Put on an elegant soirée in a city pad

Escape cold, wet city nights and treat your guests to a stylish night of glamour. Whether your home exudes period charm or has a more modern appeal, choose a theme that accents your existing décor to show your home in its best light.

There is nothing stopping you going for a classical look if your home is more Downton Abbey than Grand Designs – plus, it doesn’t have to cost the earth. High ceilings in Georgian homes are perfect for hosting elegant cocktail parties thanks to their spacious proportions and long sash windows. If you have a fireplace, make sure it’s lit and use fairly lights and dimmers to create the perfect party mood.

For an opulent feel, base your party colour palette on bronze, rose gold, champagne and dusty pink. Create warmth with candelabras and use mirrors to reflect light and make rooms feel even more spacious.

Give your guests a stylish welcome with gentle seasonal music and fizz cocktails. If you’re opting for a sit-down meal, choose richly flavoured seasonal British produce with a hint of spice and sweetness for warmth.

For a more modern take on the classic cocktail party, embrace winter and transform your apartment into an ‘ice palace’. If your current decor is light and minimalist, then all you need to add is a crisp white tablecloth and a frosty centrepiece to create the perfect backdrop for a Scandi themed party. Add some Nordic texture with faux fur rugs and throws. Serve icy cocktails with a Scandinavian twist – lingonberries, elderflower, vodka, gin and dill – or warm people up with glasses of glogg.

Throw a ‘summer’ party

Banish the winter blues and give your guests a taste of summer with a garden party; imagine fairy lights, palm trees, cocktails and fresh food. Hire outdoor heaters and provide plenty of blankets, so guests can stay warm while star-gazing

If summer parties are all about the sunshine, it is important on dark winter nights to get the lighting perfect. Whether on the terrace or in your dining room, line the area with candles in tall glass jars. Mood lighting, corner lighting and string lighting all help create a soft, warm glow that will help everyone forget the cold weather. Bring pot plants inside to give an outdoor feel. Provide comfy chairs and loungers and add a splash of colour with bright tablecloths.

Match your cuisine to your theme. Serve margaritas alongside tacos for a Mexican party, or go Caribbean with jerk chicken, fresh fish and rum cocktails. If you prefer to keep a British feel, then bring back summer flavours with fresh salads, strawberry shortcakes and ice cream. And don’t forget the Pimms!

If you want to make sure guests stay outside, strategically placed fire pits near outdoor seating areas add warmth and atmosphere, whilst floating lights in ponds and water features can create stunning reflections.

And if you want to go the extra mile, hire a hot tub for a garden party to remember. Most hire companies offer tubs for up to 8 people and many will throw in fairy lights and a gazebo in case of rain.

Host a Highland fling at a country house

Looking for an alternative to a traditional country house Christmas? If you’ve got a suitable outbuilding, then transform an old barn or hire a marquee and turn it into a rustic venue for a Hogmanay party with a difference. Perfect for a crowd, the large open space will give plenty of room for you to dance the night away.

Stock up the bar with a selection of drinks and serve spiced cider and mulled wine to keep your guests warm throughout the cold winter night. If snow covers the ground, make the most of it to chill the champagne ready for midnight!

Keep with the Scottish theme for food and treat your guests to smoked salmon, venison pie, haggis, neeps and tatties and cranachan. Hogmanay celebrations rarely finish at midnight so a tray of bacon butties will see your guests through into the early hours of the morning. Ask your guests to bring flat shoes in readiness of some festive dancing.

Don’t forget about the essentials of heating, lighting and bathroom facilities. Hosting a party in a barn may mean a lot of preparation work, but the end result will be a magical experience that your guests will really appreciate.

Just because you don’t have a barn, doesn’t mean you can’t dance. If you’ve got a generously proportioned room with hard floors, then move the furniture out to give plenty of room for dancing. If your guests are expert ceilidh dancers, just pop on some music to get the party going