Last weekend I did a "Christmas in July" event at the fabulous Ascent Apartments in San Jose. It was such a fantastic evening with a great crowd and some really nice staff! The property was gorgeous with this very relaxed, airy vibe to it. We did the event in the lounge that had these big, beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows that we threw open, to let the outside, inside. It was amazzzing.
I wanted to put together something special for the event and decided to go with a bold summer table setting. When you think BOLD, you think Eddie Ross :) You think color and mixing elements. I decided to go with blue & white (of course!), with pops of magenta. And I had some print on print action in there too - stepping outta my comfort zone, but why not?!
Something else I wanted to do was mix traditional and modern elements. Gold-rimmed hurricanes & scalloped salad plates (which I'm thoroughly obsessed with by the way), mixed with dotted dinner plates and ikat print napkins.
Here's the reveal!
Scalloped salad plates - from Crate & Barrel, and I saw yesterday Target's brought em back too,
Pacific dotted dinner plates - I used these Royal Doulton ones (I got 'em at a discount!), a similar style available at Target
Gold flatware - love this set from CB2 and this one at West Elm (well-priced). I went with these.
Next, the napkins. I was thinking of keeping them solid since the tablecloth's printed (Ralph Lauren blue & white). But these ikat napkins at World Market instantly caught my eye and they turned out to be the right choice! I alternated solids & prints to balance it out.
Here's a super easy trick to jazz up your napkins! If they're looking a bit flat lying on the plate, have a little fun with 'em & fan 'em out - here's a video ! It really adds to the overall effect of the setting and it's a treat for guests.
Hands down my favorite find of the week were the hurricanes! I love them so much. They bring a traditional-meets-modern feel to the setting and some height to the table!
Finally, I added on these pineapple salt & pepper shakers as accents. A lot of people asked me about them!! They're adorable. One lucky lady got to take 'em home! :P
I had a blast talking to the residents! Folks telling me about their own spaces, and I was asked questions around decorating rentals / apartments that I'll share in future posts. Things like what's a good alternative to a coffee table? where do I find nice curtains? what should we save on and what should we invest in when decorating our place? I loved all of them & I'll sharing answers in future posts - stay tuned! They were a very engaged community & I was glad for it!
And finally,
There was a nook next to my area where I put a simple scheme together. Black-n-white with dusty pink. Great for a teenage girl's bedroom or maybe even a funky feminine living room. You can mix stripes with texture. Everything's from Target - zebra print ottoman , faux fur pillow , monogrammed mug
By the end of the night I was totally ready to kick up my feet and hang out in one of those fabulous poolside pods they had on the property! :) :)
Overall it was an absolute BLAST. Thanks so much for having me Ascent! And I can't wait for the one we're doing in November!
