I sat down with Mathilde Thomas, the founder of Caudalie, last year around this time. Or maybe it was the end of summer. Either way, it was warm.
We were talking about past tablescapes I’d created. For those who don’t already know, I moonlight as an amateur professional table setter for a little venture my childhood friend and I started together called Yu+Mei. Since its inception two years ago, we’ve worked in tandem with partners to create sixteen tablescapes, our most recent one with Dolce Vita featuring a calla lily curtain suspended from the ceiling.
People talk about “the grand scheme of things” and it makes me think of the dinners we’ve thrown. I love the grand scheme of things. It’s very elaborate and fun and lavish. It all comes from a love of food and gathering over the dinner table. Meja - it means ‘table’ in Malay. It’s the heart of what I do. Everything comes back to the table, the meja.
On a more frequent basis, I love to host friends in my home. I love to set my dining room table, even if I just have one or two friends coming over. Hosting doesn’t have to be elaborate, but I take great joy in making things nice. So here’s a little series I’m starting here, where I feature my favourite at-home tablescapes and their accompanying gestures.
When I say ‘gestures’, I quite literally envision a gentle wave of the wrist. My favourite part about hosting is making things seem effortless (I don’t often do this well, in all honesty). That’s when I know I’ve put together something really cohesive.
When Mathilde Thomas and I were talking about hosting, she suggested I write a book on it, to which I replied, “What would I even say?” A lot of what I’d done with events felt implicit and natural, and that’s when I understood that there is an art to making things come off that way. It’s like no-makeup makeup - there’s usually a lot of makeup involved.
So I use the word ‘gesture’ to describe the accoutrements, the components, of an event. One thing to note is that I won’t cover is food, because a) I am not a chef, b) I am not a recipe developer, and c) there are people I will recommend instead that are more apt in this department. But I digress. May the word ‘gesture’ permit a mindset when it comes to hosting your own dinner. It might feel stressful, but it doesn’t have to be.
And without further ado, allow me to introduce my first table, with photos by
:
It might be a bit clearer if we take a bird’s eye view perspective:
THE SETTING
We begin with the base. This tablecloth is actually from H&M home - I picked it up on a trip to Paris earlier this year, and it’s under $100.
The plates here are by Nathalee Paolinelli, a ceramicist based in British Columbia with both Italian and Indigenous roots. Her work is instantly recognizable, with clear influences of the ocean and natural textures. Flotsam and jetsam come to mind when I see her work. These are her oyster plates, and they come in three sizes (pictured here). She recently re-released them in a format such that they are now more durable.
The silverware is by Fable - a very casual counterpart to these elaborate dishes, but hear me out. These come in all sorts of finishings, and the ones I have are matte black. I chose these to pair with the dishes because they accentuate the black trim.
The glassware is Sophie Lou Jacobsen, another popular home objects designer. We purchased these for a Yu+Mei event and now they reside in storage at my apartment, but what I love most about these is that they, when mismatched on a table, resemble a garden. Each glass is emblematic of a different flower, and each is technically meant for different beverages, but who really cares? On this table I have the Angel Flute and the Cosmo Coupes.
FLORALS
I had to check with a florist friend on this one - these are Cymbidium Orchid stems. I love how they look like a cross between lilies and orchids. I love even more that they require little work - they’re statement enough that they are able to stand on their own. My friend suggested looking for stems that don’t necessarily go straight up like a stick (this is how they are usually found). Look for natural curves and bends within the stem.
AMBIANCE
Since the flowers are such a statement on the table, which is small, I opted for tea lights resting in these Nathalee Paolinelli trinket dishes. IKEA has these larger 59mm tea lights that look much more interesting than the regular tea lights.
The music sets the tone for the evening. Perhaps it’s due to this insane heatwave we’re having in Toronto, but I dream of this tablescape on a languid summer night, with bottles of wine around the table and music that makes me feel like I’m somewhere more beautiful. I’ve put together this playlist - if you’re on Spotify and the music runs out, the algorithm should be able to take over and continue into the night.
I’m not one that has a lot of time to put things together, so I rely heavily on wine and sparkling beverages to pair with a meal. To serve, I suggest Veuve Clicquot’s new Rich champagne. I first tried this hesitantly - I was told it was sweet and immediately I thought of ice wine (which I hate). It’s definitely not as sweet as I imagined, but it must be served on ice in order to get the flavour correct.
THE OUTFIT
Here I’m wearing the St. Agni doily dress - nearly sold out in black but available for pre-order in white (with a top version as well). I love this collection for how easy it is, and it’s one piece that is true to size (I wear size small). A note that it is long! I am 5’6 for reference. I think we should normalize dressing up for dinner, even if it’s just at home. If the table is nice, why shouldn’t you dress well, too?
For scent, I am absolutely in love with Chloe Atelier des Fleurs, especially with Cedrus. I thought of pairing something a little more musky and humidity-friendly with this table, but it seems a bit overload with the playlist and a little too on the nose. This is unexpectedly musky for a woody-floral scent, but with a backstory I love: the fragrance was inspired by a bouquet the perfumer’s father gave to his mother. And it smells like a deliciously fancy hotel in Provence or somewhere in the world. Not to mention the gorgeous bottle and fluted glass that make it worthy of display out in the open. Smells like elegance!
i’m so excited about this series!! i would also definitely buy and read your book if it happens
these photos might be one of my fav shoots with you!! oh, I’m also coming over!!