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Though menu planning is top of mind initially, Tina Barkley quickly shifts to the aesthetic, never showcasing

OUR INSIDER: Tina Barkley, co-founder of Vancouver’s Fleurs de Villes, a flower-focused events-planning company with global reach.

ON HER TABLE: Twenty different-sized glass vases and containers placed down the centre. “This way, you create impact but people can see one another.”

SUMMER ENTERTAINING STYLE: Curated comfort. “I’m not someone who wings it, but I’m not uptight. I like to set the scene and watch the evening unfold.”

CAN’T HOST WITHOUT: A white tablecloth and white plates – the ultimate blank canvas to showcase a variety of blossoms.

BEST PARTY TRICK: Floral ice cubes and swizzle sticks featuring petals from edible flowers such as viola, geranium, lavender, rose, pansy or nasturtium. “Use distilled water that’s been boiled to eliminate impurities,” she advises.

If you’re lucky enough to receive an invitation to Tina Barkley’s lush Vancouver backyard, prepare to enter a blooming wonderland – and that’s just the table. “My approach is to tell a flower story right down the table, so everyone gets to enjoy the flowers, not just the person in the middle,” she says. Though Barkley isn’t a florist by training, she’s made a business from her passion. The company she co-founded in 2016 with Karen Marshall, Fleurs de Villes, is known for creating wow-worthy, Instagrammable installations by partnering with local florists, designers, growers and nurseries around the world.

When she’s not producing experiential events for clients as far away as Edinburgh and Melbourne, Barkley and her husband, Michael, enjoy hosting intimate groups of up to eight guests. Though menu planning is top of mind initially (Barkley usually serves a buffet-style meal), she quickly shifts to the aesthetic, never showcasing the same tablescape twice. “I may decorate with all white flowers one time or all greens another time; as a creative person, I like to mix it up.” Her advice to those who are nervous about branching out beyond the typical bouquet? Experiment with multiple arrangements, but stick to one colour or one type of flower for cohesiveness.

At this time of year, with so many blossoms at peak showiness, she opts for a cheerful, multicolour palette of both brights and pastels. An eye-catching and formal place setting, like one perfect bloom under a glass cloche, elevates each guest’s experience. To keep the mood from feeling fussy, she tucks wildflowers into the tablescaped arrangements; Queen Anne’s lace (or wild carrot) is a favourite for its “boho, weedy-chic vibe.” Summer entertaining, Barkley says, is a fine balance between preparation and spontaneity: “I like people to know I’ve put time and effort into the evening, but I also want to give them permission to relax and let loose.”

When I look around and see a giant mess, and my husband and I haven’t slipped away to the kitchen to tidy up, I know it’s been a successful evening.

APlan as much as possible but be prepared to change. If more people want to come, make room at the table. If the weather’s not great, move inside. It’s important to go with the flow.”

my Burstyn Fritz comes by her love of dinnerware honestly. “I grew up in a household with three siblings,” she says. “Meals were special and setting the table was part of the experience.” It’s no surprise, then, that Burstyn Fritz and her sister, Sarah Pecaut – both of whom have backgrounds in art and design – would find themselves launching a dinnerware brand with plates so pretty you can either eat off them or hang them on the wall.

Both sisters have other day jobs: Burstyn Fritz owns a Toronto-based events agency and Pecaut runs the events department at the Metropolitan

Museum of Art in New York, where she’s part of the team that stages the Met Gala. When the pandemic hit, both women were inspired to bring that sense of occasion into consumers’ homes. And so, Misette

(pronounced “my set”) was born in May, 2021. “It’s a made up word, a blend of mise en scene and vignette,” Burstyn Fritz says. “Our concept is about taking something artful and making it your own.”

With a strong fashion influence behind the products, which run from tablecloths to flatware and glassware, along with plates, Burstyn Fritz has plenty to choose from when company’s coming. She says her table settings are an expression of self: “I believe you should style your table the way you’d style your outfit; it’s all about pieces with personality.” She especially enjoys pulling out all the stops when entertaining her group of girlfriends. “I know they’ll notice the little things and appreciate them the most!”

OUR INSIDER: Amy Burstyn Fritz, co-founder of Misette, the artistic dinnerware company she co-founded with her sister, Sarah Pecaut.

ON HER TABLE: Selected pieces from Misette’s Floral Collection, with inspirations as diverse as Matisse and the groovy seventies.

SUMMER ENTERTAINING STYLE: Fun and fearless, with plenty of forethought. “I don’t cook, but at least I can set an impressive table!”

CAN’T HOST WITHOUT: Pretreated linens that minimize stains and wrinkles, and can be thrown in the washing machine.

BEST PARTY TRICK: Curate who’s sitting next to whom – and then move them between courses. “My mom was famous for doing that. It keeps things unpredictable.”

ARTS & PURSUITS

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2022-08-06T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-06T07:00:00.0000000Z

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