How to Keep the Holidays Timeless

Decor

If you’re looking for inspiration for a timeless holiday table, look no further. I am completely inspired by snowy white tablescapes at the moment – it’s the perfect way to create a modern, clean Christmas look.

This ditch the kitsch idea has me ready to say buh-bye to all of my superfluous tableware. The stacks of random decorative dishes are getting a little out of control after all. There is no need for a collection of antique china, or a massive set of holiday-specific stuff to set a celebratory scene. You can in fact, festive up the essentials – white dishes, classic flatware and timeless linens. All you need to add is a touch of greenery, white tapers and some personal touches to make them all feel seasonal.

Replicating this look is easy thanks to the new home brand SNOWE. They can be your one stop shop for the quality pieces you know you should have invested in by now. Everything is designed with a minimalist sensibility and eliminates the paralysis of too much choice when it comes to stocking essentials. SNOWE’s founders, Rachel Cohen and Andres Modak totally get it. Upon graduating from business school and moving back to NYC to set up their apartment, they realized that the world of home decor was overwhelming and cluttered. In response they got the idea to design and create the must-haves. As they explain:

“One night we’re throwing a dinner party. The next, we’re eating cereal on the couch. And through it all, we want to be surrounded by quality and thoughtful design that’s also attainable. And that’s why we created SNOWE: to bring people everywhere home essentials made from the best materials in the world, thoughtfully designed to be used over and over, for every moment and milestone.”

SNOWE’s dinnerware comes in timeless white (white dishes are known to make food look more appetizing) and made of the highest quality Limoges porcelain – it’s known to be super durable. Glassware is all made in Italy. I’m obsessed with the Essential Glass. There’s something about drinking wine out of a more utilitarian, stemless glass that makes it feel modern. Kind of European. I’m into it. Also, this dine and serve starter set is particularly tailor-made for a house-warming or wedding present. It’s kind of making me want to ditch all of my current stuff and restock my kitchen. SNOWE also offers bath goods and bedding that are all simple and streamlined by design — and available in sets — but a serious step up in quality then you get in places like giant blue box stores that shall not be named.

But back to your holiday table. If you need to build out your set of stemware to host a party of more than four, or make sure you have proper linens in your arsenal (because everyone should), there is no better time to ensure you – or your friends – are ready to play host. I’ve got my eye on this set of grey carafes and essential, use-for-anything-you’re-drinking, glasses. They’d add a bit of texture to a holiday table without being overwhelming. Whether you are looking for a hostess gift or need to up your own tabletop game, you will definitely find what you need with SNOWE. As they say themselves, SNOWE is meant to offer “everything you need and nothing you don’t.” I’ve selected my favorite picks from SNOWE for all the dinner-party throwers out there. These would be the perfect pieces to give to others or grab to get you through the entertaining season looking like you have your s*** together.

GET THE LOOK: 1 serving bowls / 2 linen cocktail napkins / 3 rinse & repeat and staycation candles / 4 wine glasses / 5 carafe and glassware set / 6 4-piece table setting / 7 hostess set / 8 champagne bucket

And to help whet your dinner party-throwing appetite, SNOWE is also offering Apartment 34 readers 15% OFF all orders with code Apt34xSnowe. This offer is valid until December 11 @ 11:59 PM EST. To start your shopping CLICK HERE.

image 1 photography & tabletop design by homey oh my / image 2 unknown

This post is in partnership with SNOWE. all thoughts are 100% my own. thanks for supporting collaborations we’re excited about and that keep apartment 34’s doors open.

How to Create a Stress-Free Holiday Table

Decor

It’s official. The holidays are here! In recent years the festive season has caught me a little off guard. I never felt ready, and like I couldn’t fully relish it all. Last year I didn’t even have a tree (this was my last second solution). But no more. This go round, I’m planning to learn from all my past mistakes and make the most of the most wonderful time of the year. Decking the halls, cookie making, tree decorating – you name it, I’m doing it. I’ve learned if you have a game plan, the holidays don’t have to get the best of you.

Case in point: the big holiday feasts. The menus, the table setting – it can all get overwhelming. I teamed up with Pints and Plates to share my top tips for setting the perfect holiday table without breaking a sweat. As you can see below, I’m going green with my holiday table this year. Visit here for all the details.

original photography for apartment 34 by delbarr moradi

This content was created in partnership with Pints and Plates.

