Last Course
Dinosaur Designs’ Louise Olsen shares her entertaining style.
SWEET OR SAVOURY I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I prefer a cheese board with muscat grapes and seeded crackers.
FAVOURITE DIGESTIFS Peppermint tea or a herbal liqueur such as Fernet-Branca, the Italian amaro with a menthol flavour. Or even a glass of Billecart-Salmon, a biodynamic Champagne.
VIVID VESSELS We have a collection of Marc Newson for Iittala water glasses, and we always use our Stephen Ormandy for Dinosaur Designs pitcher (Ormandy is Olsen’s husband and business partner). For tea, I have some white porcelain tea cups I found in Japan.
CUTTING EDGE We love Arne Jacobsen’s matt steel cutlery designed for Georg Jensen. The pieces are simple and timeless. Another vintage designer I’m drawn to is Tapio Wirkkala, for his glasses that resemble ice.
TABLE TOP We usually have multiple resin and glass vases on the table that we designed over many years. I would add flowers from Grandiflora in Sydney, and beeswax candles from Queen B for their delicate scent.
COLOUR PLAY I love working with colour. To me, it’s like music for the eyes. For spring, I’m drawn to neutral bases with coral, green and white. A blue and yellow combination can look beautiful, too.
GO-TO DESSERT In summer, I make fruit salads with mint or a touch of rosewater, as well as sorbet.
DRESSING UP I tend to wear pieces from my own LO jewellery line – organic forms in gold and silver.
GUILTY PLEASURE Dr Superfoods Cherry Bombs in dark chocolate are incredibly moreish.