Party in the Dark

Are you ready for a lawn party? Yes? Well, I'm afraid that we're going to have to hold our horses because it will be some time for most of us can take the party outside. But, there's no reason that we can't start making plans. While trolling through old House & Gardens this weekend in search of party ideas, I found this August 1966 article about a nighttime garden party- a Party in the Dark. The June party took place on a Long Island lawn, one which measured only 150 feet end to end.

Elegantly attired guests arrived at dusk to find cocktails and empanadas waiting for them at a small bar on the lawn. After a few drinks, a little chitchat, and a game of black-tie croquet, guests proceeded to a buffet of chicken adobo, green salad, rolls, and fresh fruit dessert. And what might be the best part is that after dinner, everyone took pierced tin lanterns that had been placed around the dining tables and walked to a wooded area in which a dance floor had been laid. Now, how fun does that sound?

I love this idea because first, I prefer an evening event to a daytime party- if only because it's much easier to relax and cut loose after a long day. Daytime parties can, at times, seem a little stiff. And, nighttime lighting can lend a real sense of drama to a party. Of course, other things can add to the drama of a party, but perhaps we ought not to go there.

The buffet table was covered in a black and white striped fabric, while dining tables were outfitted in black and white polka dot cloths. Tin lanterns were hung on stakes around the periphery of the dining area.



Individual tins kept the dessert cool and bug free.



Tin lanterns filled with candles and carnations were used as table centerpieces.



Love the bottle of Bertolli Chianti. Note too that each table was accented by a different color- orange, yellow, or blue.



Guests enjoying conversation and chicken adobo.



The procession from dinner to dancing. Each guest carried a lantern in order to light the way to the dance floor.



Dancing in the dark until dawn.

All images from House & Garden, August 1966.

Come Join The Party!

I cordially invite all Peak of Chic readers to join me for a party I'm hosting at the Tory Burch store (Phipps Plaza, Atlanta) on Wednesday, March 3 from 6 to 8 o'clock. It will be a fun evening of socializing, shopping, and sipping libations. I'd love to see those of you who I already know and look forward to making new acquaintances too. I believe that some of my fellow Atlanta bloggers will be joining me. Hope to see you there!

If you do plan to attend (and I hope you will!), kindly RSVP to the email address listed on the invitation. Guests will receive a 20% discount on full-priced merchandise.

Creating A Little Drama Down at the Party Barn

I wonder if I was an actress in another life because I sure like dramatic interiors. I don't have the guts to go completely overboard in my own home- you know, it's that burden of Southern propriety or something. So I always thought that if I had some type of party barn, I would go the theatrical route and give it the old Oliver Messel touch. (For those of you who aren't familiar with Messel, he was a socially prominent British artist who was one of the leading set designers of the twentieth century. And if you're interested, his nephew is Lord Snowdon.)

To furnish my little fantasy barn, I would choose pieces that have presence. Now, each of the pieces below would look great on its own. I wouldn't necessarily mix them all together. After all, you only need one diva in the room! That said, this is for fun so let's throw caution to the wind.

I also think I would keep my color palette limited to black and white with just a few accents of color. Why? Perhaps it's because I have a fondness for old black and white movies. And when you pit deep, dark black against pure, creamy white, well, it's like good vs. evil, and is there anything more dramatic than that?


(Image at top: George Carter's party barn is perfection- at least to me.)

Possible Furnishings for the Party Barn:


White Webb's Intaglio Console Table


White Webb's Intaglio Chandelier


Wall Sconce Shell by Nymphenburg


Maitland Smith Black and White Obelisks. I would use them for table decorations.


Handpainted Screen by Gracie


Chrome fireplace mantle


Polychrome painted over-mantle mirror. Not really part of my party barn design scheme. I'm only showing this because it caught my eye and it's fabulous!

Painter of Interiors: Alexandre Serebriakoff

In last week's "What's in Their Library" feature, Todd Romano named two books which feature the charming illustrations of Alexandre Serebriakoff, a Russian born artist who painted interior scenes for the likes of Charles de Beistegui and Baron de Redé.

One of the books Todd mentioned,Alexis: The Memoirs of the Baron de Rede, is one that I'm fortunate enough to own. The book is an autobiographical account of the Baron's life amongst the glittering world of European high society. While the book is most definitely an interesting read, the most memorable part of it is the inclusion of Serebriakoff's work. de Redé commissioned Serebriakoff to render paintings of the interiors of the Hôtel Lambert- the Baron's refined and elegant hotel particulier. In my opinion, Serebriakoff's paintings give the rooms a warmth and charm that is lacking in actual photographs of the interiors. Not that de Redé's home wasn't beautiful- it was; in fact, it was exquisite. It was just a bit too cold and grand for me.

Fortunately, de Redé also commissioned Serebriakoff to immortalize scenes from his Bal Oriental. The costume party, which de Redé says was one of the most legendary parties of the twentieth century, was an Eastern fantasy. Serebriakoff captured the colorful event with paintings of elephants, Nubians, and Chinese umbrellas. It certainly must have been some party!


Salles des Muses, Hôtel Lambert


The Drawing Room at the Hôtel Lambert


The Library, Hôtel Lambert




Serebriakoff's paintings of Le Bal Oriental, 1969.

Image at top: Serebriakoff's portrait of Alexis, Baron de Redé, dressed for his Oriental Ball.

For Those of You Planning a Spring Event...

I know many of you are in the throes of planning Spring parties and charity events, and believe me, I know that it can be daunting to decide on a scheme for an event. Sometimes all it takes is a spark... which is why I thought I would show some images from last week's New York City Ballet Spring Gala which was designed by none other than Charlotte Moss in collaboration with the talented DeJuan Stroud. (Moss and her husband Barry S. Friedberg were also Chairmen on the event.)

The event kicked off the Ballet's Jerome Robbins Celebration, so naturally the evening's program included such Robbins' works as Circus Polka, The Four Seasons, and of course West Side Story Suite. It was the graphic backdrop of this last piece that inspired the design duo's scheme for the event: yellow and black. I think this was an interesting choice because this color combination is graphic and gutsy and is not usually seen in Moss' residential work. But this is where Moss and Stroud were absolutely correct- when planning an event, sometimes you've got to think big and bold. What might work in a small room at home might fall flat in a large space, especially one like Lincoln Center.

Stroud and Moss, seen above attending to pre-gala details, kept things interesting by mixing up the table settings. Some tables had yellow cloths and small arrangements of yellow roses and protea, while others were all about black- black tablecloths, big black vases, and tall branches of forsythia.








Mixing up the table settings keeps things interesting.

Of course, the table settings are not the only things that need to be considered. What to do with the general atmosphere of the space? Are there architectural details that can be incorporated into your design scheme? Are there large voids that need to be attended to? In a place like Lincoln Center, it was important to make sure guests did not feel overwhelmed by the vastness of the space. I think they managed the space issue quite successfully, both with the tall masses of yellow flowering branches and with the yellow sculptural pieces hanging from the ceiling. And how great does the yellow and black striped banner look behind the Nadelman sculpture?


Bringing a large space down to size


It's all about the details

I hope that these tips might help you in planning your next event. With a little creativity, forethought, and careful planning, not only will your party be a success, but you too will be cool as a cucumber the night of the event. Just like Charlotte Moss.


Moss making her entrance at the Gala.

(For more information on the New York City Ballet, click here.)

(Image of Moss at top courtesy of Erin Baiano/Paul Kolnik studio. Decor shots and image of Moss at bottom: Mary Hilliard.)