Get a helping hand
A handful of years ago, getting outside help for a gathering at home was the sole preserve of the upper echelons of society. Cut to 2020 and stylishly curated home-entertaining solutions abound. From table-setting rental to entire soirées in kit form, there’s a glut of new brands making it easy to appear like the host with the most, whatever the scale, occasion or budget. Although firmly on the rise pre-pandemic, lockdown was (unsurprisingly) the catalyst for some.
For Natalie Jones, virtual dinners with friends led to the creation of Wanda, a curated concept box which contains recipes by top chefs, as well as playlists and accessories that tie in with the theme. ‘The fun thing about going to a restaurant is experiencing the change of ambience – the tableware, the lighting, the menu, the music. If you could receive a box that included all these things, you’ve got an evening out, in the comfort of your own home,’ she explains. Petersham Nurseries takes this idea to the luxury end
‘HOSTS CAN RELAX AND ENJOY THE OCCASION KNOWING THE HARD WORK HAS BEEN DONE’
of the scale with its new ‘Petersham at Home’ concept. ‘We want to share what we love to do, so the hosts can relax and enjoy the occasion knowing all the hard work has been done for them and every single detail has been thought of,’ notes Ruby Boglione, founder of the bespoke service, which can sort everything from the food to the flowers, transforming intimate dinner parties with Murano glassware, serving staff and all.
Assistance with the tablescape alone is proving just as popular, with brands like Dress For Dinner, Maison Margaux and new rental service Lay London, which deliver party-ready looks in an array of colours and themes to your door. For those wishing to invest in a set to love forever, The Invisible Collection’s ‘Dîner en Ville’ boxes, curated by French stylist Isabelle Moltzer, give the impression of years of accumulating in an instant and include vintage plates and glasses, linens and hand-picked decorative objects (wandabox. co.uk; petershamnurseries.com; dressfordinner.co.uk; maisonmargauxltd.com; laylondon.com; theinvisiblecollection.com).