How to style a spring event with Cabana’s Martina Mondadori
Italian lifestyle brand and Paperless Post design partner Cabana is known for celebrating artisanal craftsmanship, vintage beauty, and global exploration in all their work, from a biannual magazine focused on interiors, travel, and the decorative arts to elegant tableware and home décor collections crafted by artisans around the world.
To celebrate the launch of their new Botanica floral tableware collection, which served as inspiration for their latest Paperless Post invitation designs, Cabana recently hosted a spring soirée full of blooming botanicals and impressive tablescapes at the Mayflower Inn of Washington, Connecticut. Together with an impressive guest list spanning the worlds of design, fashion, and art—including longtime style editor turned interior designer Jane Keltner de Valle—Cabana founder and editor-in-chief Martina Mondadori hosted an intimate, celebratory dinner showcasing the brand’s vibrant collection adorned across the event’s tableware, along with complementary décor and gorgeous floral arrangements.
We spoke with Martina Mondadori about how to style a spring event, like her elegant dinner at The Mayflower with that uncompromising Cabana aesthetic, where she draws inspiration for her designs, and how to ensure guests enjoy a relaxed atmosphere full of flowing conversation.
On the new floral patterns featured at the event and in our latest invitation designs, Ms. Mondadori was most inspired by the sights and sounds of Mother Earth. “Nature and the natural world have always held a special place for me,” she shares. “Flip through the pages of Cabana Magazine and you’ll discover gardens, from the grand yet romantic of Italy to the quaintly eccentric charm of the English, and really, everything in between. You see nature’s beauty in its many and varied forms, and it is this that is at the very heart of the collection.”
Embrace Cabana’s European entertaining ethos and lavish aesthetic for your next spring dinner party, backyard brunch, baby shower, or any seasonal soirée, and read on for tips and inspiration from Martina Mondadori herself.
Table of Contents
How to style an elegant spring event
1. Start with the tablecloth
“Always start with a beautiful tablecloth, and then layer from there,” advises Ms. Mondadori. “But nothing too matchy-matchy. Take a step back and know when to stop. Less can be more, though in my book, not often!”
2. Always embrace florals
“To be honest, I have to restrain myself,” Ms. Mondadori admits, on incorporating flowers into an event’s décor and tablescape. “I think flowers have such a transformative power when it comes to a table. Whether it’s a big, over-the-top arrangement or elegant single buds, they totally transform the look. It’s a moment for your personality to come through creatively, celebrate the season, and simply enjoy the raw, natural beauty of the blooms. You can never go wrong with flowers.”
On the specific flowers found in the latest Cabana collection, Ms. Mondadori speaks about the inspiration and significance behind each bloom. “Iris is our most decorative and whimsical print. The blooms are juxtaposed with classic paisley motifs, which are quintessentially Cabana. Then, there’s Ibiscus sage, which is rooted in the glamour and relaxed aesthetic of southern Florida, and lends the perfect southern charm to any table setting. Peonia is a sophisticated design adorned with a symphony of bright yellows and variegated florals.”
3. Be bold with décor choices
“Don’t be afraid to play with colour and prints,” Ms. Mondadori advises. “Be inspired by your surroundings.” Ms. Mondadori shares that she finds a significant amount of inspiration in her worldly travels. “I’m a nomadic spirit at heart,” she explains. “I love to visit museums, meet new people, and open my mind to different experiences. I’ve got an innate curiosity that keeps me searching out the new and different.”
4. Plan an eclectic guest list
For an ideal evening, Ms. Mondadori recommends inviting friends and loved ones from all walks of life. “Bring the perfect mix of guests together—dear old friends, some who know each other already, others not. The resulting conversation is always stimulating, always fun, and makes for a memorable evening,” she says.
How does one keep the party enjoyable all evening long? “It’s all in the planning,” Ms. Mondadori states. “With the right mix of people, an inspiring setting, and delicious food and drink, it’s simply not an issue. The conversation will flow, and it’s the early hours before you know it.
5. Incorporate on-theme invitations
“Celebrate the little touches,” says Mondadori, on styling an event from start to finish. “A beautiful invitation might be relatively small in the overall scheme of the event, but it creates a sense of excitement and expectation in your guests that just adds to the overall joy of the party.”
Cabana’s latest Paperless Post invitation collection can serve as the starting point for any decadent get-together. “These designs are perfect for a whole host of events,” Mondadori exclaims. “That is what is so wonderful about them. The designs are so versatile, they bring a little something to any occasion, from a casual luncheon with friends to a wedding or baby shower.”
“I hope hosts will enjoy sending them as much as guests enjoy receiving them,” she continues. “It’s all in the anticipation, the sense of something special to come, meeting up with friends, family, and making new connections. They are so beautiful, and I hope they later evoke wonderful memories of gatherings and good times had in the company of those you hold dear.”
6. Have fun with it all
“Just have fun and don’t take things too seriously!” advises Ms. Mondadori. “Guests will always enjoy themselves the more relaxed the atmosphere, and you will too!”
Browse the full Cabana for Paperless Post invitation and stationery collection now.
Host any seasonal soirée in style with Paperless Post
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