Edible Vancouver Island November/December 2023

EDIBLE DESIGN

Setting the scene for a joyous holiday get-together hosting the holidays

WORDS JESSICA MCKEIL PHOTOS D.L. ACKEN

For most dinner parties throughout the year, good food and great friends are often enough to declare a get-together a suc cess. But when the holiday season arrives, many hosts want to make their home extra special for guests–and that means going the extra mile to create an inviting and cohesive entertainment space. So, how do you set a scene that encourages joyous moments between loved ones? We asked experts Aurelia Louvet, an award-winning food stylist and cookbook author, and Paul Cham bers, owner of Davidson Chambers in Sidney, how to make a holiday party one for the scrapbook, and we discov ered that you don't need to splurge on a new set of holiday dinnerware or a colour-coordinated designer tree. Little touches in planning, prep and decor are all you need to create a cozy holiday atmosphere.

THE FOUR PILLARS OF HOLIDAY AMBIANCE Whether it’s just a few friends for cocktails or a full-on family turkey dinner, there are four guiding principles behind creating a welcoming setting for your holiday get-together. Declutter One of Louvet’s most brilliant tips for creating a serene holiday home actually happens before any decorating begins: decluttering. She says, "Clearing your space, especially if it’s a small space, taking away the excess, is welcoming when you walk in." This is where tiny steps make a great impression: remove the stack of paperwork, loose

change and keys from the front entry table; hide your extra boots and umbrella; and tuck the butter dish into a cupboard until mealtime. Making space in your home

helps reduce the visual noise for visitors, which allows them to bet ter absorb that festive feeling. Bonus perk: it also gives you more room for intentional holiday decor. Now you can replace those spare jackets with a holly-berry wreath.

Choose a tone Whether you ’ re a holiday maximalist or a minimalist, the first step in decorating is selecting your tone. Don ’ t feel pressured to commit to the traditional red and green or gold and silver. If you want to go wild working Pantone ’ s colour of the year, Viva Magenta, into the mix, that’s okay. Or you could try a more natural look by using neutrals with hints of nutmeg and frost. What matters is your commitment to your theme. Again, great holiday parties aren’t about blowing your budget on all new ornaments and china. Davidson's advice is to work with a set of basic white dinnerware. He adds, "I'm very much an advocate for white dinnerware, because you can use that year round." With a neutral foundation, adding a pop of colour or a warm tone to pull the space together is easy as holiday pie. Add warm lighting When asked about setting the holiday scene, the first thing that came to Louvet’s mind was lighting. In most spaces, bright overhead lights can feel harsh and intrusive, so consider decorative style lights which tend to feel warmer instead. Room-to-room candles are a stunning way

22 NOV/DEC 2023 EDIBLE VANCOUVER ISLAND