Entertaining by Design
A Guide to Creating Meaningful Gatherings
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- $26.99
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- $26.99
Publisher Description
Discover the art of effortless entertaining with 17 seasonal gatherings made simple, stylish, and soulful, complete with 18 recipes and fabulous decor tips.
“Lorna brings style and joy to everything she does, whether designing a room or setting the table. Now, we can delight in her magical world!” —Steele Marcoux, Editor-in-Chief Veranda Magazine
"In this breezy debut, interior designer Gross shares ideas on how to host sophisticated events for a variety of occasions. . . This will spark hosts’ imaginations." —Publishers Weekly
From interior designer and style maven Lorna Gross, Entertaining by Design is a collection of accessible gatherings, organized by season, from a small dinner to post-Christmas breakfast celebration. Each gathering is designed to be instructional, inspirational, and doable for anyone by using tableware and decorations you may already have along with carefully chosen decorative items like place cards or serving platters that can cost as little or as much as your budget allows.
Each gathering includes suggestions for the best way to invite your guests—sometimes, that's just a well-thought-out email—types of tableware, music suggestions to set the mood, and a color scheme to tie everything together. Lorna has shared a few of her favorite recipes that are satisfying, delicious, and certain to get the party started.
In a world where we're constantly busy, it's easy to think there is no time to plan a party, but Lorna proves that with her simple instructions, streamlined tips, and a little planning, any of these gatherings can be accomplished. Whether you believe you don't know how to create a gathering or you just think you don't have the time, gorgeous photos throughout the book encourage readers by showing how easy it can all be.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this breezy debut, interior designer Gross shares ideas on how to host sophisticated events for a variety of occasions. Holiday meals fall on the more formal end of the spectrum, with Gross suggesting readers could decorate the dining table with small gift-wrapped boxes and use gold place mats to complement a green and "berry red" color scheme for Christmas dinner. Gross also includes suggestions for less formal events, contending that "decorative paper plates are fine" for a backyard barbecue and that homemade chili or meatballs can elevate a game day party. Music recommendations are provided for each of the 16 events. For instance, Gross advises playing Mary J. Blige and Motown hits at the spring buffet dinner, and suggests that an acoustic guitarist would bring the "chic cocktail party" to life. Gross also features recipes, describing how to make pan-fried haddock for a "moody formal dinner" and mixed berry crumble for a "lush garden luncheon." Some of the suggestions are no-brainers (she recommends hiring caterers for the cocktail party and asking friends to help with setup), but Gross provides some useful rules of thumb, as when she outlines what tableware to include depending on the formality of the event. This will spark hosts' imaginations.