The Easiest Way to Entertain Outside

Entertaining

It’s official – it’s May – five months into the year people! – and that means the heart of outdoor entertaining season is upon us. But between work, family, chasing a 12 month old – trying to find some me time perhaps – it can feel overwhelming to even figure out how to feed yourself, let alone invite a bevy of friends to join you. But that doesn’t mean you have to turn into a hermit. You can in fact enjoy entertaining in your outdoor space with almost no work at all. Don’t believe me? Well, here’s proof.

It starts with breakfast. Everyone eats it. In fact, on a Saturday or Sunday morning they’re willing to wait hours for it. So why not skip the brunch lines and instead invite everyone over to enjoy some breakfast treats in their bare feet? It’s the easiest meal to bring together. But I will get back to the food in a second.

While you do want to set a scene for your gathering, you don’t need to worry if you haven’t decked out your backyard with a complete outdoor patio set yet (although this one rather nice). Having just moved into our house a couple of weeks ago, we definitely haven’t gotten our outdoor space together. But you can easily repurpose a few of favorite indoor pieces to create a cool, casual seating area! Side tables, ottomans or poufs do the trick rather nicely. I used two Nate Berkus for Target side tables to create a “table” in our new backyard(!). A killer carved wood tray created my serving area. All I needed was a couple cushions and throw pillows (loving this one and this one) for seating. I even flipped over a large seagrass basket to be a chair! You don’t even have to think about florals when there’s no fancy table to set. I brought my new favorite plant, the cactus, out to add a pop but when you’re outside extra foliage often isn’t necessary.

I do find it helpful to have an indoor/outdoor rug (or two – I’m a sucker for the layered look). If you don’t have tons of seating it offers people more places to lounge and is nicer on your feet. It’s kind of like throwing a picnic in your own backyard.

As previously mentioned, breakfast is the perfect meal for entertaining because there is no need to stress about the food. Ain’t no shame in some store bought pastry – albeit hold out and grab the good stuff! Almond croissants & scones from San Francisco’s B.Patisserie come to mama. Add in some granola and yogurt for DIY parfaits, maybe a bit of fruit or even avocado toast if you really feel like you must “cook” something. That’s really all you need for a nice morning hangout sesh – without ever having to run to and fro.

To make your tasty treats feel “fancy,” serve everything up in nontraditional vessels. Trays, Decorative wood bowls, metallic platters, porcelain plates and details like cloth napkins and cool flatware elevate everything. I’m obsessed with this flatware set with faux-wood handles – they added a nice rustic chic touch to my breakfast set up (although this set is also fab and these are hot too).

One easy place to throw in some extra effort is with your beverages. I created an almond iced coffee recipe (that I’ll be sharing later this week!) to offer my guests an extra special touch. And I’m sorry, but use your real glassware outside. Everyone freaks out about it being breakable, but you’re not throwing a rager at 10AM and I just find drinking out of plastic to be such a downer. If you lose one high ball it’s not the end of the world. This set is crazy affordable.

And that’s really all there is to it. You can take advantage of the warmer weather and quickly pull together an al fresco hang out sesh with friends without having to slave away. I feel a backyard brunch club coming on! Wanna come?

original photography for apartment 34 by ashley batz

This post is brought to you by TargetStyle. Shop the new Home collection in stores and online.

This post in in partership with Target. Thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting partnerships we’re excited about and have kept apartment 34’s doors open.

A Chic Twist on Memorial Day Entertaining

Entertaining

Did you realize that Memorial Day is this weekend?! Yeah, we didn’t either! But we couldn’t be more excited because the holiday weekend means feel good times are right around the corner. But instead of doing the typical Memorial Day BBQ – hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and beer – we’d like to treat our guests {and let’s be honest, ourselves!} to what we like to call BBQ’ing Chic.0. Whether you’re spending the holiday glamping in the woods or planning to let the good times roll in your own backyard, we guarantee you’ll throw the best Memorial Day party ever by adding a few twists your guests won’t forget. The best part? It’s a whole lot easier than it looks. It’s simply a matter of setting the picnic table with a little extra flair and cooking up the weekend’s traditional dishes with a touch of elevated style!

Entertaining starts with the table decor and when you’re outdoors, we say embrace it! Nature has so much to offer, there’s no need to over think it! Our favorite and probably easiest styling trick is to collect pretty river rocks or wood pieces to adorn your tabletop. Picnic tables can also be rather blah, but tablecloths are a bit formal, so a super simple sprucing-up idea is to hand paint paper placemats. On thick paper, Kim from Bright Room Studio created summer night’s sky themed placemats. We love the way the splatter effect turned out! Even simpler, make a placemat statement by painting thick stripes inspired by the American flag.

