A table of drinks and goodies await our guests as they meander the garden paths.

It feels wonderful to gather with friends and start entertaining more again! In the south, we’ve always loved entertaining outdoors. Recently, we were part of a very special gathering at the Frog Pond at Blue Moon Farm. My husband hosted a client appreciation concert and party for MDVIP and I couldn’t resist decorating some vignettes in this picturesque place with some of our latest towne + beech arrivals. Here are some of my tried and true tips for creating a relaxed yet refined table for your next outdoor party.

Layered Linens & Textiles

A mix of coastal colors and textures creates an inviting space for cocktails and conversation.

We started with a crisp white tablecloth and added two of our Shibori Runners. Our Stitched Edge Tea Towels did double duty as napkins. While they might look expensive, our Persian inspired Anna Pillows and Rug are washable fabrics that add a relaxed elegance.

Grazing Boards and Bowls

Indoors at this event, we had farm tables laden with hearty Southern favorites. Since the music was outside, we wanted to create some unexpected surprises with pretty tables of drinks, small bites, and desserts woven throughout the enchanting garden paths & porches. Guests enjoyed discovering these flashes of delight while strolling the grounds.

A summer grazing board can be as elaborate or simple as you wish. There is a lot of inspiration out there for styling impressive boards or you can just keep it simple like we did here. Presenting delicious food on a beautiful board is a full proof way to elevate even the simplest of offerings. Our Painted Moroccan Bowls give the table some global flair. They are so fun to mix in different colors and patterns.

Fresh Flowers & Objets d’Art

Whenever we are entertaining, I love to add something vintage or unexpected to create a conversation starter among guests. We used one of our Goddess Garden Planters as an impromptu ice bucket to pair with vintage glassware.

Wineglass vases in varying sizes and heights are another effortless way to style a table. We clipped a few fresh flowers from a friend’s garden to complement the colored glassware.

African baskets are some of our most favorite things at towne + beech. We used an African bowl to hold extra linens and the woven fan is as beautiful as it is functional.

Lighting

Wire lanterns ready to light the garden path with candles after sunset.

At Blue Moon Farm there’s something magical about the twinkly lights that appear like fireflies at dusk. Solar powered lights are hidden in chandeliers hung from trees around the property. String lights adorn the stage and we brought some of our own towne + beech garden favorites of wire & glass lanterns and votives for the tables and the sweetest white lanterns tucked along the garden path.

Great Music

We were more than a little spoiled with the GREAT live music at this event all afternoon and into the evening. Franklin Walter started off the show with an incredible afternoon of music. Grayson Capps, the headliner, put on an unforgettable show - such a soulful performer. You can listen to his music here.

Cathe Steele, owner of the Frog Pond, which is also her private home, describes the venue as, “the core idea is to bring musicians and serious listeners together in an informal but respectful house concert setting on the farm where the focus is firmly on the music and community built through artists and listeners. It’s a magical place where music is brought back to its roots, in a true listening atmosphere where songwriters and musicians alike come together to network.”

Most of us are not able to have live music for our outdoor parties but chances are you have a portable speaker and a Spotify playlist. Music definitely sets the mood and we play music every day in the studio at towne + beech. This summer we’re listening to the Zac Brown Mix on Spotify for a laidback vibe.

This event was so much fun that we are thinking of making it an annual thing. In the meantime, you definitely want to get on the list to be notified for future Sunday Socials at the Frong Pond at Blue Moon Farm. They only happen a few times a year and seating is limited. You can read more here.

Special thanks to our dear friend and go-to caterer, Gina Gambino. Gina and her team are incredible and make events like this a breeze. You can sample her amazing food daily at Ravenite Pizzeria in downtown Fairhope. The meatballs are our fave!

All photography is by the amazing Stevye Photography who is as much fun as she is talented!

Thank you to our friends (Toodles) and family (our sweet son, Tripp) that always show up and work hard behind the scenes to pull off these events that we dream up. Until next time! ~ Suzanne

Step inside this coastal guest bedroom suite with designer, Suzanne Winston.

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a designer show house? Or how designers come up with the plan for a show room space? Keep reading for an inside look at where we drew inspiration for the 2021 Mobile Bay Magazine Inspiration Home and a peek at some of our design process. As a designer, show houses are such a fun way to be as creative and imaginative as we want to be.  Our team had fun taking a few risks and going the unexpected route with this guest bedroom suite. It is all about balancing the right mix of texture, color, and light. I hope you find some tips to incorporate into your own home.

