Showing posts with label Entertaining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entertaining. Show all posts

Garrow Kedigian's Proustian Ambiance

The timeless living of Garrow Kedigian

If Marcel Proust walked into designer Garrow Kedigian's New York apartment today he would feel right at home. The elegant layered interior reflects the clear link between Garrow and his french roots (he's a member of the noted Petrossian family). The comfortable home has a history of men with great style living in it. Actor Fred Astaire was a prior owner of the spacious Park Avenue nest and frequently hosted glamorous parties for his friends there. Today, that entertaining tradition lives on, the first party Garrow hosted was a black tie move in party the night he bought the apartment and coincidentally he just turned 40 as well. His expertise in the art of party giving was apparent the minute I started talking to him about doing this piece.
Designer Garrow Kedigian
Tip: Don't over think the details. He advises following your inspiration and keeping it simple.

What influences your menu choices when you entertain? 
I like to serve fingers foods that are easy to eat standing up. I often give cocktail parties and the hors d'oeuvres are always passed. 
A subtle reminder of the apartments past owner.

Tip: Throwing a great party begins with finding a good caterer and having a good relationship with them. It's also very important to be clear about your expectations. I have a great caterer that I use for everything, Soleil. They are really wonderful. 
The hors d'oeuvres are always simple and presented on trays to guests by waiters. This array of trays are waiting for the guests to arrive. The black and white fabric is from Garrow's fabric collection.
Who or what has most inspired your entertaining style?
My family is in the food business so that has influenced me, but my grandmother has inspired my style. She hosted a wedding for my first cousin Diane Perrier at her country villa. It really opened my eyes to lavish entertaining with style. Everything was perfect. 

Beautiful gold rimmed etched glasses.
Tip: Always serve clear beverages i.e. white wine, champagne or seltzer because they don't stain the upholstery. 


Beautiful flowers are a must. The flowers for this party were done by designer Kurt Miller,
who is a frequent lucky house guest. 

These beautiful malachite boxes are made to order by Designer Kurt Miller.


Do you have a favorite china or tabletop item that you collect?
I have been an avid collector since I was a child. Going to the Paris flea markets is one of my favorite things to do. Since my interiors are very layered I am always on the lookout for great pieces. I love Wedgwood Jasperware and vintage Greek pattern glasses. 







Tags: , ,

A Stylish Setting

Who wouldn't want to spend a weekend at Rosecliff Mansion, the stunning ocean front property on historic Bellevue Avenue in Newport? The house was the setting for the annual Newport Flower Show. The show which is fast becoming the grand dame of flower shows on the east coast was brimming with inspiration around every corner. From the judged arrangements to the garden installations on the front lawn of the mansion the creativity of the participants was boundless.

Our table on the terrace of Rosecliff. The Fretwork tablecloth is made in a custom blue for the show. Garden Folly seat covers on the white ballroom chairs in leaf echo the lettuce Charlotte dinner plates from my collection.
Thomas and I were very happy to have been asked to be a part of this esteemed event this year. The table we designed for the oceanside terrace was inspired by the colors of nature that engulf the property: blue and green. We really tried to achieve a modern formal setting that reflected the history of Newport society and that would offer a fresh background for the judged arrangements that were displayed on the table.
The new Thomas charger in gold paired with the Charlotte dinner plate
in lettuce and Charlotte dessert plate in Celeste Bleu.
The custom blue of the my fretwork fabric printed on white fit the bill and when paired with the blue, green and gold of my china it really looked crisp and summery. A clean, modern and traditional table perfect for today.
Bettie Pardee's summery arrangement. 
The four flower arrangements that were displayed on the table were done by the shows participates and were judged arrangements. I was very lucky that Newport style maven Bettie Pardee decided to come out of flower show arrangement retirement and do one for our table. Hers was an airy symphony of complimentary blues and greens that fit the table perfectly.
Arrangement by Jeri Bedient.
Jeri Bedient did a wonderful arrangement that used an heirloom punchbowl from her collection. I got to meet Jeri while I was there and her arrangement is as delightful as she is. She went out of her way and bought my book to have an idea of our style and her interpretation of it was pitch perfect.
Custom napkins by Julia B.
The amazing Julia B. and her line of custom linens came to the rescue and created these amazing monogramed napkins for the table. Since Thomas and couldn't decide which monogram to use we split them fifty fifty and alternated napkins on the table.
Hand painted place cards that I made to echo the Garden Folly fabric motif. Vintage place card holders from Etsy.
Why are fun place cards so hard to find? I had a deuce of a time finding cute ones. So I decided just to make my own using watercolors in a fun loose style. Presto, interesting and unique place cards. For additional images please check my Instagram or our Traditional Home Magazine Designer Takeover feed from the show, both have fun videos and a broad array of beautiful images from the show and Newport.

