How to make a run down room look nice for a party

[kolacubes]

I'm holding a party next month, in not the nicest of rooms.

It's just very tired. This is a free space, but great for the party.

So how do I make the room more attractive?

I'm thinking tablecloths, balloons etc, but bearing in mind I can't do major repainting on the job, has anyone got any ideas, to divert attention from the walls and floor?

Lighting

Candles or lamps rather than overhead

Fairylights if you're that way inclined (I'm not)

Or serve very strong drinks and everyone will be too pissed to care.

Is it for adults or children? I'm sure children wouldn't notice!

Little night lights that look like candles (Hobbycraft sometimes have them)

Banners - Happy B'day or whatever the occasion.

Flowers on table.

Weighted helium balloons in a bunch make a good centre piece for a table. (Our local card shop does them)

Background music.

dim lighting

loud music

candles and fairy lights

flowers

I dont like balloons personally but hey ho

Could attempt to make a banner out of a cheap bed sheet so it covers a bigger area...

It's for adults, therefore more of an issue than children.

But at least the get them drunk suggestion is applicable and may work.

Forgot to say thank you for all the suggestions so far, I'm taking them on board.

I wouldn't worry too much tbh - if the tables look nice and it is clean it should be fine. I ould, however, go to town on the loos a bit, putting fresh flowers and nice liquid soaps etc in there. I think people notice bad loos far more than they notice tired rooms.

would not ould

For my party for my wedding, we used white heavy paper table cloths, then did a big ikea shop and put 2 small vases with wrapped sweets in (celebrations type thing) then a slightly bigger vase in the middle with tulips in (about 5 pink, 5 yellow per vase).

We couldn't use candles (my original plan), but sprinkled shiney confetti down the centre of the table, it was also laid up with cutlery etc. On the walls we hung bunches of trailed fairy lights, for a slightly dishevelled romantic look.

All in all, cheaply done, vases were 69p and 99p each and we told the guests to take them home at the end of the night as the 'favour'.

Have a good party!

If its a hard floor sprinkle stars or something on to it (if you don't mind the sweeping up afterwards). We held DH's 30th birthday in our newish house and we'd stripped the carpets out of the house and hte floors were about to be sanded so were quite crappy. I bought loads of star sequins and sprinkled them everywhere - people still talk about it and we're beginning to think about his 40th !