Jane Hodges Entertaining Ideas
Has anyone heard of Jane Hodges? She is the author of the lovely book called Linens: For Every Room and Occasion. It has been on my “book list” on Amazon for quite some time now. I recently saw this article in House Beautiful from Jane. It is a wonderful list of how she entertains in the Big Easy.
1) There’s no wrong time to dine…….
“I wanted guests to come and go at their leisure……. people help themselves to small plates, then scattered to different rooms to enjoy.”
photo credit Paul Costello
2) Maintain a sense of mystery
“The dining room doors were closed when guests arrived, then opened midevening to reveal a beautiful bayou-inspired tableau of driftwood, flowers and food. I admire, composed arrangements of roses, larkspurs, scabiosas, parrot tulips, stock, and lisianthuses in shades of lavender and peach inspired by the iridescent tones in an oyster shell.”
photo credit Paul Costello
3) Great Expectations
“Half the fun of a party is the anticipation! I enlisted an artist to create memorable hand-made invitations and had them hand-delivered, signaling to all that special evening was to come.”
photo credit Paul Costello
4) A party in every room
“We set up stations around the house and garden, like a bourbon bar on my writing desk and a Champagne bar on the console in the upstairs study, to encourage guests to move about and explore.”
photo credit Paul Costello
5) Strike up the band
“Music is a key element in creating an experience. In New Orleans, we treasure our brass bands. To welcome my dear friend Ken Fulk, I invite a trio of jazz musicians to perform on the front balcony as guests arrived…..
photo credit Paul Costello
To read the rest of her tips see the original article here or pick up the October 2017 issue of House Beautiful.
Here is a fun video from Quintessence. It is a home tour of Jane Scott Hodges. Enjoy!
(photos and text via House Beautiful.com)
