Last updated: May 21, 2025
This article will show you exactly how to host a party in a small apartment or small home. You’ll learn how to arrange the space, what food and drinks to serve and where to set them up, and more.
You should do these things to plan a party in a small home:
- Designate a place for coats and bags
- Use welcome signs
- Remove or consolidate chairs to create more space
- Remove coffee table(s) to create more space
- Collect RSVPs
- Buy supplies one week in advance
- Send reminder messages
Let me introduce Noah. He lives in a 475 square foot studio apartment in a big skyscraper building in Chicago.
Noah wondered: How can I host an apartment party in my small space?
I taught him how, and then he had 28 people for a fun night at his home. You’ll see how you can host a cocktail party or happy hour for your friends and colleagues inside a small apartment.
Keep reading for more information on all of those, plus see photos and videos from Noah’s party and a floor plan of his tiny apartment layout.
Why you should trust this article: My name is Nick Gray. I'm the author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party and I’ve helped over 500 people learn how to host house parties and apartment parties. I have a simple, easy method to help you host an awesome event just like Noah did.Small Apartment Party: How to Do It
Hosting a party in a small apartment might sound difficult. Perhaps you’re worried that you don’t have enough space, or that people will be too crowded.
But Noah did it (with a lot of success!) and so can you.
Watch this video to hear from Noah about how his party went and what he learned.
As a high-level overview, here’s what you should do:
Create More Space
You can consolidate chairs or remove them from your common areas to create more space. Consider removing your coffee table, too, and placing it on the bed or in another room.
I’ve found that sitting down is kryptonite to a successful event in a small apartment. When people sit down, it makes it harder to start new conversations. Sitting down lowers the energy of the room. So don’t worry about removing chairs!
During the party, Noah cleared out the coffee table from the Living / Dining room so there would be more space for people to congregate. He didn’t have anywhere easy to put this, so he just turned it upside down and placed it on his bed inside his bedroom.
Plan in Advance
First, you want to plan your party at least a few weeks in advance (the party runway!).
When I talk about planning, I’m focused on helping you fill up your guest list to ensure you have a minimum of 15 attendees. I’ve found that having 15-20 people at a party is the perfect number of attendees.
Warning: Even in a small home or apartment, you want to have a minimum of 15 people! Anything less than 15 will feel dull and you won’t reach a critical mass for proper party energy.
Start by asking if your core group of friends is available on a specific date. You can send them a text message party invitation like this:
Hi! I’m thinking of hosting a party at my apartment on Wednesday, June 7th from 7-9PM. If I do it, would you come?
Collect RSVPs
Once you get three yes replies from your core group, make an RSVP page and start inviting a wider audience, which I call “great guests.” I suggest using one of these platforms or check out these top Evite alternatives.
Keep reading to see the RSVP that Noah used for his apartment party.
Buy Supplies
You should purchase name tags, plastic cups (or alternate options), Sharpie markers, and other supplies at least 1 week in advance.
I always recommend buying a few extra supplies, even for a small party, so that you are well-prepared and to minimize stress. That could include a total of:
- 30 name tags
- 30 plastic cups
- 3 markers, to write names on name tags and cups
- 2-4 bottles of wine, depending on your friend group and their preferences
- 1-3 bottles of liquor, again depending on preference
- non-alcoholic beverages, such as: soda, diet soda, and juice
- Water and seltzer, at least 2 for each attendee
- Hard seltzer, depending on preference
This article is a detailed reference for exactly what to buy for a small party: List of Supplies.
Send Reminder Messages
Send three reminder messages leading up to the party. You can see info and templates of party reminder messages here.
Messages should be sent one week out, three days out, and the morning of your party. Guest bios are helpful to increase your attendance rate. Include a short bit of information about half or more of your guests.
Coat & Bag Storage
Since your guests will bring a few things with them, you should have a little area of your apartment designated for their coats and bags.
It can be as simple as a closet or a chair in the corner. If people will hang up their coats or jackets, plan to have enough hangers or hooks available for them.
Welcome Signs
Putting out simple party welcome signs in strategic places will help your guests find your front door. It can also create a more welcoming environment as they enter the party.
The signs that I always make for my parties are:
- Welcome! Buzz up to apartment 4D
- Turn right and keep going
- Trash
- Bathroom
Top Tips for Small House Parties
Here are things that Noah said worked really well at his apartment party:
- Every single one of the people who said “Yes” on the RSVP attended.
- Moving the coffee table out of the living room, and putting it onto my bed (upside down). This helped to make more space.
- Welcome signs! Noah followed the book’s advice to help make signs that gave visitors important information as they exited the elevator to find his apartment.
- Candle in the bathroom! “This felt really nice and added a good atmosphere to my home.”
- It was pretty crowded the entire time: we had 18 people. That’s the most people I have had inside my apartment at one time.
Conclusion
Remember to do these things for your party to help make it a success:
- Ensure at least 15-20 attendees for optimal party energy
- Remove or consolidate chairs to create standing room
- Remove coffee tables and store them in bedroom/alternate area
- Designate a specific area for coats and bags
- Plan 2-3 weeks in advance
- Collect RSVPs using an event platform
- Send three reminder messages (1 week before, 3 days before, morning of)
- Include guest bios in reminders to increase attendance
- Post welcome signs for directions and key information (bathroom, trash, entrance)
- Stock extra supplies like name tags, cups, markers, beverages
- Place bathroom candles for atmosphere
Here’s what Noah said about the experience:
No apartment is ever perfect, and even if that was an attainable goal, people are not coming for the apartment, they are coming for the human connection with friends old and new alike.
So, on March 15, 2022, I hosted my first cocktail party in a 475 sq ft. apartment. I had serious apprehensions about the space, but Nick promised me that it would work. I trusted him, and it turned out better than I could have imagined, with 19 people in attendance. For my next party, I am expecting 30!
I just wanted to say thank you so much to Nick for all your help over the last few weeks leading up to my first party. Your book is fantastic, and your 1:1 coaching on email made it even better. I really appreciate the impact this meaningful work has had on my life. I’m ready to schedule my next party and looking forward to continuing to hone my party skills and pay it forward to others!
For more advice about hosting a party, check out my book The 2-Hour Cocktail Party for a step-by-step guide on how to make your party a success.
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