We talk a lot of tablescaping around here at c+k, so when I decided to incorporate the art of entertaining into this week, I knew I had to invite the king of tabletop design, Mr. Eddie Ross, to contribute a little guest post! I am so thrilled to have him here today sharing a peek 'behind the scenes' as he prepares for a luncheon that he and his partner Jaithan will be throwing this afternoon at their lovely farmhouse. So, without further ado...
Hi, everyone! Eddie Ross here, and I'm super excited to be a part of coco+kelley's style (e)scapes! The first of July marks my partner Jaithan's birthday, but this year we're celebrating it a little early with an al fresco lunch for eight this afternoon, including four fun, new friends from the Rye House Tour we did last month. Here on the farm, there are so many beautiful spots for summer entertaining, including this leafy spot by the brook.
Inspiration for the table came from these pretty beach roses growing all around the property. The color reminds me so much of the vivid fuchsia saris Jaithan's mother wears on festive occasions.
Whenever I set a table, I love mixing new and old, modern and traditional. For the runner, I'm using a fuchsia linen I found at
Jo-ann's for $3.99 a yard. The pale orange napkins and caned carafe are from
HomeGoods, while the beautiful, bright white bone china plates I found at
A Christmas Tree Shop for $1.99 each! Finally, from my own collection, I'm using vintage mother of pearl knives and sterling silver flatware, along with eight
1960s pearlescent Lucite napkin rings from
our Etsy shop.
These vintage gold caned glasses are going to be perfect for drinks before lunch.
This afternoon promised to be quite humid here in upstate New York, so for the food, I put together an Indian-inspired menu with chilled and room temperature dishes all prepared ahead of time. In the summer especially, there's nothing worse than slaving over a hot stove when your guests arrive. And like the
light lunch for four we did a few weeks back, the food I cook is spontaneous with rarely a recipe in sight. Check out the menu!
For the table, I'm doing footed compotes for the height they add while still allowing guests to see and converse with ease.
Then, I'm going to float flowers from our garden, including beach roses, zinnias, cosmos and these magenta dahlias.
The way I see it, a successful party is all about planning, attention to detail, cohesive color palettes, and a good, eclectic mix of new and vintage pieces. Guests arrive at 12:30 ET, so
follow me on Twitter, and join the party as it happens!
Fabulous as always! Love those vintage glasses and the palette - it reminds be a bit of my pink birthday inspiration! I just wish I were there to enjoy that delicious menu. YUM! Thank you so so much Eddie for joining in on the week! (pssst - next week Eddie will be sharing photos from the actual lunch onhis blog, so keep your eyes open for them!)
