Hot Design Ideas for Entertaining
Published May 14, 2014
Every so often I like to venture out into the marketplace to see what’s new and trendy on retail shelves in terms of entertaining ideas for both inside and outside on the patio.
It’s easy to be stylish on a budget. Wow your guests this summer with chic table place settings and colourful hand-dipped candles. Always ask your sales representative for smart styling tricks to create table vignettes that are remarkably fashionable.
This season there have been a few items that caught my eye and are definitely worth sharing. Next time you find yourself in Caulfeild Village in West Vancouver, check out the Pharmasave for these great items. Display your menu for the evening with the Kitchen Papers pad of placemats. These place setting patterned papers are really fun and will add a splash of panache to any table. Pad of 50 for $22.95.
Also look for the Kitchen Papers guest napkins in white with a beautiful cutlery pattern for $13.95.
For a little whimsical touch to your table display, check out their miniature picnic tables, complete with two benches for $26.95 each. Complete your miniature picnic vignette with complementary decorative items. And to hold that tablecloth down in unwelcome windy weather, try miniature white bird tablecloth weights in a set of four for $16.95.
Country Furniture on Marine Drive in North Vancouver also always carries wonderful indoor and outdoor accessories. A favorite of mine is the always-useful Flora Side Table. This incredibly versatile table is wonderful to fit in those difficult spaces where you require something for your guests to place their beverage on. Measuring only 12-inches round and 24-inches high, it can be used in a foyer for a fresh summer flower arrangement or perhaps as a mobile table for parties to place in a spot for a temporary period of time. The top of the table is made of marble and is available in black, white and green. There are a few in stock at the store but it’s best to allow two weeks for ordering and cost $125 each.
Lastly, At Home on Marine Drive in West Vancouver carries what I feel are the most exquisite handdipped candles you will find. Produced in Denmark, ester & erik’s 41.9 centimetre candles are the result of a very time-consuming process in which each individual cotton wick is dipped in liquid paraffin until it has the required thickness. Smokeless and dripless with a 12-hour burn, the candles are shipped and displayed in the store in unique shipping crates where each candle is snipped from its holder and wrapped especially for you. The colours are just as unique as the candles themselves.
A real treat for yourself or someone special, they cost $7.95 each.
Barb Lunter is a freelance writer with a passion for home decor, entertaining and floral design. barb@lunter.ca lunter.ca