We are thrilled that we have been asked back to do it again next year! The shows theme is Fete des Fleurs: Paintings and Parterres and will be held again at Rosecliff and starts June 23, 2017. 
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Hello Summer!

The library/dining room.
"Everyday is all there is" is a quote I learned from my mentor and and former boss Suzanne Rheinstein, explained the New York designer Eliza Dyson while I was interviewing her. Eliza and her husband are known for their impromptu dinner parties which they love to give. She finds it much more fun and comfortable to entertain at home, which was recently featured in the December issue of House Beautiful. The airy Park Avenue apartment features a large dining room that doubles as a library, "we love books and love to share them, my husband is always sending guests home with them," she said. I was lucky enough to catch up with her and glean some entertaining tips before the family decamps to their upstate country house for the summer.

Eliza Dyson
Tell me about the meal you made.
The beginning of each summer we host a Welcome Summer Dinner for friends. We serve crispy fried chicken, a refreshing feta and tomato salad with mint and basil, corn pudding and the easiest dessert in the world, a buttermilk pie, our friends love it.

Peonies from her mothers garden in her home town of Millbrook, NY. 
Do you have a signature dish you make?
Now that we have kids we like easy to prepare foods. In winter we make Osso Bucco often and we love pasta. Our favorite pasta cookbook is Pasta Fresca by Viana La Place and Evan Kleinman. We use is all the time, the recipes are easy and quick to prepare.

Tip: When setting the table mix good with everyday. The contrast makes for an interesting table.

The antique Nuremberg china, an assortment of hotel sliver, William Yeoward glasses, vintage salad plates from Etsy and monogram linen napkins all from Eliza's extensive collection of tableware.

Who most influenced your entertaining style?
My mom. She is an amazing cook and loves to entertain. When she has a large group she likes to use luncheon sized placemats on the table because they are smaller than normal ones and she can seat more people at the table. Her tables are always beautiful and fun, for example at Christmas she literally covers the table with chocolate soldiers, it's so fun!

Tip: Always hire a teenager if you can or somebody to do the dishes during the meal. It makes it so much easier and you get to enjoy the evening more if you don't have to think about cleaning up after the guests leave.
The Welcome Summer Dinner features a delicious main course of fried chicken and tomato feta salad. 
What experience has set your entertaining style?
When my husband and I were first married we moved to LA. It was there that we developed our style. We had a garden that was filled with beautiful citrus and avocado trees, it felt like we were living in Italy. We had friends over for dinner all the time. Before the kids, we did elaborate meals and complex dishes now everything is much simpler.

Tip: When I need a great simple dessert I use Fresh Direct. They have these amazing frozen chocolate souffles that come in beautiful ramekins that only need to be baked. It couldn't be easier.

Buttermilk pie with local blueberries is Eliza's go to easy dessert recipe.

