Colorful Spanish Fiesta Dinner Party

Spanish Fiesta Birthday Party

For a recent client’s birthday in Rancho Santa Fe we created an intimate Spanish fiesta dinner party with a colorful and bold Spanish flair. We started by laying down a beautiful periwinkle linen and and created tile placemats out of hand painted tiles.  We featured super colorful florals with bright warm fall colors including yellow sunflowers, orange mums and deep red roses. Eggplant purple tapers glowed above the table in vintage brass candlesticks and delicate light patterns were cast onto the table from the rustic ornate lanterns featuring glowing tapes. Mismatched aqua and purple goblets helped to lend even more pops of color on the table offset by an eclectic set of wooden farm chairs and stunning wicker peacock end chairs. 

Making a warm entrance into a party, even home entertaining, is alway important to set the tone from the minute the guests arrive. We did so with a bold spray of bougainvillea in an amber blown glass vases and scattered the table with glowing tapers and wooden balls. 

More colorful Spanish glass was featured at the bar with accents of Spanish stars and glowing candles. We created a beautiful collection of Spanish wines and sangria for guests to sip on while they nibbled on tapas from our cheese and Spanish bites tables.

We created a backdrop of colorful Spanish glass, terracotta tubes and glowing pillar candles to display a wide array of Spanish meats, olives, oils and cheese for guests.

For a backyard birthday party no more than a simple cake a few bites are required but why not dress it up with a beautiful presentation?  We did with a fun array of Spanish glass, tiles, mirrored stars and votives.

Guests dined under the glowing bistro lights on freshly made paella while listening to the tunes of flamenco guitarist David Maldonado. Even with an intimate party of 20 this goes to show it’s all about quality over quantity, even in the comfort of your own home. 

Event Design & Planning Alchemy Fine Events

Music David Maldonado

Photography by John Newsome

 Vintage Rentals by Pow Wow Vintage Rentals

Lighting by LG Productions

Catering San Diego Paella 

Stylization to Publication: Alchemy Fine Events for Roche Bobois in Riviera Magazine

70’s Modern Glam Styling Comes Alive with Roche Bobois for Riviera Magazine

We were recently asked to come on board an amazing collaboration for the To Dine For feature in the September 2013 issue of Riviera Magazine where they combine San Diego’s top designers & artists with notable chefs to create inspired designs and culinary creations that complement each other. Talented interior designer Nicole Webb of Roche Bobois in La Jolla and I worked to create a cocktail style setting with the famous mah jong passiflora sofa that chef Fabrice Hardel of The Westgate Room was also inspired by for his passion fruit and lemon grass pana cotta which topped off his delectable menu.  We also worked with Isari Flower Studio to design a super sleek styling of multi-hued flower balls, flush mirrored flowers boxes and even brought in florist extraordinaire Tam Ashworth’s homegrown passion flower vines to drape around the stylish decor we infused into the setting. While no dining setting would be complete without some seriously stylish pieces to serve off of, Hostess Haven brought in some glam with her amazingly chic 70’s dinnerware, serving trays and goblets for the lucky diners to sip and nibble off of.

Enjoy the photos below taken by yours truly in addition to the sneak peaks I leaked on my Instagram which you can follow here!

Furniture & Decor by Roche Bobois

Styling by Vanessa Van Wieren of Alchemy Fine Events

Tableware by Hostess Haven

Flowers by Isari Flower Studio

Photos by Vanessa Van Wieren

Home Decoration & Colorizaton to Celebration: Modern Parisian Event Inspiration

 Gilded Modern Parisian Apartment Event Inspiration

As a designer that is passionate about interior design, art history and art I am constantly torn as to what eras and genres to be inspired by in addition to trying to create fresh twists to conjure up new ones. It’s like choosing what child is your favorite, what type of cuisine to dine on, or for me, red or white. I adore the femininity of the renaissance, the opulence of baroque and of course, the bold, clean lines of modernism, so when I came across this modern Parisian apartment featured in Elle Decor my jaw dropped and obsession began. With a name like Alchemy, you already know I’m obsessed with GOLD, so throw in some muted bone, soft dusty blue and a pop of poppy and I’m already designing the event.

To illustrate the inner workings of my imagination after perusing this interior design feature, here are some choices I’d love to play with for a modern Parisian fete! Blending more delicious modern decor items from Form Decor as well as some Parisian prints and some still life inspired flowers by Saipua that look like they fell out of a renaissance painting. Plus some amazing  Marie Antoinette worthy Tory Burch heels for a ‘something blue’ for a bride to be.

Home Decoration & Colorization to Celebration: Emerald Green Event Inspiration

 Barnaba Fornasetti’s Milan Apartment: Emerald Green Color Inspiration

I have always had a fascination with designers who create with the ability to take push the realms of their creativity and execute whats exactly in their minds. This is how I feel about Fornasetti and his childlike introspective design direction combing illustrations of doll-like architecture, Victorian faces and Rubenesque forms. Recently featured in Elle Decor, Barnana Fornasetti’s Milan apartment inspires me from such a deep and slightly twisted and dark place it urges me to create Dali-esque settings in which to dine and celebrate in. With big, bold splashes of a rich emerald green (the new black!) as the palette to build upon, Fornasetti infuses elements of classical, modern and trompe l’oeil designs to create a one of kind environment only visible in the depths of his fantastic mind.

With desirous inspirations from Fornasetti’s home fresh in mind, I wanted to illustrate how I would interpret his genius into my designs for a striking and yet slightly studious atmosphere where I imagine guests would sip on St. Germaine cocktails, nibble on caviar and debate modern art while listening to house remixes of Cole Porter.  Form Decor rental furniture, rug & accessories, HER chair by Casamania, plates by Fornasetti, invitation by Alchemy Fine Events, turquoise napkin ring by Sur la Table.

The emerald green matte wall makes for the perfect palette to build upon with copper, gold and black mirrors and accessories.