Your Christmas feast styled for summer

’Tis the season to be joyful, with bright, bold entertaining and the freshest festive fare.

Summer’s entertaining mantra is a little bit looser than usual. Take cues from Flamingo Estate. Picture: Pia Riverola

Forget formality and perfection, summer entertaining should be about ease – great food, free-flowing drinks and a relaxed atmosphere.

“Intimate, unpolished and slightly haphazard are all good standards,” says British-born, Bahamas-based designer India Hicks, known for her island homewares and superior hostess skills.

Weather – rather La Nina – permitting, this summer’s entertaining mantra is a little bit looser than usual: read alfresco share plates, mix-and-match homewares and big dopamine hits of bright colour. That said, the key to any soiree’s success lies in a few ingredients.

“A good dinner party comes down to the ambience given by the lighting (table lamps and candles are best – no ceiling lights!), music and conversation,” says Elise Pioch Balzac, founder of cult local homewares brand Maison Balzac.

For Richard Christiansen, the Australian founder of Los Angeles sanctuary-meets-boutique farm Flamingo Estate, it helps to add a dose of hedonism.

“A live jazz band (or pianist), handsome waiters with great uniforms, a tray of caviar and potato chips, no sensible shoes. And I wouldn’t say no to a bucket of prawns,” he says.

Here, we’ve enlisted the advice of eight experts to share their tips for throwing the ultimate summer party.

Tablescaping with style

This summer, throw out the rule book.

“We like to eat outside as much as possible,” says Hicks, who recommends choosing somewhere unique, imaginative or unexpected to place your dining table – a hill in the garden, down by the pool, or in the courtyard.

Christiansen likes to create spaces where you can take people from one zone to another. “Big, grand spaces and small, intimate ones,” he says. “So there’s room to explore and find various moments.”

The trend for summer 2022-23 tablescaping is bright, colourful and joy-inducing.

“We came out of Covid seeking warm and meaningful – lots of raw linen and earth tones,” explains Christiansen. “But now it’s time for maximalism and graphic shapes. A little ’80s Italian glamour, super refined but bold. We are craving the world, texture and shapes that feel unfamiliar.”

Maison Balzac.

“Mix vintage with new, and make sure not everything matches,” advises Pioch Balzac. “I’m a huge believer in candles to set the mood, and recommend unscented ones on the table and fragranced in the bathroom, house and garden.”

Of course, if you absolutely adore scent, candles with herb-based aromas won’t compete with your food. Think thyme, rosemary, mint, sage and aniseed.

When it comes to selecting tableware, “have fun with it”, says Jackie Fazekas, founder of homewares label Fazeek.

Her essentials? “Tall carafes and vases, glassware of all heights, a dramatic centrepiece, and elegant and elongated dinner candles.” She recommends layering, playing with height and dimensions, and different colours. “You don’t need a defined eye for style, just keep adding and moving things around until they feel right.”

For Heleena Trahanas, co-founder of lifestyle brand and studio Alex & Trahanas, whose latest collection, La Spiaggia, references “warm, meandering summer days in Puglia and the dazzling Adriatic Sea”, the energy of the Mediterranean offers endless inspiration.

“We often dream up a delicious Mediterranean menu first and then think about the elements to help elevate the food and bring it to life with our ceramics,” she says.

This year, Trahanas is looking to “calming-yet-electrifying sea hues of blue and green mixed in with pops of bright, sunny yellow and pink.”

Fazekas suggests sticking to two or three block colours, rather than patterns, to keep your table from looking too busy. “At the moment, I love bringing together pink and amber, or teal and blue,” she says.

Grazing notes

Forget plating up, this season it’s about casual share plates, barbecues and grazing platters.

The key to a perfect food arrangement? “Height and different-sized plates and bowls,” states events and catering expert Alex Cadger of The Blonde Butler. “Remember, varied texture and size is what sets your food styling apart.” Try using different-sized pots and stacking plates on top of them.