Do you have a favorite tabletop item you collect?
Like my mom, I love anything to do with the table. I have a large collection of china and glassware. I also like unusual serving implements, like small silver shovels for salt cellars or bottle sleeves for jars of hot sauce.
Tags: ,

A Louisiana Lunch with Keith Carroll

The graphic quilt used as a tablecloth was made by Keith's mother.
Is there anything that can be more charming than a delightful southerner? It's been my experience that southerners take great pride in living up to their reputation for being masters of gracious hospitality, even after they are transplanted up north. New York based interior designer and Louisiana native Keith Carroll, is the epitome of this southern ethos and his entertaining style, like his design style reflect both the warmth and tradition of the south.
His numerous New York projects are a blend of the classic good taste with a modern influence. This Hampton Designer Showhouse veteran, describes his work as "southern style with city chic". He likes to use color and pattern in his rooms and like the table he set for todays post has an air of effortless style.

Designer Keith Carroll.
Tell me about the meal you prepared?
This is a typical southern lunch based on the foods that I grew up eating. A chilled or frozen starter is a very typical way to start a meal followed by a Jumbo of chicken, shrimp and sausage with potato salad on the side. Dessert is a Million Dollar Poundcake made from my mothers recipe. It's made with a pound of butter so its very rich and decadent.
A plate of of Pimento Cheese sandwiches and Prosecco are ready for guests in the entry.
Who influenced your entertaining style?
My mother played a big role in setting my style. She was a great cook and always made big meals with tons of food. The great restaurants of New Orleans and the way they mix the types of foods they serve and the flavors has always inspired me. 
Of course the southern idea of having a good time all the time is something I live and entertain by.

The charming dinner plates are made from the artwork of Louisiana native African-American folk artist Clementine Hunter.

Tip:
Have something ready for your guests when they walk in...a cocktail, nibble, etc. It's makes for a warm welcome.
A frozen fruit salad to start the meal.
Tip
Include something fun and whimsical on the table...it gives guests something to talk about! 
Tip
Start the  meal with an unexpected appetizer...not the usual green salad. A frozen salad or unique chilled soup. Keep it fun and interesting!
A homemade Million Dollar Poundcake with strawberries was served for dessert.
What tabletop items do you collect?
I collect old Sheffield silver plate candlesticks and odd pieces here and there. My most recent find was a small box that the dealer called a sugar casket.
A country fresh mix of tulips and Queen Anne's Lace were used for the center piece.

Tags: , ,

What's James Serving?

The style setters intimate dining room.
Anybody who gets to spend about more than a minute with James Andrew is doubtlessly enchanted by his warm and clever wit. Known for his style blog What's James Wearing and his Instagram feed he has made a name for himself not only as a talented interior designer but as le nec plus ultra dandy about town. James started his career at the esteemed firm Parish Hadley and quickly developed a taste for bespoke everything. He easily translates his fashion to the table and creates welcoming environments for his guests that compliment his delicious cooking.

The host: designer James Andrew in front of his vast collection of design books. 
Tell me about the occasion and meal you made. 
Just a little luncheon for four friends. We started with Alex Hitz's sour cream corn cakes with creme fraiche and salmon roe followed by his chicken curry and a salad of spinach, red onion, duck prosciutto and blue cheese with a red wine vinaigrette. The dessert was pineapple upside down cake,  all so delicious and rather easy to make.
A paisley table cloth and Aynsley dinner plates create the background for each place setting. An inspired mix of a patterned salad plate and napkin add interest to each place setting.
What influences your menu choices when you entertain? 
There are seasonal considerations - I love a trip to the local farmers market, then there are moods and themes that come into play - I keep it simple for the most part - I think it is such a treat to entertain at home- and I want everything to have a sense of ease about it!
I like to start with a little cocktail hour in the living room - drinks and some little nibbly things and then go into the dining room for dinner. 
A collection of patriotic red, white and blue glasses and centerpiece add sparkle to the table.
Who or what has most inspired your entertaining style? 
There are so many people and things that have inspired me over the years - as a child I was fascinated by the Julia Child show, The Tiffany Table Settings books were amazing. I was honored to create a table setting at Tiffany's while I was an associate at Parish Hadley. 
Style icons like Deeda Blair, Valentino, Alberto Pinto, The Duchess of Windsor, The Slatkin Clan- the list is endless - these people have informed my own taste and how I set a table and aspire to entertain.
Using an object like this  melon tureen makes a great no fuss alternative to flowers as a centerpiece. 
Do you have a favorite china or tabletop item that you collect?
I am a bit of a hoarder- as you can see my place is beginning to look a bit like a chic episode of "hoarders buried alive" There are so many things that I like - and an elegant eclectic mix is most appealing to me!


