A Guide to Decorating and Setting Up In-Home Events with Event Rentals
Hosting at home is the most personal way to celebrate. Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas party, a milestone birthday, a New Year's Eve gathering or a backyard get-together all feel warmer when guests are in your space. The challenge is that a home is built for a household, not for twenty-five people who all need a seat, a plate and somewhere to put a drink.
Event rentals fix that without a home makeover. This guide covers how to measure your space, choose the right seating and tables, build a lounge, and decorate for the season, with links to the pieces we deliver and set up across San Diego.
Start by Measuring
Before you pick a single chair, measure the room and mark it out.
- Measure the floor of the main room and every doorway the delivery team will carry through.
- Use painter's tape to mark table and chair footprints so you can see how much walking room is left.
- Leave at least 36 inches between chair backs and walls or other tables so guests can move.
Pro Tip: Walk your space with the tape marked before delivery day. It makes setup dramatically faster and avoids last-minute furniture rearranging.
Seating That Fits a Home
Home events usually need more seats than a household owns, and storage afterwards is the problem. Rented seating solves both.
| Event style | Chair | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Formal dinner | Wishbone or cross-back wooden chairs | A finished look at the table |
| Casual or large gathering | Resin padded folding chair | The lowest price, comfortable enough for a full meal |
| Rustic or farmhouse look | Wooden padded folding chair | Wood finish that blends with a home setting |
| Kids' table | Resin padded folding chair | Easy to move and stack |
Tip: Rent about 10 to 15 percent more chairs than your confirmed headcount. It covers last-minute plus-ones and gives overflow guests somewhere to sit.
Tables for Dining, Buffets and Drinks
| Table | Best for |
|---|---|
| Round wooden table | Smaller groups where everyone should talk to each other |
| Rectangular wooden table | Banquet-style dinners, buffets, dessert tables |
| Farm table | A statement Thanksgiving or family-style table |
| Wooden highboy | Standing space for drinks in living rooms and patios |
Cover them with a polyester table cloth in a seasonal colour, or leave a farm table bare with a runner. Our table and linen size guide shows which cloth fits which table.
Table Settings That Look Planned
| Season | Palette | Table pieces |
|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | Burnt orange, gold, burgundy | Burgundy L'amor napkins or champagne polyester napkins, gold plastic chargers |
| Christmas | White, silver, forest green | Green L'amor napkins, silver rimmed glass chargers, crystal napkin rings |
| New Year's Eve | Black, gold, champagne | Black velvet napkins, gold pearl glass chargers |
Tip: Chargers and napkin rings turn a plain table into a styled one with very little effort. A charger sits under every dinner plate, so even a casual meal looks intentional.
Make Space for a Lounge
Not everyone wants to sit at the dining table all evening. A small lounge in the living room or on the patio gives guests somewhere to relax with dessert and a drink.
- A Nordic curved sofa or Seashell armchairs for a conversation group
- A round coffee table in the middle
- End tables for drinks within reach
Our guide to lounge area rentals covers sizing and layout.
Use the Season
If you are hosting a holiday party, our seasonal pages show full setups:
For more ideas by holiday, see our holiday party rentals guide. If you are throwing a birthday instead, our birthday party rentals guide has age-by-age setups.
Lighting and Atmosphere
Lighting does as much as furniture. Use warm bulbs and candles for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, soft fairy lights across a mantel or patio, and dimmers where you have them. For a New Year's party, add uplighting or a few candles clustered on each surface.
Maximising a Small Space
- Choose folding chairs that can be stacked out of the way after the meal.
- Use a long rectangular table instead of two rounds to save floor space.
- Put cocktail tables in living areas so guests keep moving.
- Move the dining table against a wall for a buffet and seat guests at smaller tables.
In-Home Event Checklist
- Confirm the final guest count a week out
- Measure the room and mark furniture footprints
- Order 10 to 15 percent extra seating
- Choose a colour palette for linens, napkins and chargers
- Plan lighting for daytime and after dark
- Schedule delivery and pickup around your event timeline
- Confirm parking and access for the delivery truck
Frequently Asked Questions
How early should I book rentals for a holiday party? For Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, book four to six weeks ahead. These are peak weeks across San Diego, and popular items like farm tables and folding chairs go quickly.
Do I need to clear furniture before delivery? Yes. Clearing the room speeds up setup and lets the delivery team place items exactly where you want them.
Can you help me work out how many tables and chairs I need? Yes. Share your room measurements and guest count and we will help size the order.
Do you deliver and set up at a private home? Yes. Delivery, setup and breakdown are included across San Diego.
Hosting at home becomes much easier when the furniture is handled. Browse the catalog or request a quote. If your event is a backyard wedding or micro-wedding, read our backyard and micro-wedding rentals guide.
For more tips and tricks for your special events, check out our blog