It's official, staying in is the new going out! 

Catching up with family and friends and spending time with loved ones has never been so important, and as a result of the pandemic, a growing trend in entertaining at home has emerged.

With the Holiday Season fast approaching, we thought we would highlight some key pieces of stylish furniture that will enhance your guests' experience and make entertaining a breeze.

The Sideboard

From fine dining to relaxed buffets, a multi-tasking dining room sideboard is worth its weight in gold. 

Are you an avid amateur cook? Do you relish putting on a fancy fine dining display? Either way, a wood or metal sideboard will have your back the next time you gather around the table.

A sideboard with fluted glass doors can be the perfect place to store serving ware and keep everything you need for entertaining close to hand. Show off your prettiest heirloom china or store rarely used seasonal serving dishes. Our vintage industrial-style sideboard with fluted glass doors also has drawers for cutlery, serving utensils and tableware.

Don't forget to utilise the top of your sideboard too. If you are keeping things simple, it is the perfect spot to put the buffet and let guests help themselves or turn it into a makeshift bar with pretty trays laden with glasses and bottles. The top of even a small rustic sideboard can do double duty as a bar.

An industrial sideboard, for that cool warehouse vibe, with a spacious top can become the entertainment zone with the addition of a turntable and disco lights. Make your guests feel special by letting them be DJs for a night, storing the vintage vinyl in the cupboards below.

Storage is essential for any home and a stylish living room sideboard can provide plenty. If you are a fan of "games night" or are looking forward to a busy family Christmas, you will need somewhere to store all those games and toys. Board games will stack neatly in a cupboard, and adding storage baskets for toys and other miscellaneous items will ensure a clutter-free home when guests arrive. The top or wall above a rustic sideboard is crying out for a large-screen TV to watch all those seasonal movies.

The Drinks Cabinet or Trolley

Cocktails are back in fashion! So it is time to get your Tom Cruise on and shake that mixer.

The luxury of having a dedicated space for making drinks will make you the host with the most. Keep bottles of tequila with the shot glasses and your favourite wine with the good wine glasses. A drinks cabinet will make spur-of-the-moment entertaining a breeze, doubling up as a coffee zone the morning after.

If space is tight, a drinks trolley is a great alternative, allowing you to bring the party to the people. There is room for bottles, glasses and other paraphernalia to mix the perfect cocktail. In the summer months, a metal drinks trolley can do double duty in the garden as a serving station for food and drinks.

The Coffee Table with Storage

The colder evenings and shorter days will bring the entertaining in from the garden to the cosy indoors. Make the most of drinks with friends or wine with the girls with a multi-tasking coffee table storage unit. Our chunky Saw Cut Storage Coffee Table - Distressed makes a great industrial coffee table and has added extra storage space with a deep drawer. Dress with classy coasters, scented candles and bowls of snacks. Don't forget to let the wine 'breath' while you catch up on all the gossip.

A deep drawer in a coffee table is an ideal place to store fluffy throws and a pack of cards or board games. We think an autumn afternoon wrapped up on the sofa, with a cup of tea and Scrabble is an afternoon well spent.

The Bedside Table

If you want to encourage your guests to stay longer, you need to take a fresh look at your spare room.

What essentials can you have for a comfortable stay? A bedside table with space for a bottle of water or hot drink and a charging station is a good start.

Bedside tables can set the tone and style of a bedroom. At Vincent and Barn we have rustic wood for a calming natural vibe or hardwearing metal for a cool industrial style.

Space can be limited in a spare room but there are many different space-saving styles, from slimline to wall-mounted and drawers or cupboards will provide a place for toiletries and a change of clothes.

If you really want to make guests feel extra special - Egyptian cotton bedding, a posh candle/room spray, or luxury chocolates on the pillow may make them never want to leave.

Having guests to stay? Browse our store and find that stand out statement piece that your guests cant stop talking about.

October 07, 2022 — Vincent and Barn