There’s no more important feature of any one person’s social diary than the hosting of an excellent dinner party at one’s home. From the selection of guests and meal to the curation of the lighting, music and ambience – there is no better way to simultaneously give one’s guests a treat whilst showcasing one’s (impeccable) taste and personality.
Although the tradition of the dinner party itself may have found prominence in the grand dinning rooms of Paris and London during the Victorian era, the modern dinner party need not take place such grand surroundings. Instead, the contemporary dinner host can rely on their creativity and ingenuity to bring forth a lively and fulfilling dinner party with carefully selected decor and entertainment.
To aid in this noble pursuit, the global ’tablescapping’ trend has emerged as an artform for dressing a table of any size (or location) with the goal of achieving maximum visual delight. Although at first it may appear to be an inaccessibly difficult task for the casual host, tablescapping is in fact quite simple and fun. One need simply one’s imagination and perhaps some inspiration by these leading experts on the field:
By Olive
Co-founders Milly Simmonds and Amelia Duncan bring the worlds of fashion and event production together to deliver sophisticated intimate luxury with a focus on natural accents and colour palates. The warm, glowing tablescape design above – in collaboration with Notting Hill’s favourite haunt, Gold, is a firm favourite for the winter months ahead.
Mrs Alice
Alice Naylor-Leyland has set the standard famously high for any and all tablescaping peers to enter the market. Doubling down on her family’s aristocratic roots (and inescapably picturesque backdrops), she brings a fresh refined flare to table design with a dash of colourful maximalism. If you’re looking for inspiration look no further than Naylor-Leyland’s Instagram – it reads like an ode to the gods of tablescaping – take it all in for inspiration, or purchase her ‘ready to scape’ table design packs.
Fiona Leahy
The Caravaggio of tablescaping, Fiona Leahy brings an almost Renaissance artistic sensibility to her tablescapes; playing with colour tone, shade, pattern and foliage in a way that evokes the great masters. It is no surprise then that Leahy designed Dita Von Teese’s wedding and has been pulled in for the nuptials of Royals and stars alike. Indulge your senses with a glance through her Instagram and let the muses inspire your next design.
Maison Margaux
Maison Margaux is what happened when three exacting leaders of the PR, events and society worlds get together to collaborate and create tablescapes. The result are glorious and dramatic settings with boundless colour and form that carry the eye without being overly distracting. The company offers sale or rent of their curated tablescapes, as well as tablescaping design & hire services offering a curated edit of inspirational, luxury tableware for only the finest tables.
Rosanna Falconer
The ex Digital Strategist for Matthew Williamson is as well known for her vibrant use of colour as she is for her unimpeachable taste. Whether you are looking for something paired-down for elegant simplicity or a big bang of shape and form, you will find ideas to delight your guests within her very well considered designs (pro tip, follow her #rohemiatable hashtags on IG) If you are in a rush however and fancy a more straight-forward approach, Falconer is a frequent collaborator with Maison Margaux so you can purchase or rent some of her designs on their site.