We glammed up the natural elements on our table with gold lanterns, gold silverware and with pretty all-white flowers. These touches instantly elevate a picnic. And there’s no need for fancy flower arranging – simply pick blooms straight from your bushes leaving the stems long and the greenery on for a beautiful organic look!

With a simple tablescape as our base, we really let the colors and presentation of the food do the talking. In this setting, garnishes go a long way in elevating traditional barbecue dishes. Everyone’s favorite pulled pork sliders are brought to an epic level with a little brie and arugula. A salad is a must and our radish and pea shoot salad is definitely a stunner. It’s also surprisingly just as easy to make. For sides and snacking, corn nuts and blue corn chips ease salty cravings while the season’s first cherries and sweet white corn give you that fresh summer taste! Tip: leave the husks on the corn while grilling and sprinkle with a little parsley to add flavor and sophistication to your cob.

And a barbecue wouldn’t be complete without guests getting a little boozy! Our favorite warm weather drink is a perfectly chilled sangria! Easy to make in big batches, it’s the ideal cocktail for a party and our white wine based recipe is especially refreshing. It’s packed with a sparkling punch aka sweet summer fruits and bubbly champagne! Yum.

So who’s ready for a season full of gorgeous outdoor parties?? We hope this is getting you in the summer spirit!

And be sure to check back in tomorrow. We’ll be sharing all of the recipes and how to whip up the gorgeous sangria for yourself!

produced by bianca sotelo // original photography for apartment 34 by to wander & seek // floral + food styling by natasha kolenko // placemat art by bright room studio

A Memorable Soundtrack for the Holidays

Decor

What’s a beautiful holiday lunch party without an epic playlist? No party at all! It’s simple: music connects people. A good song is like a good meal, it affects the way you feel! When you hear a song you absolutely love or maybe one you’d completely forgotten about, aren’t you put in a good mood immediately? For me, holiday music has the special power to conjur up sweet memories from season’s past and I just love that moment when everyone exchanges a sly smile around the table and says, “love this song, turn it up!” and then things get a little groovy!

But just like finding time to throw the ultimate holiday party is a challenge, it’s just as difficult to sit down and come up with good tunes off the top of your head. I mean, who really has time to go through tons of tracks to make a playlist? Luckily, there’s this simple beauty to help us out: the Aether Cone!

With all of the insanely complicated gadgets around the house {who knew a remote could be so confusing…in fact, which remote IS THIS that I’m holding?!} the Aether Cone by far is the simplest. With just three buttons, this voice command music player makes technology so much easier. Basically, you tell the player what you want to hear and boom it plays it. Want to listen to Beyonce while getting ready? Easy. Sinatra while guests arrive? Done. Modern spins on Christmas classics while eating ? No problem {ps: I’m obsessed with the Sufjan Stevens Christmas album!} Synced with Rdio and 30 million songs {!} the player can take it away and play songs based off what you like! Who are your some of your favorites anyway? Mariah Carey Christmas, anyone?! Come on…you know you love it! I just love that I don’t have to rely on a computer or my phone to play music anymore.

But can you guess what we love about the Aether Cone the most? How pretty it is of course! We made no fuss about finding a place for the cone at our lunch. In fact, we wanted to show it off! It fit right into our holiday tabletop decor, obvi! We LOVE the black and copper version {it also comes in a white & silver version} – it’s so chic and beautiful and the size of it is just right. It’s small enough to fit seamlessly on a side table, leaving us plenty of room to further pretty it up with a festive little floral arrangement and some yummy chocolate truffles, of course! We firmly believe there should be little treat in every corner of the house this time of year.

So while we’re wining and dining, putting on our makeup or cooking {and dancing!} away before guests arrive, now we have way to listen to our jams wherever we are in the house! Having a soundtrack for these moments allows you to create wonderful new memories and that’s really what the most festive time of the year is all about.

And with that, we’re off to enjoy the heart of the holiday season. We’re taking an entire week to jam out to Christmas tunes, create new memories with loved ones and be as merry as absolutely freakin’ possible {I think I’m going to bake this fo’ sho’}!

We will see you back here in all our post-Christmas bliss. Cheers and Happy Holidays, everyone!

original photography for apartment 34 by Ashley Batz // styling by Erin Hiemstra // florals by Tulipina

This post is in partnership with Aether. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Thank you for supporting posts that keep Apartment 34’s doors open.

