lighting

We have been in many dinner situations where we’ve found ourselves sitting under a million spotlights or one central bulb. When you are trying to create atmosphere or mood, turn off or turn down all ceiling lighting and illuminate the space with lamps. Strings of festoon lights that interconnect are great to light an outdoor space and can be brought out for any event – we bought ours online and we have used them at every gathering since.

Candles are a really inexpensive way of setting the tone: the rolled beeswax variety creates a warm light and can double up as a table ornament in beautiful candlesticks. We always have a scented candle burning in the room – earthy fragrances like amber and sage in winter and lighter floral notes like orange blossom or geranium in summer. It’s worth investing in a good-quality scented candle: our go-to brand is Diptyque as they last for ages. You only need to burn a candle for a few minutes for the room to smell wonderful all evening.