Some hosts have a knack for turning entertaining into an art form. Just think of the legendary Louis XIV and his opulent parties at the Palace of Versailles. Or, more locally, cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her Gilded Age galas at Mar-a-Lago. Keeping with this legacy of merriment and good taste, we presented five area designers with a festive challenge: create captivating tablescapes inspired by revered hosts, hostesses, or events. The results are sure to elicit revelry of the hautest order.
Photography by: Jerry Rabinowitz
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Photo Credits: Jerry Rabinowitz
Truman Capote | Black & White Ball
In 1966, Truman Capote was in his prime. Hot off the success of his nonfiction tome, In Cold Blood, the author invited 540 of his closest friends to the Plaza Hotel for what would go down in socialite history as the party of the century. Judy Howard Harpel of J/Howard Design Inc. joined forces with Mary Mahoney to bring Capote’s Black and White Ball to life inside Mahoney’s Worth Avenue boutique. Ink drawings by Molly Dimeo form a rich backdrop for a lavish tabletop that evokes the cheeky sophistication of circa-1960s Manhattan. Luxe pieces embrace the austere color story, including a crystal lamp from Baccarat, Sol y Sombra dinnerware by Christian Lacroix, and a martini shaker and glasses from David Redman. Alcohol and cigarettes—Capote’s preferred vices—complete the look. J/Howard Design Inc., Delray Beach (561-274-9354)
Andy Warhol | The Factory
In the 1960s and ’70s, no one dominated the New York art scene like Andy Warhol. His gritty glitterati held court in the city’s hippest restaurants and nightclubs, often relocating the revelry to The Factory, Warhol’s silvery studio. Artist Sean Rush gave his own atelier the Warhol treatment for a nontraditional luncheon with a main course of Campbell’s tomato soup, naturally. After covering the walls with Reynolds Wrap, Rush hung a few of his own paintings and layered the table with dropcloths from Home Depot and a Moroccan horse blanket turned table runner. Simple Apilco soup bowls sit atop bare painters’ palettes, while white roses rest inside soup cans offset by clear Ralph Lauren glasses. Given the point of departure, Rush couldn’t resist adding a few tools of his artistic trade and employing a Grace Jones–esque drag queen for good measure. Sean Rush Atelier, West Palm Beach (561-797-3700)



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