How to Find Time for Special Moments

Entertaining

As the countdown to Christmas continues, I really wanted to carve time out of the mad dash to reconnect with friends. Sure there are tons of holiday cocktail parties to attend, but they’re always so crowded, conversations so limited and truthfully, being pregnant over the holidays is a bit of buzz kill! I’m not ashamed to admit it – I’ve been feeling rather bummed about missing out on my annual eggnog {yes, I actually like eggnog – no judgements!}. But how do you carve out time to recconect when nearly every evening is already booked? I thought it’d be nice to change things up with an intimate holiday lunch!

Even between family obligations, frantic Christmas shopping and work {oh yeah, work!!} your friends should be able to squeeze in a hour to enjoy a civilized meal together. It’s the perfect opportunity to press pause and really catch up with the people you care about.

When it came to our lunch table, we were inspired by our Christmas gift wrap color palette; modern black & white with subtle pops of metallic and just the right amount of red. I was really feeling the festive but not overtly obvious Christmas vibe. We achieved the look by layering our plates, a favorite technique, mixing matte black & neutral dishes from Heath Ceramics with playful print plates from Target. Linen napkins were simply rolled and secured with black satin ribbon and sprigs of rosemary.

I did want to keep things in the holiday spirit though and thankfully San Pellegrino came to my rescue. While I’ve really been missing champagne, San Pellegrino served up in chic gold-rimmed glassware and topped with sweet cocktail picks felt totally celebratory! Plus I love the little mini-bottles for individual servings, with their cute red stars on the top. Totally fit right in with our color palette!

To add life to our table, we dotted the center with mini flower arrangements that included chic white blooms, simple greens and golden winter berries to tie it all together. Here’s a great little flower arranging trick – use some of your own glassware as vessels! It’s a super easy way to create varying heights that still don’t block conversation and add interesting dimension on your table without needing a huge stock of vases.

When it came to the lunch menu I kept it simple – and very pregnancy craving friendly – aka all carbs! A pot of fresh linguine tossed with olive oil, Parmesan and parsley, a lightly dressed green salad with satsuma wedges & sliced almonds and a nice crusty piece of bread is as satisfying as it is delicious! The best part – the entire menu can be whipped up in 30 minutes or less! Now that is a holiday hostess’s dream.

favorite holiday tabletop decor: Gold Salad Serving Set // Fair Isle Cheese Board // Gold Trimmed Cupcake Stand // Gold Rimmed Glassware // ‘Blah Blah’ & Dot Ceramic Ornaments // Grey Linen Napkins (similar) // Black Flatware (similar)

I certainly have a ton to celebrate this holiday season. From the wee one on the way to designing our new house to all the amazing experiences I’ve enjoyed throughout the year – but all I really want to do is celebrate the people that matter most. And really what better way is there to do that then to share a cozy meal and some much needed quality time.

If that’s all I got for Christmas this year, I’d be thrilled.

original photography for Apartment 34 by Ashley Batz // styling by team Apartment 34 // Florals by Tulipina

This post is sponsored by San Pellegrino. Practice the Art of Fine Food, every time you can. All thoughts and opinions are 100% our own. Thanks for supporting partnerships we’re excited about and help us create original posts for you!

Tasty Tuesday: The Ultimate Halloween Brunch

Entertaining

Halloween is one of those holidays that you either love or you hate. For the costume obsessed crowd, the night is jam packed with festivities, but if you’re like us and prefer to spend the spook-filled night at home, sans face paint and spandex, we’ve put a ghoulish spin on a Halloween brunch with friends. No resorting to rocking the bunny suit at this party- although we wouldn’t judge you if you did!

Brunch is one of our favorite past times and any excuse to have a themed one is as good as they come! Starting with a black tablecloth {or craft paper!} and a bountiful seasonal harvest you really don’t need much else to devise a dramatic brooding brunch!

For this spread, we really wanted to focus on a tablescape that anyone could recreate at home! We started with a major floral statement- that literally anyone can replicate – zero expertise required. Simply snap a dramatic apple branch from your backyard or snag a dry fallen branch from the park for an easy floral “arrangement” with a huge impact. Next, grab a plethora of produce from the farmers market {in a deep eggplant and moody green color palette, of course!} – think baby artichokes, a variety of squash, deep purple grapes and figs {while they last!}! From there, all you need are subtle hints of the haunting holiday incorporated in- no candy corn required. These x-ray snake plates are our current fave! Brass candlesticks and hints of gold pop against staple kitchen tools like slate and olive wood cheese boards. Throw up a black curtain to really set the mood and just like that, you have a beautifully haunting brunch!