Tags: , ,

To Post or Not to Post

In this day of people documenting just about every move they make on social media, is it cool to do it in other peoples homes? That was the question that Washington Post writer Jura Koncius recently interviewed me for her article Lets get this party started: How social media has changed entertaining. The piece covers all the bases and offers several opinions on the subject.
I was more than happy to share my thoughts on the topic (which you can read here). 
What I could also have really gone off on is how the cellphone has changed dining out. I am the only one who doesn't understand people talking/texting on their cell phones while seated at a table with one to five other people? But I digress.

A summer dinner in my garden in Kinderhook. 
Tags: , ,

Splendor in the Grass

Under the old Willow Tree on a summer day is the perfect setting for a picnic.
There's a wonderful farm down the road from us in the country that's surrounded by an old orchard. This idyllic spot boosts not only a beautiful rippling pond but also a magnificent old weeping willow tree that was made to picnic under. After coveting this little oasis for years I finally approached the farmer and asked if we could have a little picnic under her willow tree. He quickly agreed and off we went. 

A relaxing setting for picnic.

I think simplicity is the name of the game with this type of picnic. I opted to use a vintage patchwork quilt to compliment the rural setting and blue willow china. Each guest received a tray to hold everything to make eating easier. 

Daisies made a great country style centerpiece for the afternoon. 
An assortment of easy food made it a snap to prepare. Classic picnic fare: fried chicken, biscuits and Alsatian potato salad were the components of the main course. A vintage wicker basket held the beverages steady and made a convenient container for the flowers.

Lunch is served. 
Dessert was a chocolate sheet cake that I made from my grandmother's recipe. It was given to her by her good friend and neighbor. I have updated it slightly to make it easier to follow. It is great for a crowd. 

A crowd pleaser chocolate sheet cake with chocolate nut frosting. 

Chocolate Sheet Cake
This recipe is made in a 11"x13" sheet cake pan. 
Serves 10-12

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 stick butter
1/2 cup oil
4 tbsps cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 400 and grease pan. Mix together sugar and flour in a large bowl and set aside. In a large saucepan combine butter, oil, cocoa and water and bring to a boil over medium heat and mix well. Pour this mixture over the flour and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

Chocolate Nut Frosting
1 stick butter
4 tbsps cocoa
6 tbsps buttermilk
1 1lb box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts 

Combine first three ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to rolling boil and remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Pour over cake and spread evenly. Serve on its own or with ice cream.

A bucolic farm scene made the landscape complete. 

Tags: , ,

Setting the Stage for Glorious Dining

A sunny corner of the de la Renta dining room.
A cache of vintage '80's and '90's House & Garden magazines provided the inspiration for todays post. The stockpile was recently uncovered in our storage area and a review of begone eras has made me long for their return toute de suite! I was amazed when looking at these rooms and the collections many of the owners displayed. The attention to detail and sensitivity in these rooms is really incredible when compared to what passes for stunning design today. An endless array of white rooms with bare windows, a few pieces of rather uncomfortable looking furniture combine to create a look that is more interstate motel than multi million dollar estate. 
If what I just described is your thing than I am not sure you will find much interest in this post. However, if a few people still enjoy comfortable well appointed rooms with style and personality than todays post should come as a welcome respite in a cookie cutter world. 

