To the untrained eye, throwing a dinner party may seem like a simple thing. Looks, as we know, can be deceiving, so to throw your next effortlessly stylish dinner party, we’ve teamed up with Alyce Tran from playful and chic homeware brand, In the Roundhouse to give you the scoop on what it takes to host an easy, breezy, beautifully-styled soirée.

Plan ahead

The last thing you want when you’ve invited your friends over is to get stuck in the kitchen and miss out on the whole party.

Tran’s advice, “I always go for easy, something tried and tested without too many elements and I might do a pre-prepared entree or dessert to take the pressure off! Asking guests for their dietary requirements prior will also make things easier too!”

Choose your style theme

“I love to use tablecloths and we have a few interesting tablecloth options on our site at the moment, they always add a bit of interest to a plain table top,” says Tran. “We have created dinner table sets to make styling our product really easy and have sets across a range of different price points and styles.”

Top tips for a stylish table

“I naturally always start with the plates, the dishes I need to serve my menu onto and always like to add fun elements to the table whether that be candles, fruits, or menu cards,” Tran tells delicious.

Related story: This stylish dinner party set has everything you need for a boozy long lunch at home

If in doubt, let the experts help you out

“Start with the In the Roundhouse Dinner Club page for inspo – we have even created a playlist you can just throw on!”

As for the menu? We’ve got you covered with our matchy-matchy retro dinner party plan.

Make sure you check out the full range, dinner inspiration and styling tips at the In The Roundhouse website.

Related story: In the Roundhouse responds to Kmart’s “copycat” dining collection