A pair of custom framed chinoiserie panels nod to the biophilic design principles of the home.

We drew inspiration from the coastal locale of this home perched on the bay bluff in historic Fairhope, Alabama. Fairhope has a rich history with its utopian founding by artists, dreamers, and free thinkers. We came up with our theme for the room - bohemian elegance - by imagining who would live in the space. We thought of a fictitious couple from Fairhope’s early days when it was still an artsy bohemian and eclectic small town. The room was imagined as a guest room for company or for grown children to visit, incorporating the things they loved about growing up in Fairhope. Early on we found this dreamy Thibaut linen floral to create the custom drapery and canopy panels. We knew right away it was perfect for our theme. This gorgeous fabric helped dictate the rest of the room.  From there I envisioned a pair of framed chinoiserie panels to hang on either side of the bed above the nightstands.  The bed is the focal point in any bedroom, and we chose this vintage inspired four-poster bed.  We knew it would be a showstopper with the airy linen canopy. Above the bed, we kept the art simple and chose a piece with a vintage feel. We hung a single shadow box frame of a gold gilded lily of the valley with another nod to nature.

 Styling tips for a luxe, layered bed. It’s all about the mix of luxurious textures in the right palette.

1.     Start with a crisp quilt and a fluffy duvet folded back at the end of the bed. 

2.     Add quilted euros.

3.     Place linen edged pillowcases.

4.     Next add two luxe linen shams for a relaxed coastal vibe.

5.     A long lumbar pillow pulls it all together.  We love this one with a nubby, woven texture to contrast with the cotton quilt, linen shams, and breezy linen canopy.

6.     For a pop of color, add a small velvet lumbar pillow.

7.     To keep it cozy, drape a throw blanket at the end of the bed with a tray for drinks or books.

8.     For added luxury, go for a four poster bed with a custom linen canopy for the ultimate bohemian elegance.

Elements of nature are woven throughout the room with subtle motifs of flora and fauna.

How you use a space is so important and with a bedroom, we like to create a relaxing retreat like setting.  A sitting area is perfect way to incorporate a calm, inviting space to relax.  Even in a small bedroom you can tuck an upholstered chair with a small side table for a reading nook.  For the dresser, we kept it minimal.  We began with our Alice Dresser for a look that is not too formal or too casual.   We wanted a balance of a modern yet timeless aesthetic with elegant lines, curves, and neutral finishes.  Adding a round mirror of acrylic and brass details compliments the curves and other brass hardware throughout the room. The mini lamp of rose quartz brings some whimsy and a bit of contrast. We stacked neutral books with an antique sterling silver trumpet vase with a single white camellia. Then we draped natural wooden beads for an interesting composition that wasn’t perfectly symmetrical. If we were designing this space for a client, we would add something more personal like a candle or framed photo on the dresser.

Bedside Table Styling

We love using a bedside table with open shelves to style and display your favorite objects with a drawer to neatly tuck away items like reading glasses. With the lighting, we got creative using floor lamps rather than sconces or table lamps so as not to compete or detract from the chinoiserie panels.

1.     Consider a floor lamp to leave more room for a cup of coffee, a favorite book, or even a small tray.

2.     A tidy stack of books adds depth and personality.

3.     Ceramic nesting bowls are beautiful and functional.

4.     A tray collects jewelry, glasses, and every day items.

5.     Add a little luxury with fresh flowers or a floral resin sculpture.

An antique Oushak rug adds another layer of warmth and texture to this dreamy space.

Special thanks to our amazingly talented friend, Laura Rowe, for working her magic to capture our beautiful bedroom! It was a joy to share it with all of you that toured the home in person, and we love being able to share this project with our online community, as well. We are passionate about transforming and creating spaces that delight and enhance the lives of our clients. It’s why we do what we do. We are taking on full-service design projects for nice people with open minds. If you would like us to create your dream space and handle every detail from start to finish, click here to book a discovery call.

Thank you for following along, these images transport me back to this blustery spring day with the wind rustling the branches of the live oaks outside. Which reminds me of another fun element designing this suite - the gorgeous outdoor porch adjoining this bedroom. I look forward to showing you more of that outdoor room in a future blog post - it’s the perfect spot for morning coffee or toasting the evening sunset.