The Art of Entertaining

As Autumn begins and daylight recedes, our minds are often drawn inside towards the heart of the home. Visions of sipping a cocktail in the warmth of an elegant living room or eating a sumptuous feast around an opulent dining table are distractions from the end of summer days. Often September is the time that homeowners begin to think about the pinnacle of indoor entertaining – the festive season, and the ways in which they can make improvements and adjustments to their entertainment spaces over the next 3 months, to create the optimal atmosphere.

Dedicated dining rooms have been undergoing a revival in recent years. Once considered redundant spaces, there has been a recent resurgence of creating a very special separate space, specifically used for entertaining. Synonymous with special occasions, it’s an opportunity to introduce bold colours, materials and showstopping pieces of furniture that will delight and thrill your guests. Simultaneously there has been an exponential growth in the number of dedicated commercial cocktail bars.

Traditional pubs no longer carry the prestige and popularity that they once did, with consumers opting for a rather more indulgent and glamorous experience where they can savour an elegantly mixed martini or an innovatively flavoured G&T. The refinement of the cocktail hour has subsequently found its way into luxury residences, with homeowners seeking statement cabinets and sideboards in which to house barware and exquisite crystal.

No piece better encapsulates that vision than the stunning Symphony cabinet. Inspired by music, from the natural flow of sound to its various epochs and styles, the Symphony re-interprets key design elements found in church organs and brass instruments to stir emotion. Open the sleek gold-plated brass doors to reveal an exquisite interior lovingly crafted from rosewood with two sets of shelves and a set of rosewood and gold leaf drawers, perfect for housing a significant cocktail collection.

If you’re seeking to replicate the intimate elegance of cocktail hour conversation then a group of well-placed counter or bar stools is key. The Mailu is a modern reinterpretation of a classic mid-century bar stool. Handcrafted by Portuguese artisans in American walnut and upholstered in sumptuous velvet, brass bars and tips provide the finishing touches to this exceptional piece.

The Julius bar stool takes the glitz and glamour of art deco entertaining into a more informal setting. Shown upholstered in leather and featuring a curved polished brass frame making this furniture range so unique, this bar stool sets a very special scene for socialising

Combining high levels of comfort and style, Apollo bar stool appeals because of its iron structure blended with the finest siége velvet. Available in bar stool height and counter stool height.

For those who are fortunate enough to have a treasured full piece dining set, then a sturdy sideboard is critical to house the pieces, whilst also providing a focal point for display within either a dual-purpose living space or a dedicated dining room. The Tenor sideboard is magnanimous in its appearance with smooth and elegant lines, lending an attractive presence as well as generous storage space. Gold plated asymmetric bars contrast against a lacquered finish, available in a range of finishes to complement any number of colour palettes or schemes.

The dining table centres any entertaining space and with the appropriate scale, grounds the largest of rooms. Striking materials and lavish details have the power to evoke a truly grandiose atmosphere – the perfect backdrop to the ultimate dinner party. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the hand-worked design of the Beyond dining table. Polished brass and black lacquer combine perfectly to create a luxurious statement with both warmth and depth.

The Navery dining table is perfect in a formal or informal setting. Handcrafted in American walnut with a beautiful stardust tabletop design, this mid-century modern inspired dining table with brass details will be a striking focal point for your dining space.

Whilst the table might be the star of the room, dining chairs are the sculptural accessories that can make a space sing. Rich upholstery and bold colour can work extremely well in a dining space, particularly when it’s being used primarily used in the evening for entertaining. Comfort and balance are also key to any chair design – a dining space only comes alive through the people that populate it and it’s key that they are comfortable.

The Naj is a strong and contemporary chair, with self-assured lines and plush upholstery that lends its design to a broad range of rich fabrics. It’s just as well placed in an elegant dining room as it is in a commercial hotel or restaurant setting.

Charla dining chair is a splendid object of boundless elegance.  This marvellous design is the perfect example of timeless lines with a modern twist, by using a complexity of luxurious materials, such as velvet, brass and lacquered wood.

Wormley dining chair pays a tribute to American design from the 50s and the modernist movement of that period. It is built-in satin sycamore wood with polished brass details, caned backrest and fabric seat. A modern chair that offers lightness and elegance in its lines.

If you’re looking for ideas, then head to our website or contact our team.  We would love to hear from you.