Center Tables

Create Your Own Social Network with Center Tables

Do gatherings at your home have a location where everyone seems to gravitate? Guests tend to orbit like satellites in places that attract and encourage them to gather. In many homes, the kitchen is the place that everyone seems to be found – even when it's not the intended space. If your guests tend to group in places other than the area you set up for them, perhaps creating your own "social network" will do the trick. Nope, we're not talking about breaking out the computer or smart phone; we’re talking about creating a space where your guests just naturally want to be. Our solution: center tables!

Center tables create a focus in a room for friends and family who gather at your home. Decorated and appointed attractively, they are sure to be magnets for your guests. When you think about it, there are several reasons why guests seem to "network" in certain areas:
• It's where the hosts are frequently located
• There are surfaces where drinks and food are conveniently located
• The room is open and inviting with good smells, sounds and sights emanating from it

Your "social network" can be any place in or around your home, but many hosts prefer the living room or other specially prepared area for guests to congregate. You can quickly create an inviting place where guests can talk, eat and socialize by simply adding center tables, decorated with attractive party ware, such as coasters, plates, napkins, etc. No matter what your style is or where you want your guests to gather – in your living room, out on the patio or under the gazebo – the right center tables can create that magical gathering spot for family and friends.

Once you get a center table, customize it and the area in preparation for your guests. Try placing personalized favors for your guests on the center table. Place a game, such as Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, Yahtzee or other game for multiple players – completely set up and ready for anyone to begin playing. Place food items, such as hors d'oeuvres and snacks on your center table, along with plates, flatware and napkins for self-service. Set up a couple of ice buckets with chilled wine on center tables, with wine glasses at the ready. These little touches will attract the guests to the spot and encourage them to stay around the area.

A center table is sure to be a magnet for family and friends when they gather at your home and will easily make your home the quintessential "social network".