Meg Braff: Just Do It
Entertaining is a creative outlet for vivacious interior designer, author, and wallpaper, decor, and fabric designer Meg Braff. “I love it,” she says, “I enjoy collecting beautiful things and putting them to use.”
Braff has ample opportunity as she splits her time between two climates particularly well-suited to outdoor gatherings: West Palm Beach and Locust Valley, New York. This table was designed for a lunch at her Regency-style home on the North Shore of Long Island during the peak of summer. A private corner in Braff’s lush backyard provided the setting.
An antique aficionado, Braff owns a sizable selection of estate-sale items and often puts her favorites to use. For this occasion, she chose a vintage outdoor patio set with a narrow table that seats eight, dressing it with daisy-printed linens she’d purchased from an estate sale on Palm Beach.
Many of her interior and table designs are composed of green (her favorite color) and blue (a close second). The bright, crisp colors tend to work with almost any type and hue of flower. “They have energy in them,” Braff says.
When it comes to the meal itself, Braff is not picky. Sometimes she cooks. Sometimes she orders takeout. Sometimes she has her friends bring over their favorite salad for a simple lunch buffet.
Ultimately, she believes the most important aspect of a party is the act of the party itself. “Just do it,” she says. “Don’t wait for the perfect occasion or day. Once you take the plunge, it is easier the next time.”
Annie Falk: Leave Room for Conversation
Author and philanthropist Annie Falk entertains often, hosting one or two dinner gatherings a week and sometimes a luncheon, too. When designing her tables, she chooses “one inspiration,” such as a piece of art, a new recipe, a flower from the garden, or even a season.
The impetus for the table at this recent dinner party at her home on Palm Beach began with an antique obi. Falk laid the gold-threaded cloth down the center of the table so it could serve as a conversation starter, she notes.
Once one chooses an inspiration, Falk suggests letting everything else support it. “A beautiful table has depth,” she says. “Think in layers.”
She selected woven gold chargers and purple cloth napkins to offset the white china, which “better showcases the composition of exquisite food,” she explains. Low ceramic flowers dotted the obi runner, as did playful frog place-card holders.
Falk believes centerpieces should sit below eye level so that everyone can easily converse and see one another. She also likes to incorporate candles to enhance the atmosphere and encourage lingering. “A beautiful table should invite conversation, not compete with it,” she says.
For Falk, the logistical considerations behind a party are just as important as the aesthetic efforts. The matter is so important to her that she launched an app, Seated, to help others craft the perfect table and seating chart.
“A thoughtfully assigned seat is the greatest gift a hostess can give. Ultimately, a get-together over food is about human connection.”
Elyce Arons: Embrace the Fun
What could be more apropos on a beautiful, sunny day than to partake in a midday meal replete with cheerful Provençal colors? Elyce Arons, co-founder of the lifestyle brand Frances Valentine—known for its handbags, jewelry, apparel, and footwear—perfectly captured the essence of her exuberantly colored fashion label in the fabrics, accessories, and florals she compiled for this tablescape at the vibrant French bistro Le Bilboquet on Palm Beach.
She started with a vivid yellow and white striped tablecloth. Green and blue printed dishware sat atop rattan chargers, while sky-blue linen napkins were neatly folded between two plates. Green goblets, pale pink water glasses, and stylized bamboo cutlery framed the place settings. Royal blue cushions lined the bistro-style chairs.
Running down the center of the table and tucked into multiple pottery and wicker vases were florals in shades of bright red, yellow, and white, all courtesy of Nicole Shaffer of Flower Love Palm Beach. Green grapes, oranges, and snake-like greenery filled the empty spaces.
“Southern women love color and are not afraid of it,” says Arons. “They love to wear it, too.”
Arons offers advice for those who plan to host a luncheon at home. “Use what you already own. Don’t be afraid to mix and match. Throw in some of Grandma’s china. Pull everything together with your linens.” Most importantly, she says, “have fun.”
Arons applies the Frances Valentine mantra regarding what women should wear to how they might decorate a table: whatever makes you happy.
