If there was someone who hosts even more than we do, and probably more effortlessly–it’s Kim and Scott Vargo of Yellow Brick Home: our dear friends with whom we wish we could share a charcuterie board and game night a lot more often! And Kim isn’t a “hostess with the mostess” because she’s doing over-the-top candlelit 7 course dinners with live music entertainment–she’s just mastered crafting cool gatherings and not breaking a sweat. She’s here to calm all your hosting fears and change the conversation around what entertaining even means. The floor is yours, Kim!

1. What are your best tips for stress-free hosting?

Worry less about the food! Period, full stop. The most fun we have with friends is setting a theme — say, taco night! — and asking everyone to bring a couple of ingredients. As the host, we’ll always prepare the main part of the meal (like taco meat, veggies and plenty of bowls and utensils for all the potluck elements), but it’s always fun to see what comes together when we all play a part. Unless cooking is honest-to-goodness your favorite thing to do, take some of that weight off your shoulders. Lastly, a special cocktail for the occasion always feels way fancier than the effort needed to make them! It makes me so happy to look around and see everyone with a house cocktail, which adds an instant cool-factor to any gathering.

2. Do you have a cleaning routine before entertaining?

For a casual gathering, Scott and I will tag team a few things, but the extent of it is a thorough vacuum, wiping down the guest bathroom and making sure the kitchen is tidied up. And we definitely close doors to messy rooms! If we’ll be dining indoors, I may set out fresh flowers on the table, but if we’re gathering in the backyard, I consider myself off the hook.

3. How do you set an ambience in your home for guests?

Aah, my favorite part of entertaining. Every light in our home is on a dimmer, so I’ll take 5 minutes to set the lighting (and even lighting temperature – we have a lot of smart bulbs!). If it doesn’t interfere with cooking smells, I’ll also light a few nice candles. You know the ones, the ones where one sniff will make you feel good all the way in your soul? Those candles. And right before the first guests arrive, we hit play on one of our Spotify playlists! Good music is ev-er-y-thing.

4. What aspect of entertaining do you think people overthink, and what part do you think people should actually consider?

Hands down (and I’m guilty of this at times), people overthink the menu. I think it’s more about how you feel, and lighting is a huge part of that. 

5. What would you tell someone who feels inadequate hosting because of how his/her home looks?

No one is looking at your home under a microscope. They’re in your home for you and your wonderful company! But if you’re feeling truly stressed, remember my tips from the question above. Those actionable items are in your control, and they’re the things that people will leave your house remembering.