Opulent pattern and colors for the eye to feast on looking into the dining room. 
The master of haute style Oscar de la Renta was featured in his Connecticut home in the July 1986 issue. The style icon was at home with miles of chintz on the walls and furniture, tables loaded with photographs in silver frames and books. The dining room was no less beautifully thought out as you can see from the above image. The walls were masterfully faux painted by Patrick Boivin with inspiration from the Pavlovsk Palace near Leningrad according to the article written by Carolyn Sollis.
A very American dining porch by Sister Parish in Saratoga NY.
This room is part of a farm house that Sister Parish did upstate in Saratoga, as seen in the July 1991 issue, horse racing capitol of the Northeast. The home was one of many that the owner had, according to the article she almost forgot she owned it. The easy country style dining porch has much charm (a word not often used today) and a collection of antique Majolica decorating the side board and on the table. The arrangement of multi colored zinnias in the Majolica pitcher on the table is a country classic. A rather grand faux painted horse statue stands next to the table recalling the local attraction and the purpose of the farm.
A soft ivory dining room in the Southampton house of Mark and Duane Hampton.
Mark Hampton is an American classic and so is his dining room in the Hamptons. The room has faux painted trompe l'oeil moldings and deep ivory walls according to the Feburary 1988 issue. The table is set with antique blue glass pieces from the collection that his wife Duane collected and masses of garden roses bank the sideboard. The place settings are not particularly fancy but have pitch perfect weekend style down to the slightly crumpled napkins.
A Valentino original on the Island of Capri.
Decorated with airy frescos, the dining room in Italian couturier Valentino's Capri get away is haute style as seen in the June 1991 issue. The table is set with D. Porthault linens, a collection of Neapolitan porcelain and a summer classic red geraniums. Style and ease the ideal summer combination.
A cheerful breakfast table in the Porthault country house near Paris.
Since 1925 the famous French textile family has kept a house outside Paris as a weekend place the May 1991 issue stated. The sideboard laden with an arrangement of flowers stands by the inviting breakfast table set with Porthault lines and china. The day would be off to the right start at this pretty and simple table. It also stated that many of their customers come in twice a year to buy their linens and stay at the Ritz or the Plaza Athenee. I wonder how customers still fly to Paris twice a year to buy their linens?
Tags:

A Fine Setting


The window display of Michael Devine dinnerware at William & Wayne.
"I'd love to put one of your favorite new collections in my Lexington Avenue window," read the message I received from William Meyer. Meyer is partner with Wayne Adler who together created New York's great independent home store William - Wayne & Co. The collections he was referring to were my hand painted Limoges pieces that are created from my fabric designs by Marie Daage in Paris. So off Thomas and I went to our first meeting and less than a month later I am thrilled to report the window is installed on Lexington Avenue as promised.
There is never a shortage of blue and white in the shop.
What makes the store so wonderful is that its variety is more like a curiosity shop than a home goods store. The chock a block space is filled with every item that one could need to finish a decorating project or pick up a last minute hostess gift. Meyer believes, "I want to have something across the board for everyone. Even if it is a five dollar gift. I want to be able to give the customer something that is beautifully wrapped and ready to go."

A best seller. Pig doorstops. 
It's a formula that was clearly working the afternoon I was there working on the window. A steady stream of well heeled customers, many who were greeted like old friends seemed to file through the door and just as often left with a find in a bag on their arm.

Small tables, lamps, brackets, pillows and accessories compete for attention in this corner.
The store started in 1989 downtown in a former antique shop. Meyer is a natural for retail since he grew up in his family's retail business. He also was lucky enough to have parents who took him to auctions as a kid where he developed his eye for design. His passion for tabletop started at home as well, "I always loved to set the dining table as a child," he explained. Today its the corner stone of the business.
The new cereal bowl collection (bottom right) vies for attention in the window. 
My collection fits right in with the assortment of tabletop that the store stocks. I am delighted that they are the first to carry the wonderful new cereal bowls that I added to the collection. They are available in all the current colors and patterns and like the rest of the collection are made to order. William - Wayne & Co. is open from 10:30 to 6:30 Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. 846 Lexington Avenue between 64th & 65th Streets.

The completed window.




Tags:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
© The Devine Life . Design by MangoBlogs.