Tag: weston farms

A Magical Tabletop for the 2017 Atlanta Food and Wine Festival

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This past June, Steve had the opportunity to style a private dinner for 70 as part of the 2017 Atlanta Food and Wine Festival.

The theme of the dinner, “Dining by Personality,” was conceived by the talented Jason Tesauro of Modern Gentleman, also our host for the evening.

Also making the evening supremely memorable were four incredibly talented chefs – Asha Gomez of Spice to Table Cardamon Hill and Third Space, Kevin Ouzts of The Spotted Trotter and The Cockentrice, Kevin Ashworth of 610 Magnolia and Milkwood in Louisville, and Kelly Fields of Willa Jean in NOLA.

The dinner concept was loosely based on the Myers Briggs personality test, and each guest actually took at test at the beginning of the meal, which determined what they were served for each course, as well as what it was served on.

When Steve first encountered the concept of the dinner, it reminded him of the Rorschach (ink blot) Test – that’s where his styling began. He set about painting 70 individual paintings for the guests, using his ink drawings. Here is Steve’s Styleguide for the dinner, designed by Dena Verdesca and Erin Weston:

Steve was lucky enough to partner with Mayesh Wholesale, who provided the floral for the evening, along with Erin Weston of Weston Farms to provide the greenery – the beautiful plaster vases are from Accent Decor.

The natural, country feel brought to the tables is much thank to these cases, along with some of Steve’s favorite florals from the night, lilacs, peonies and budding magnolias.

The base of the tablescape was Steve’s gingham fabric, translated into a custom black version, adding another layer of comfort to the decor for the evening.

Perched at each place setting was a black napkin folded to showcase the menu, and then sitting atop this was the painting done for each guest. This really created an elegant atmosphere for the evening.

This truly translated into a magical evening – it was a dream come true to be partnered with so many talented friends and partners. Absolutely inspiring!

Click here to view the complete Atlanta Food and Wine Styleguide and enjoy tablescapes from other dinners by Erin Weston, Dena Verdesca, Natalie Reddell, Windy O’Conner and Mary Catherine Folmar. Such fantastic company to be in!

 

It was such a treat to be able to style a tablescape for the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival and we feel so fortunate to have been able to enjoy it with so many friends and colleagues!!

*All photos by Bertrand Ducuing

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Tabletop Tuesday – Mikado Modern

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Have we got a tabletop for you on the second installation of our Tabletop Tuesday series! The colors, textures and patterns all blend to create an absolutely delectable setting, which will be ideal for any springtime gatherings from Easter and beyond. Today, we’re pleased to share our “Mikado Modern” tablescape with you..

For this tablescape, we turned to what has become a favorite collection of ours, initially introduced a few years ago by Royal Crown Derby, the Mikado collection. Mikado is an updated, contemporary take on a traditional pattern, first introduce in 1894. The individual pieces tell the story of the beloved opera, The Mikado. Respecting its past, yet appropriate for today’s modern lifestyle, is what we love about this pattern. The bright colors solicit feelings of fresh blooms, crisp spring air and bright sunny walks.

For this tablescape’s floral element, we were able to partner again with Erin Weston of Weston Farms. The timing could not be more perfect for us to incorporate the Japanese magnolia blooms, forsythia and redbuds, all combined with Weston Farms’ fantastic magnolias.

Our antique, French table provided a perfect backdrop for our table setting once again.

A lovely Le Jacard Francais runner was the base of our setting.

The RCD Mikado, in a lavender colorway is the base of our place setting.

We then layered the settiing with a turquoise salad plate and a lime bread and butter plate.

This cutlery is what we have at home and, to us, the ivory evokes the feel of a bygone era.

Clear, stemless glasses for the wine and water were chosen, so as not to compete with all the color we already have going on in our tablescape.

For the main centerpiece, Erin put the RCB Mikado canister in blue to use as a vase. It was then coupled with some blue and white ware with a variety of spring blooms

We even incorporated this beautiful crystal votive, in Green Calcite, by Tish Mills of Harmonious Living  and paired it with only the Stamens and Carpels of the magnolia blossoms.

Next, to celebrate the Asian feeling of the china, we added my favorite 3 Emperors bejeweled by Eric Cortina.

In the end, the table appears set for a king, or at least anyone celebrating the upcoming Easter holiday, or any spring occasion!

The full Mikado collection can be viewed here – the color combinations are absolutely fantastic!!

Will you be incorporating any Mikado pieces into your Easter and spring-themed tablescapes?!? We’d love to hear how you incorporate color and we hope we’ve inspired you to think a bit outside the box with your upcoming tablescapes!

Photos by Rustic White Photography.

Tabletop Tuesday: Jardins Extraordinaires

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Welcome to the inaugural post of our new “Tabletop Tuesday” blog series! Seeing that steve mckenzie’s is known for for offering some of the south’s top tabletop products – along with inspirational tablescape ideas and entertaining tips to go along with them – we thought it was high time for a series of blog posts featuring fabulous tabletops.

Now presenting Jardins Extraordinaires, our first ever “Tabletop Tuesday” blog post. We hope you enjoy!

Our first Tabletop Tuesday feature was inspired by the Jardin Extraordinaires collection by Gien, all of the tropical design we experienced at Maison & Objet, as well as the new Justina Blakeney collection for Selamat Designs.

To begin this tablescape we partnered with Erin Weston of Weston Farms, who styled the floral. For this tablescape we used the magnolia topiaries created during our in-store class.

