Ecclectic Tea Party

So now that all the holiday entertaining is wrapped up, it is time to start brainstorming for spring parties! I have been in my office all week playing around with different design elements for the coming months. Valentines Day is right around the corner, but I still have not perfected the look for my romantic sweetheart table. Don't worry, I will let you know as soon as I do!

I did come up with some really fun looks for a springy Sunday Brunch, or Mother's Day, or an Afternoon Tea. My design team chose some pieces from the Williams Sonoma housewares collection and we reworked them. We filled tart pans with flowers and berries to create delicate floral moments for the table.I love the juxtaposition of the utilitarian tart pan and the whimsical blooms. It has that homey, country feel that we usually don't see here in New York. I have always liked the look of baking tools, and here you can bring them out of the kitchen and keep them on the table for the whole meal, not just dessert. Guests can take the whole tin home at the end of the party and enjoy the flowers for a few days and then use the pan for baking...We filled the center with roses and then arranged berries in the scalloped edges. They almost look good enough to eat, don't they?

I also played around with cake stands and tried filling them with flowers to create mini-gardens. We used moss as a base to mimic the look of a terrarium and accented it with bright flowers to lighten the look. I love the loose, unstructured look in the clear glass. It almost has a hanging garden feel to it. You could even add little feather butterflies for an even more playful look!

Recycled Giftwrap

I always bring my holiday gifts into the office and wrap them with different supplies we have lying around. I like to create a really eclectic look underneath the tree, and I love that everyone gets not only a present but a totally unique package. We had just gotten a big shipment of candles, and had tons of packing material left over. I loved the look of this recycled paper- there is so much texture and movement to it.
Once I folded it around the plain white boxes the paper popped even more and really came alive. I paired the paper with a coffee organza ribbon with satin trim and topped the whole thing off with an arrangement of silk roses and peonies accented with white berries. I use silk on all my holiday wrapping. If you are shipping any of your gifts, there is no guarantee what they will go through or when they will get there, so I want to make sure that the present will look as good when it arrives as it did when I packed it. I also like that the flowers can be reused, either to decorate another gift, or simply placed on the mantle to spice up the the room!

Frames

We were doing a photo shoot in our studio last week and I wanted to come up with something a little more exciting than the typical pipe and drape backdrop. I had one of our craftsmen create faux walls which we covered with fabric printed to look like wallpaper. I love the look of multiple, mismatched picture frames that have been all over home magazines. I wanted to play with that look, so we took the glass out of most of the frames and hung shelves inside. We put candles on the shelves so the whole wall would glow! I am not suggesting that you drill holes in your dining room walls, but rather that you keep in mind the backdrop and the look of the whole room when you are entertaining. Switch things up in your home to create a more festive atmosphere: move the furniture around, put winter scenes or beautiful spreads from magazines in all your frames for the night, and don't forget to fill the room with candles!

My White Party

The calendar says fall is here, even if it does not feel like it yet. The days are getting shorter, if not cooler, and I think it is a great time to have people into your home. As you know, I love to bring nature inside- and I love working with fall colors. The theme of one of my favorite events- which is showcased in Inspirations- was Autumn. But I also love to surprise my guests!




















This is my Thanksgiving table from last year. I invited my family and some close friends into my studio, which is an extension of my home, to celebrate! The sleek white is quite a contrast to the deep oranges, golds, and browns that most people are expecting. Anyone who is familiar with my work knows that I love to choose one color and layer and repeat it in every aspect of the decor. Using the same color throughout the room exaggerates each individual element and creates a cohesive look. Here we accented the white with a crisp green. I placed Narcissus on the table for their lovely scent, and to break up the vertical space above the table.

With a monochromatic palette, it is important to create texture and layers with your flowers. These white arrangements gain depth from the fluffy hydrangeas and garden roses. I love when there are details on the table for the guests to continue to discover throughout the night. These bouquets decorated the table during dinner, and everyone got to take one home at the end of the night!

Indian Summer Table

This is one of my favorite times of year! I love when the weather starts to get a little cooler, and the colors get warmer! Growing up in Panama, we had two seasons- summer and rain. I will never forget my first fall here in New York City. Those warm, inviting colors continue to inspire my designs. As much as I love fall, it is always sad to see summer end, and I try to throw one last bash while the weather is warm! This year the party was such a hit, everyone was asking me how they could do it at home. So I created this table for "Entertaining on a Budget":

Sunflowers are a great transition flower- I think they embody the spirit and color of both seasons. The other great thing about sunflowers is that they are about $1 each, and are large enough to make a statement without having to use too many. Echoing the palette of the sunflowers, I used yellows and golds with fresh green accents to make the table pop. You will notice that I repeated a couple of simple elements again and again to create a cohesive look on the table.

Amoi Magazine

Hi Everyone! Sorry I missed you last week! September has been really busy, and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. If you get a chance, pick up a copy of AMOI magazine (http://www.amoimag.com/magazine). It's a new Canadian magazine devoted to diversity and community building. It is published quarterly, and I have the honor of being on the cover of the fall issue! We did the shoot and the interview here in my studio, which you can get a peek at below:

I think it is a great magazine with a really interesting perspective. And I am not just saying that because I am on the cover! In the interview, I discuss some of the elements I have built my company around. I always say that the most important thing in this business is to have a product that is different. There are enough parties and events for everyone to be working, so I really don't like to get into a competitive mode at all. I would much rather set myself apart with unique elements and interesting design.
If you are in the New York area, come check out the program I'm doing with the Learning Annex. On October 9th, I will be appearing at the Metropolitan Doubletree Hotel to talk about entertaining and the events business. You can check out my calendar for more details!