Laura’s Grapefruit Mojitos

Laura shares her famous recipe using her home-grown grapefruits.

Serves 1 INGREDIENTS:

1 lime sliced into 4 wedges 1 teaspoon sugar

12–15 mint leaves 3 Tablespoons grapefruit juice 2 Tablespoons rum

Club soda

DIRECTIONS:

1. Muddle together the lime, sugar and mint.

2. Add grapefruit juice and rum; then stir. 3. Top with ice and club soda.

SETTING THE SCENE

In styling the table décor, Claudia wanted to create a casual, cozy and fun look with lots of garden-like elements. She found many of those elements in the homeowners’ own backyard. “Using nature was important and also the perfect choice for this tablescape,” she says. “Since it’s surrounded by the garden, I wanted to use elements that picked up the different shades of green in the garden.”

She designed the tablescape with a “Celebrate Summer” theme. “I wanted to incorporate Laura’s beautiful floral dishes as the starting point in setting the table,” she says. “The table really started to come together when the floral dishes were paired with Laura’s twig placemats. Laura and I found the vintage green glassware at a flea market; they add just the right amount of sparkle to the table. The white linen tablecloth was left unpressed for a relaxed, casual feel.”

Claudia continued the relaxed vibe in the center of the table. “My inspiration was to make [the centerpiece] look like a flower crown worn during midsummer celebrations that ring in the summer solstice. I started with a scattering of eucalyptus and selected a variety of mums and dahlias that reflect the color and form of the flowers on the dishes. I trimmed off the flower heads and grouped them on the eucalyptus branches for a casual look.”

COLOR YOUR WORLD

Color played a pivotal role in the design. “We took cues from the floral china and the garden greenery,” Claudia says. “When I saw the floral plates, I knew we had to use purple-pink and orange-red mums to pick up the colors in the china. I used crisp white napkins tied with twine and placed a single blossom on top to highlight the similar colors in the china.”

Vintage iron and glass candleholders added height and drama to the center of the table. Claudia layered a variety of textures to create a natural ambience. “Linen, twigs, colored glass and summer flowers layered together nicely for a unique look,” she says.

Mixing different patterns added an element of surprise as well as balance. “Laura and I fell in love with the juxtaposition of the dainty china and the whimsical twig placemats,” Claudia says.

Lighting also played a major role in creating the dining ambience. “Festive party lights are festooned over the table, and candlelight softens the look after sunset,” Claudia explains.

The tablescape was a hit with the designer and the homeowners. “I love how we were able to create a lovely summer-garden table using flea-market finds and some of Laura’s favorite tableware,” Claudia says. “It’s cozy and casual, yet has a bit of a whimsical look to it. Laura and Dennis were happy with how it all came together by incorporating plates, napkins and glasses they already had for a totally new look.”

|TOP LEFT| NATURE HELPING NATURE. A monarch butterfly helps to pollinate all the lovely fruits and vegetables in the garden. |ABOVE LEFT| SUPER SAGE. White sage attracts beneficial insects like bees and butterflies to the garden to help pollinate everything. |TOP RIGHT| PRETTY POTTING TABLE. This marble-topped cabinet caught Laura’s eye when thrifting because of the sweet tile backsplash that goes with her Midcentury Modern style. She had planned to refurbish it for inside the house, but as she was fixing it up outside, she loved how it looked surrounded by nature, so she set it up as a potting table and uses it to replant herbs and succulents into handmade ceramic pots that she creates.

GREEN GOBLETS. The vintage green glassware adds the final touch of color and shimmer to the table. These vibrant Indiana glass goblets were found at a flea market. Party lights and candlelight take the party from afternoon into evening. |OPPOSITE| CREATIVE CENTERPIECE. For the center of the table, Claudia started with a scattering of eucalyptus and a variety of mums and dahlias that reflect the color and form of the flowers on the china. “I trimmed off the flower heads and grouped them on the eucalyptus branches,” she says.