The base of our tablescape was an antique French table, which offered plenty of warmth and character.

Our place setting began with an R. Wood Studio chartreuse dinner plate.

Next, Erin’s floral brings an organic, soft touch to the table.

A cocktail napkin to ground the glasses adds depth and interest.

A blue tumbler introduces a rich hue.

A pretty vintage cut glass tumbler is brought in for the wine – we love going stemless for wine; taking a note from our European friends!

The Jardins Extraordinaires oblong tray juxtaposed with the round dinner plate works!

The Gien wine coaster serves as a bread and butter plate – think outside of the box and consider dual uses for the pieces you already have!

Vintage brass cutlery, found at a flea market offers a sense of history and ties back into the antique table.

A small R. Wood Studio salad plate is added and ties into the dinner plate.

A soup bowl in R. Wood Studio’s blueberry colorway adds another solid blue element.

A Le Jacquard Francais napkin in a cheeky citrus tone brings in a bit of brightness.

The canape plate from Gien completes the look! The Jardins Extraordinaires small plates are offered in sets of four, with each plate depicting a different garden setting… A conversation starter for sure!

See it all come together in a few quick seconds here:

If only it were that quick in real life!

This tablescape makes us ready to jump into spring.  Most products are available in store at steve mckenzie’s or on our webstore. Contact us for up-to-the-minute availability or if you have any questions. Happy entertaining and bon appetit!

 

All Photos by Rustic White Photography

Who you NEED to Meet: Erin Weston of Weston Farms

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It’s that time of year… The time magnolia leaves find their way indoors and sprinkled throughout our holiday decor. Perhaps you procure yours from a nearby tree in your community in the dead of night (not that we’d know anything about this or condone this illicit behavior!) or from a magnificent magnolia right in your own backyard. But, one thing’s for sure – they aren’t as beautifully curated as Weston Farms‘ magnolia creations.

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Today, we’re sharing a little Q&A with Weston Farms’ Creative Director, Erin Weston. Her work has graced the pages of many-a-shelter publication, and is truly stunning. We’ve had the good fortune to work with Erin and have her in the showroom hosting magnolia arranging classes. She’s an absolute delight to be around and her work is truly inspirational! We hope you’ll enjoy getting to know her and her amazing arrangements as much as we have…

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Named “The New Face of Gardening,” by Carolina Gardener in 2010, Erin Weston is the creative director at Weston Farms. Art, Nature, and Horticulture inform her work at Weston Farms.

In 2002, Erin Weston moved from New York City to North Carolina to help with her family farm. She wanted to create a luxury farm product grown and cultivated at Weston Farms that utilized her art background and incorporated her father’s horticultural knowledge.  The Southern Magnolia wreaths, garlands and natural accessories from Weston Farms best express this desire and put a new spin on a familiar southern tradition.

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Weston’s art direction of the “Horticultural Holidays at Weston Farms,” utilizes the best cultivated varieties of trees and plants chosen for color, texture, and rarity. Weston Farms grows highest quality Southern Magnolia  exclusively for their wreaths, garlands and cut arrangements. Weston studied Art History at UNC-Chapel Hill and garnered her horticultural education by surrounding herself with the best and the brightest in the field.

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sm’s: Can you please share a bit about your background/where Weston Farms began and how you gained the courage to break out on your own?

I studied art history at UNC, moved to Philadelphia, then NYC to work in publishing. Believe it or not, I was actually interviewed by MSO (Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia) on the day she was accused of inside trading! While working there, I was able to work closely with my dad (former horticulturist for the city of Raleigh) to create a production schedule with garden themes. I became really excited about all the content there and saw possibilities to be inspired by garden. Around the time Martha Stewart went to jail, my uncle left me 30 acres and my grandparent’s house in the middle of North Carolina suburbia. I worked to get it re-zoned as a farm and started the business with only one magnolia tree (my grandmother’s). From it, I created foliage arrangements to make money for that November/December. People kept coming back. Now, we’ve planted over 10,000 trees to supply foliage for year-round magnolia wreaths, Garland and natural accessories.

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sm’s: What inspires you/your work?

The fine arts, museums, travel, nature, history

sm’s: What is your vision, not only for Weston Farms, but also your individual creations?

To create a luxury product defined by quality of craftsmanship, materials and rare ingredients/difficult to produce.

sm’s: Do you have any “mainstays” in your work – is there something you’re always drawn to in terms of arrangements? 

Symmetry and asymmetry

Classical motifs

Creating arrangements that would look good in a barn or in a castle setting.

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sm’s: What do people need to consider when looking to purchase a Weston Farms creation? 

To be prepared for an abundance of exquisitely designed and cultivated ingredients, and to appreciate the time of craftsmanship it took to create.

sm’s: What’s on the horizon for you/Weston Farms? 

Marry me Magnolia! (TM)

A foliage, bouquet, wreath and Garland line available year round based on our signature magnolia.

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sm’s: As an artist/business person how do you recharge?

Travel, nature, art museums

sm’s: Anything else you our readers would enjoy learning from you?

If something seems too hard for too long, step back and modify your course.

After reading our Q&A session with Erin and looking at those supremely gorgeous designs, are you ready to introduce magnolia into your home – perhaps year round?! We are! It’s amazing what even a small Weston Farms arrangement can do to elevate a space. It’s magnificent!!

Take a look at the Weston Farms’ Instagram feed and tell us what you think next time you’re in the steve mckenzie’s showroom…