When entertaining the goal is to make your guests feel welcome, relaxed, and comfortable. Here are a few tips to help you host the perfect alfresco gathering:
Set the table with a summery print tablecloth, botanical plates, and coloured glassware for a festive setting. Use small terracotta pots filled with herbs as your centrepiece—they look great and smell fantastic!
With all the fresh summer produce available, a light seasonal menu is the way to go. Keep it casual by serving it buffet-style or family-style. Check out your local farmers" market not only for fruit and vegetables but for homemade goodies like bread and berry pies.
]]>A few of my favourites are a set of monogrammed linen cocktail napkins, unique votives & candles, a lacquered tray, a soft cotton throw, paperwhite bulbs in a lovely clay pot, or a good vintage book. If you do want to give flowers, send them ahead of time so that your hostess doesn't have to rush off and arrange them while entertaining.
Don't forget to send a thank-you note as promptly as possible after an event. Be sincere and gracious, and include something personal about what made the gift special or memorable to you.
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Use a large tray-topped ottoman as a coffee table; when not serving as a coffee table it makes for a comfy footrest.
Tuck two ottomans under a console for a fuller look. This is a great space saver in a small room, they can be pulled out as extra seating for guests.
A matching ottoman/footstool creates a chaise-like lounging option when paired with your favourite reading chair.
A pair of ottomans flanked on either side of the fireplace creates a classically elegant look; again they can be moved around as needed.
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Invest in quality and you will be rewarded for years to come. Wash after wash, quality linen will endure, particularly if you take good care of them. Climbing into a beautiful hotel bed after a day of work or sightseeing feels heavenly. Recreating this experience at home is one of life’s little luxuries.
My preference is crisp, white Italian percale. Add some embroidery detail like a monogram, and I'm sold! With these simple tips, you'll be loving your linen for many years to come:
Consider beautiful linen not only as only an investment but as an heirloom you can pass down for generations. Like fine china or artwork, linen can tell a family's history and story so beautifully. I certainly plan on handing my well-loved linen down to my girls so they too can enjoy it as much as I did.
]]>Most of my projects, for clients and in my own home, are window treatment heavy. I believe that as well as being very practical, curtains and blinds can tie a room together through the use of colour, pattern, and detail. Adding trim elevates them to a whole new level. I love to use brush or loop fringe on the leading edge of curtains to create a soft, elegant look. A grosgrain ribbon trim detail on Roman blinds or curtains creates a tailored, finished look, or it can be used for a more decorative design such as a lovely Greek key pattern.
A selection of cushions on a sofa are the perfect finishing touch to your living room. With the addition of trim, ribbon, tassels, and other adornments, the cushions have a bespoke quality. A box ribbon detail makes for a gorgeous, tailored look.
In my mind Alfresco areas deserve just as much attention as the interiors. Why not create gorgeous, usable outdoor rooms? With the use of outdoor fabrics and trims, you can create the same lush, inviting settings you would find indoors!
Several of my furniture pieces feature trim elements, such as my Margaux Ottoman and Peyton Sofa for example. With so many lovely designs out there, having these details sets them apart quite clearly. Fringed edges of a seat cushion, ribbon piping, or square sofa cushion designs add a layer to the interior which feels subtle yet considered.
]]>Most vendors don't have credit card facilities. If you are running short, you can always leave a deposit with a vendor and dash to an ATM to seal the deal.
You'll want to have first pick of the good stuff so check the market's website beforehand for opening times. But if you can't go until later, vendors often give good deals at the end of the day. This works well if you're not looking for anything in particular.
Vendors usually go down to around 10—15% per cent of their original asking price, so start by asking what's the best they can do. Don't insult them with an unreasonable offer.
Many of the markets have great food stands but you may not want to stop rummaging for treasures if you're on a roll.
Wear comfortable walking shoes and layers, as the temperature may change. Bring a hat, and sunglasses and sunscreen. Don't wear expensive jewellery if you want to haggle.
