’ discourage you from hosting fab get-togethers! I’m sharing an easy way to host a Friendsgiving or any type of dinner party, whether you have a dining room or not. The answer? Floor seating.

This is the third year I’ve hosted Friendsgiving at my place (first year in the new house!) In 2016 and 2017, we ate on the floor of our living room because we didn’t have a dining room or dining table. This year, we have an actual dining room in the new house - but I still made us sit on the floor. For two reasons - 1. it’s tradition, and 2. it’s really fun. We sit in chairs to eat for most meals, sitting on the floor is such a nice change from the norm.

A bunch of you bb’s asked me where I bought this floor dining table. The answer is, it’s not a floor dining table at all! And I bet you could find one at your local home improvement store. This is actually a regular sized plastic folding table. We keep the legs folded in and then lay the table on a flat sturdy surface to keep it low to the ground. This year we used our two banana fiber poufs stacked on one side, and a stool that was the same height on the other side. But you could really use anything you’ve got around the house. Crates, side tables, sturdy bins, etc. The best thing about folding tables? Not only are they significantly cheaper than regular dining tables, once your party is over you can fold it up and slip it into a closet, or under your bed or couch. Perfect for small space livin’.

In years past, I used throw pillows as floor cushions. They work amazingly and I highly recommend it if you’re on a budget. This year however, I partnered with Society6 and chose 8 gorge floor poufs instead. I really love these things - not only are they adorbs, they’re super comfy! I chose mostly botanical prints (because obvi) and even though they’re all very different pattern wise, I made sure to keep them in the same color scheme so that they still pair well together. Orange, yellow, blue, and green were my colors of choice.

Once you have your table and seating picked out, it’s time to start styling your tablescape. I let the color and feel of my poufs dictate how the table should look. Since the poufs are loud and colorful, I wanted to keep the table simple. I chose an ivory cotton tablecloth and cloth napkins in a mustard shade that most of the poufs incorporate in their patterns. Since I don’t own napkin rings and didn’t feel like purchasing any, I slipped the napkins underneath the plates so that they hung off the side of the table. I like the look, and that it sort of connects each place setting with the pouf it’s paired with. For glassware, I used 3 different types I already owned. Don’t be afraid to mix and match!

I actually squealed when I found these cream stoneware dinner plates - they were exactly what I had been looking for. Totes gorge and look more expensive than they actually are. Love how they match the cloth napkins so nicely. I placed utensils directly on the plates instead of next to them to save on table space and keep everything tidy.

Since the table is quite long, I knew I wanted 3 mini bouqs as the centerpieces. I arranged these bunches from grocery story flowers - chamomile, eucalyptus, sunflowers, and gerberas have a gorge wildflower feel, and the colors are fab for a fall themed get together. Lay some amaranthus down in the center of your table for an added pop of green. Break out your candlesticks, tea lights, and candle holders then sprinkle them around the table as well. Be careful of your placement so that greenery and blooms don’t catch on fire!

And voila, your table is set! What I did this year is place all the food and drinks on our actual dining room table, so we had appetizers and cocktails there before moving onto our Friendsgiving meal on the floor.

cutting board | tray | coasters

In years past I’ve attempted to make a bunch of food for dinner, and my friends have brought over dishes to share. I’m not that big of a cook though, and it always stressed me out running around the kitchen trying to get everything ready while my guests hung out in the living room. So this year I had our dinner delivered from one of my fave restaurants here in LA. It actually was pretty affordable considering what I’ve spent on groceries for Friendsgivings past, and also considering it fed 9 people with leftovers for a couple days afterwards. The restaurant had family style portions and the delivery was free on Doordash, which was great. I ordered the food early before guests arrived, and scheduled it to be delivered at the perf time. Once it arrived, I transferred everything into pretty serving dishes and bowls, then my friends helped themselves buffet style. Totally stress free, easy, and yummy!