“A circular, rather than rectangular table, is a big trend at the moment,” adds Cadger. “If the table is nice enough, have it unclothed, if not, introduce white or beige linen in as a base and add colour with napkins and florals.” He loves decorating the centre with seasonal fruits such as lemons, limes, coconuts, oranges and mangoes. “Another popular seasonal trend is using shells as serveware. Serve salt, pepper, olive oil and butter in empty scallop and mussel shells. Or, place a shell atop each person’s napkin for a cool, summery vibe.”

Pioch Balzac is a fan of bringing nature to the table, too. “I’ll be playfully mixing real and trompe l’oeil objects: think glass prawns mixed with real ones; and lemons and lemon candles (try Sydney-based Nonna’s Grocer), and lots of elements from nature: green foliage, natural linen napkins, and anything in shades of eucalyptus trees.”

Top tipple

Thanks to House of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy and her viral TikTok, the cocktail on everyone’s lips this year is undoubtedly a Negroni Sbagliato.

While the term sbagliato translates to “mistake” in Italian, thanks to one mixologist’s happy error, we now have a new twist on a classic summer favourite. And it’s surprisingly easy to make: mix 30ml Campari, 30ml sweet vermouth and in place of the usual gin, top up your glass with sparkling wine or Prosecco. Garnish with an orange slice. And if all else fails, follow Christiansen’s lead and opt for the simplest of summer drinks: “ice cold rose”.

On the menu

“A seafood grazing table is a wonderful way to embrace the season’s best produce while making a statement,” says Cadger. He suggests adding colourful grilled vegetables (asparagus, capsicum and zucchini) and salads as sides. “A simple three-ingredient salad is your go-to: think green beans, red onion and feta, or mixed coloured cherry tomatoes with basil and buffalo mozzarella – these are effortless, yet beautiful.”

Fazeek.

For your meat selection, luxury butcher Victor Churchill founder Anthony Puharich suggests working off 300g of meat per person. “Serve a few different variations to give your guests options and keep it interesting. Think: a variety of beef, pork, lamb, plus sausages.”

Puharich always recommends cuts of scotch fillet, rib eye and T-bone, but says a good quality piece of rump cooked on the barbecue can also be delicious and cost effective. “I’m also a big fan of chicken, pork, beef and lamb skewers – this is trending for summer barbecues.”

Last, Puharich stresses the importance of seasoning. “Take your meat out of the fridge about 30-45 minutes prior to cooking to bring the meat to room temperature. I only season with salt and avoid seasoning with pepper as it turns the flavour profile of the meat quite acrid and bitter.” He suggests using a flaky sea salt, like Olsson, Tasman or Maldon, and being liberal. “When you think you’ve put too much, it’s probably the perfect amount.”

Gracious gifts

Attending a soiree? Never forget the power of a thoughtful gift for the host.

“Very personal or highly amusing,” directs Hicks, who recently launched a collection of linen via her homewares line, Pomegranate. “A new board game, a bottle of alcohol or a candle with local scents.” Fazekas favours “a bottle of wine from a local, independent winery”, while Pioch Balzac loves receiving chocolates or hand cream. Plus anything from her own line. “I love to give glassware or scented candles because they can be enjoyed for a long time and will remind you of time spent together.”

Alex and Trahanas.

Christiansen favours keepsakes as well – “I ask my friends to only bring me a vinyl record or a tree. But I’d also suggest our new Euphoria candle from Mecca.”

Floral fantasies

No party is complete without a beautiful floral arrangement.

Myra Perez, from Sydney-based florist My Violet always lets the season dictate the direction of her blooms.

“The warmer months excite me because there are many more ingredients to work with: peonies, rambling garden roses, hydrangea, gloriosa and orchids.”

This summer, she predicts a trend towards clashing colours and brights that don’t traditionally go together – “try mixing soft tones then adding a bold red amongst nude tones, or pairing masses of garden roses and fruit”.

For table centrepieces, add impact and draw the eye with a mass of one or two ingredients.

“Using different lengths of florals will build shape and texture,” says Perez. “If you have a tall stem, show it off. The vase is important – a beautiful vase that matches your florals and space will be the hero in the room.”

Looking for an easy, at-home solution? Try placing a mass of your favourite flower in a vase. “I love orchids, so I always have them at home in my special bud vases grouped together,” says Perez.