Use a location map (check the market's website and print it out). Mark any vendors of interest so that you can find them again later. If you don't have a map, jot down market stall numbers.
Italy / Lucca / Il Mercatino dell'Antiquariato a Lucca
The beautiful Italian town of Lucca hosts Il Mercatino dell'Antiquariato a Lucca (The Antiques Market in Lucca) once a month. You can find antiques, paintings, sculptures, linen, carpets, vintage silver, and crockery.
France / Paris / Puces de Porte de Vanves
Not as well known and much smaller than the Marche aux Puce de St-Ouen/ Puces de Clignancourt, this brocante is in a quiet corner of the city. Held Saturday & Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Also worth a visit is the Brocante de la place d'Aligre located in the heart of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine and near one of the most delightful food markets in Paris, the Marché d'Aligre.
Both of these flea markets are favoured by the locals more than tourists which means that there are less English-speaking vendors, so it's best to brush up on your Français! France has so many great brocantes that you will surely find one near where you're visiting.
United States / Los Angeles, CA / Rose Bowl Flea Market Pasadena
California's famous Rose Bowl Flea Market held on the second Sunday of every month—here you'll find everything from classic west coast Americana and great vintage collectables. There's even a make-your-own-Bloody-Mary bar!
United States / Brimfield, MA / Brimfield Antique Flea Market
America's oldest outdoor flea market, The Brimfield Flea Market is a colossal event that takes place over a week three times a year.
You can find just about anything here. It's a good idea to plan a few days to shop this market.
United States / New Milford, CT /The Elephant's Trunk Country Flea Market
New England's largest weekly flea market is a truly authentic experience. A wide selection of furniture, collectibles, vintage toys, crystal, crockery, silverware, and clothing.
Australia / Melbourne, VIC / The Camberwell Market
This market has a great variety of antiques, painting, vintage treasures, and furniture. Sundays, 7:00 a.m.
Here are a few tips to help you with placement—but most importantly, the monogram should reflect your personality, so do whatever feels right!
INDIVIDUAL
Single-Letter Monogram
First or last initial.
Two-Letter Monogram
First initial on the left and last initial on the right.
Three-Letter Monogram
When a monogram style has a larger hero letter in the centre, the order is: first initial on the left, the last initial in the centre and the middle initial on the right.
COUPLES WITH THE SAME LAST NAME
Single-Letter Monogram
Last initial.
Three-Letter Monogram
First initial on the left, last name initial in the centre and the other first initial on the right.
COUPLES WITH DIFFERENT LAST NAMES
Two-Letter Monogram
Either both first or last name initials.
The Swans are what American writer Truman Capote dubbed his stylish clique, a group of impossibly chic women. From Babe Paley through to Slim Keith, the design drew from their innate, stylish aesthetic. As the last of the Swans had recently passed, it seems that it is certainly the end of an era. A world away from today's influencers and social media frenzy, Dinner with the Swans transported us back to a time of grace, conversation, and ceremony.
Capote became completely intertwined in their glamorous lives, vicariously breathing in their wealth, their exotic holidays and private yachts. He was their confidant, their companion and their biggest fan. One can only imagine their dinner parties and gatherings, the most sought-after ticket in town was to one of their soirees: colourful characters, sharp-witted conversation and the most sophisticated tablescapes.
I also debuted my Marella chair, a new addition to my furniture collection for Arthur G, at the event. The Marella is named in honour of the Swan, Italian-born Marella Agnelli. She was a true style icon, an art collector and socialite married to the CEO of Fiat. Capote named her "the European swan numero uno". The Swans' guest list—invitations were written on monogrammed paper, of course!—included Babe Paley, Marella Agnelli, Lee Radszwill, Bunny Mellon, Slim Keith, Gloria Guinness, C.Z Guest, Gloria Guinness, Pamela Churchill, and their very prestigious plus-ones.
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