If you like what you see, you’ll want to stay tuned: all the way up until Halloween we’re going to serve up seasonal brunch recipes that are so easy to make, it’s scary!

GET YOUR SHOP ON:

> Black Clara Chandelier
> Silver Stag Candlesticks
> X-Ray Tray
> Gold Cheese Knives Set
> Spider Web Skull
> X-Ray Plate Set
> Onyx Flatware
> Black and White Striped Napkin
> Spider Martini Shaker

For the recipes featured here check out our Eggplant Hash, Heirloom Tomato Tart, Blackberry & Formage Blanc Crostini

original photography for apartment 34 by Aubrie Pick // styling by Apartment 34

How to Set the Ultimate Thanksgiving Table

Decor

The holiday season is all about entertaining. Duh. It’s the time for gathering friends and family, with nieces and nephews running around with grandpa and grandma, sisters gossiping like old times and boyfriends getting introduced to the family for the first time. If you’re lucky, there may even be a bended knee proposal to witness! So many fun and exciting memories happen around this time of year. So why make things stressful and complicated when it comes to putting together a beautiful dinner table?? I’m here to attest that the stress & the holidays do not have to go hand in hand – at least not where decorating is concerned!

I say grab what you got at hand and with just a few festive touches everyone is going to feel special and you’re not going to feel like a wreck!

I say there’s no need to dust off {or even own!} fancy china. Leave the crystal in the cabinet and don’t cry over your incomplete set of glasses. I’m all about taking the mix-and-match approach for your holiday tabletop. I want to create a comfortable and carefree vibe that invites people to loosen their collars, roll up their sleeves and dig in!

Now when I say mix and match, I mean, mix and match! For this Thanksgiving-inspired table, not only did I use two different dinner plates (white and gray), I also used three different salad plates, two different sets of cloth napkins (gray and deep fuchsia), two types of glasses (green goblets and vintage crystal coupes) and two different chair finishes (copper and black)!

And since we’ve established that traditional tablesetting rules are to be thrown out the window, forget a fancy centerpiece. It just ends up blocking everyone’s view of each other anyway! Try a fresh garland instead. We called on friend, Natasha Kolenko, to put together a garland made out of magnolia leaves, but really you can use whatever greenery your heart desires.

I love the waxy magnolia leaf with the brown underside as it adds drama without being too fragile or fussy. Having a fresh garland feels festive {sure beats faux!} and the best thing is that it will last throughout the holiday season. Keep it on the table to make every dinner feel lively then hang it on the mantel or on your buffet between parties!

For a really stunning floral display {but still so simple!}, we added small arrangements simply plopped into the garland. One of my go-to tips is to incorporate seasonal fruit or vegetables into your arrangements. This time of year, I love persimmons on a branch!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve used my white pillar candles- they’re great to have on hand and look better after every use- the more drippy wax, the better {use tapers for a moodier, more romantic atmosphere!}.

If you look closely you’ll notice, some of the tabletop elements are from previous seasons, some are in stores now and some are vintage {like the beautiful goblets and crystal coupes from Frances Lane which you can rent- another genius party idea!}. The array of items just goes to show that you truly don’t need to go out and buy new sets from the same collection so that everything matches. Mix it up and have fun with it!

If your confidence in styling still needs a little boost to let loose and have fun, we’ve rounded up some items that will help you get started on achieving a similar look at home!

get the look: placecard holders // white plates (similar) // salad plates // napkins (similar) // green goblets (similar) // gold bowl // napkin rings // copper chair // cutting board // silverware (similar)

I can’t tell you how much fun we had putting this tabletop together. We were so in love with the finished product, we had to refrain from going Instagram crazy over it! If you’d like to learn more about the thought process, we broke down every detail and dished out more style tips on how to achieve the ultimate holiday tabletop on the super cute chilren’s line,Tea Collection’s blog right here {PS there’s a $3,000 Sweepstakes involved!!}

What do you think? Are you a fan of a festively casual holiday table?

original photography for apartment 34 by Aubrie Pick // florals by Natasha Kolenko // glassware c/o Frances Lane // flatware and accessories c/o March // styling and art direction by erin hiemstra

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