You may be familiar with the relaxed, yet elegant aesthetic of the clothing Juliette Hogan designs, but what you may not know, is that she’s also well versed in the art of the dinner party. We sit down with Juliette to find out how how she’ll be entertaining this summer.
I love entertaining, cooking beautiful food and creating inviting settings – but I don’t like formality. The atmosphere has to be relaxed, but I think the table setting, music and lighting can all be used to create a luxe look.
I’m into super minimal settings. I think a luxe black linen tablecloth and napkins offset with an amazing floral centrepiece is a striking combination. And the added beauty of having the flowers strung from the ceiling is that you can keep the whole table free for food. They also provide a really nice low faux ceiling to make the setting more intimate. I love the Tom Dixon candelabra too, which adds a bit of drama and structure to the table.
Food-wise, I like to do an ‘elevated barbecue’ – you can’t beat a beautiful piece of meat with a handmade rub. It has to be cooked over a charcoal barbecue though – it’s just not the same when cooked over gas. That, and a beautiful set of plates can take it from boring backyard food up to the next level. I also like to create a cosy atmosphere when entertaining. That’s pretty much the reason behind our cashmere blankets; having something that you can wrap yourself in to keep warm, but still look stylish.
GET THE LOOK Tio chairs, $844 each, simonjamesdesign.com. Bespoke hanging floral arrangement, made to order, markantonia.com. Spin candelabra by Tom Dixon, $1295; Merchant Archive footed bowl, $180; Merchant Archive footed platter, $180; Menu grinder set, $148; Menu wine breather, $208, simonjamesdesign.com. Black ceramic side plates, $24 each; dinner plates, $31 each, fatherrabbit.com. Cashmere blanket, $649, juliettehogan.com. Candles, linen tablecloth and napkins, Juliette’s own.
Photography Duncan Innes
