Instagram star Mrs. Alice knows how to make holiday tables the tops
“Mrs. Alice saved me last year,” says Allison Chavez upon entering the River Oaks home of Illa Gaunt.
Chavez, co-owner of Sweet Paris Crêperie & Cafe, placed a rush order for one of Alice Naylor-Leyland’s tablescapesin-a-box to elevate a holiday gathering in 2021. Which is exactly what Naylor-Leyland envisioned when she launched her housewares brand, Mrs. Alice, just two years prior.
The idea to start a table decor company wasn’t exactly in her career plans. Born in Switzerland and raised in London, she studied fashion and worked for Aerin, French Sole and Vogue magazine. The art of hosting and whimsical entertaining came naturally. NaylorLeyland credits her mother, Serena Fresson, with questioning whether the “tablescapes” concept had crossed the pond.
Now, they’re in business together. Mrs. Alice counts nearly 190,000 followers on Instagram (@mrsalice); Fresson, the brand’s director of design has another 31,000 (@serena_fresson).
“My mother was laying tables my whole childhood,” NaylorLeyland says. “Our tablescapesin-a-box help you lay that table effortlessly without too much thought.”
In early November, she and her husband, Thomas, embarked on a three-city U.S. tour, bringing the most recent Mrs. Alice collections to Palm Beach, Fla., Dallas and Houston just in time for Thanksgiving.
Gaunt and Natalie Steen co-hosted an intimate lunch catered by KB Table for the couple ahead of their pop-up shop opening at the Avenue, 3209 Westheimer.
The hostesses and sisters-inlaw arranged two long tables in Gaunt’s dining room the Mrs. Alice way — with lots of mixing, matching and layers.
“The best thing you can do is use a tablecloth as your base and add from there,” NaylorLeyland says.
One of Gaunt’s favorite things about Mrs. Alice linens is their length. Set for a table of eight, the tablecloths just skim the floor.
She and Steen paired an Ikat tablecloth (from $72) with a Woodland Moss Decoration Set ($178), which contains decorative squirrels, velvet mushrooms, wooden pumpkins, candles with coordinating candle-holders, moss and a footed bowl.
On an olive pheasant tablecloth (from $72,) they added a gold glitter nutcracker trio ($48), swan family ($74), olive green flocked reindeer (set of three for $22) and mini pagoda lanterns (pair for $72). To personalize each scheme, Gaunt blended her own china plates and silver chalices from interior designer CeCe Barfield Thompson, who also decorated Gaunt’s home.
Like Naylor-Leyland, Gaunt doesn’t take hosting too seriously. Both women embrace the unexpected and humor of having friends or family in one’s home. Fresson used to decant ketchup for guests. Gaunt prefers to serve caviar — with potato chips — inside a Murano glass swan.
Their favorite rules for entertaining? There are no rules. And don’t be afraid to use the good stuff.
“People tend to not pull out their best silver and china,” Gaunt says. “I think it should come out all the time, but definitely during the holidays.”
Steen likes to add something “a little naughty” when she’s hosting. One year, she handed out a single cigarette and mint in goodie bags. Place cards with a family nickname or inside joke make seating fun, she suggests.
“Details set the tone,” Steen says.
As a digital creator, her “The Nat Note” weekly newsletter delivers festive, ready-to-shop styles for women, children and home to some 50,000 followers.
She and Gaunt, an art adviser and collection manger, agree that mood music and lighting play an essential role. They warn against sober Thanksgiving, paper plates and canceling plans at the last minute for seated gatherings.
“A hostess should account for it,” Steen says. “But you also don’t want anyone to feel like a last-minute invite to fill that seat.”
Bad news for millennials — the generational trait to flake on plans may lead to being crossed off some hosts’ lists.
How many times can a guest cancel and remain in good graces? “Two strikes and you’re out,” Gaunt says with a laugh.
All the more reason to bring a thoughtful hostess gift this holiday season. And Mrs. Alice can help with that.