Through the Designer’s Lens: Highlights from Recent Design Events

As we begin to usher in the Summer season, we wanted to take time to reflect on some of the events and fundraisers we were fortunate to take part in this spring.

 

First up was a Virginia Garden Week luncheon. Our friend and PR expert Austin Mill assembled a “Romp Around the Old Dominion” tour of houses, bringing together architects and designers. Following a tour of the historic abode, which was shipped over from England and reassembled in Richmond, we hosted a delicious and scenic get together on the terrace overlooking the gardens. With a spring palette of citrusy yellows and oranges and pinks and beautiful blooms, our tablescapes also included a floral Christopher Farr Cloth Richmond print that had been pulled from the archives and was originally used for the royal family’s home.

 

Next, we were thrilled to participate in the annual Little Hands fundraiser, held at Tredegar Iron Works. With a children’s storybook theme as inspiration, we selected perennial favorite “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein, a fitting choice since Little Hands shines a light on the importance of giving. The book also provides a natural match for Sara’s love of nature, which was abundantly on display: a batik green printed tablecloth, bamboo cutlery, woven baskets of apples in each guest’s seat, and Mottahedeh Apple Lace dinnerware featuring butterflies all added to the sensation of bringing the outdoors inside. At the table’s center, was an apple tree in a white planter, loaned by Capital Garden Products. China loaned by Fraiche.

 

And just a few weeks ago, we participated in a Design Leadership Network panel celebrating the Network’s impressive and wide-traveling first book, The Living Room.

Moderated by DLN Director of Editorial and Community Engagement Hadley Keller, the panel covered the evolution of living room design, touching on the influence of Nancy Lancaster as well as Richmond’s own Wilton House among other trends throughout time.

After the panel, which featured Sara, architect Dan Ensminger, and Bond Millen Gallery Director Ashley Millen, participants enjoyed a guided tour of Maymont’s Japanese and Italian gardens.

 

More behind the scenes