If you’ve ever attended an inaugural ball, red carpet premier, society wedding gala, or a major political fundraiser in the Washington D.C. area, you’ve probably seen the work of Andre Wells. An event planner par excellence, Wells has coordinated more than 4,000 events in the U.S. and internationally. We’re exhausted just thinking about that many parties!

We recently caught up with the busy Mr. Wells long enough to ask him some questions about event planning.

Gracious Style: How did you become an event planner?
Andre Wells: After years as a buyer I found a passion for the event planning aspect of my job. After a quick stint in the catering industry I was compelled to start my own business and create my own visions.

GS: What was the most complicated event you’ve planned?
AW: All events are complicated, because you are essentially bringing to life the vision of others through your own vision. You want to create unforgettable memories and the most positive experience for clients and their guests which takes a lot of foresight.

GS: How do you make an event more memorable?
AW: There are many ways to make an event memorable. For corporate or branding events you want to incorporate your brand through many elements of the event without being overbearing. Being aware of all the senses when you are planning your event is also important. Smell, touch, sight, etc. all have to work in harmony. The most important thing is flow. Having the intuition to foresee the needs of guests is key.

GS: What advice would you give to someone who’s planning to work with an event planner?
AW: Personally speaking, tenacity is key. Event planning is a job that requires you to manage expectations, emotions and most importantly, managing them with a budget in mind.

It is also important to ask questions and find a balance between creative input and the integrity of the company’s vision. Lastly, try to get as much experience and knowledge in every aspect of production from technology, to floral, to the culinary arts.

GS: What advice would you give to someone who’s planning a large event, such as a wedding, without a planner?
AW: Preparation is key. Use lists and make sure you are not too busy on the big day to enjoy it. If you are planning a wedding with no planner I urge you to hire help on the day and free your mind to enjoy your moment.

Thank you so much, Andre …  you are just amazing and we love what you do!

To learn more about Andre’s work, click here.

We were delighted recently when a customer shared with us her beautiful table setting using our chic black Festival table linens. Here’s what she had to say:

My guests thought the table looked lovely; I agreed with them. I greatly appreciate all your help with shipping it to me quickly. The quality of the linen is fantastic. I can’t wait to see how the fabric improves with age. Also, it was sewn on the grain; not all table linens are. It lays so straight and square in line with the table. My husband and I are delighted with it.

But don’t take our word for it; see for yourself:

Thanks for the kind words, Peggy. We think your table looks very lovely as well!

How have you made Gracious Style products your own? We’d love to see how you put your own stylish spin on things. Drop us a line on our website or post to our Facebook page.

We recently traveled to New York, and we really appreciated how the city keeps getting nicer everywhere you look.  Here are a few pictures from our trip:

We both loved this courtyard in front of the Mondrian SoHo hotel:

Nestled between two lofts (one of which was a Vespa dealership), it looked so calm, relaxed, and … not-New-York-City.

A little uptown, this new building going up in front of L’Ecole and the French Culinary Institute is a great example of how to mix modern with traditional:

It’s unabashedly modern, yet echoes the older building across the street with its streamlined look.

Of course, we couldn’t resist a sign which said “Chocolatier,” so we had to sneak into the Mariebelle Chocolate on Broome Street.  Once inside, it reminded us of Laduree in Paris:

They have a very deep space, and they’ve used mirrors to make it look both larger and brighter.

In general this a good tip to remember: mirrors are a great way to bring in light and make spaces seem larger.

Up in Midtown, this cluster of buildings from different periods and styles look perfectly at home together, just like the people on the streets below — fashionistas next to suits and socialites:

The Plaza Food Hall is now one of our favorite destinations in Midtown.  It’s strategically located across the street from Bergdorf and offers several hip but casual eateries, including a Todd English restaurant.  Even one  Payard Patisserie has made a come back here:

Hooray!

You can certainly get a good night’s sleep without one, but having a mattress pad adds a little extra luxury to your bed. And isn’t that something we could all use?

Sferra recently gave us the lowdown on mattress pads:

• It offers extra cushioning, enhancing the overall comfort of the mattress. You experience the added softness of a mattress pad, while not taking away from the support of the mattress.
• It provides an added layer of warmth between the mattress and your body. In colder weather, or in well-air conditioned rooms, a mattress pad acts as insulation and helps keep you warm.
• It acts as a buffer between the sheets and the mattress, helping protect against stains. An unprotected mattress can become stained very easily, even from natural perspiration.
• It protects the integrity of the mattress, especially the stitching along the seams. A protected mattress will have a much longer useful life.

We couldn’t agree more, which is why we have a selection of mattress pads to satisfy the most discriminating sleeper. We love the Arcadia mattress pad from Sferra, which contains soft, hypoallergeneic Pluma-Fil down alternative. The pure white cotton sateen ticking is so pretty, you might be tempted to leave the sheets off.

Some of our most popular table linens are the easy-care Orchard and Juliet collections from Sferra, and for good reason.

They feel so soft they are often mistaken for pure cotton and they don’t require ironing – perfect for the busy hostess.

We’re often asked about how they work. What’s so special about them that makes them easy-care?

We learned the answer from Sferra.

Both collections use ring-spun polyester yarns, which are stronger and more durable than the commonly used open end yarns.

Producing open end yarns is faster and less expensive, while producing ring-spun yarns is more expensive and takes up to five times longer. In the ring-spun process, the yarn is made by continuously twisting and thinning the strands. This twisting results in a stronger yarn with a significantly softer hand.

Ring-spun yarn gives our Orchard and Juliet tablecloths many good qualities:

• They are more resistant to dirt
• The colors stay rich and vibrant with no fading
• They are twice as strong as tablecloths made from open-end yarns
• They resist tearing and pilling, so they look beautiful for longer
• They don’t wrinkle easily, so you don’t have to iron them

The ring-spun yarn also creates a lighter and softer tablecloth, with a more luxurious drape. Juliet is a great example – the tablecloths could easily be mistaken for cotton, they drape so beautifully.

“As Cartier is to watches, Assouline is to books.”

This quote from Time Out New York says it all. Assouline takes the best of art, culture, fashion and travel and presents it in the highest quality form. Just as a Cartier watch is not merely a watch, so too an Assouline book is not just an average publication; it is a cherished part of your life.

Since 1994, Prosper and Martine Assouline have produced books that not only tell a story, but actually transport you.  Assouline’s books are filled with the finest and most fascinating places, people, and creations. These pages give us a glimpse into other worlds as well as a chance to reflect on the richness of our own lives and dreams.  Savoir vivre, or the art of knowing how to live, is an idea that carries through in everything Assouline publishes.

Here are some of our favorite hardbound editions:

“Windows at Bergdorf Goodman proves that looking can be more fun than shopping.” – Harper’s Bazaar

Ziad Raphael Nassar shows us the real-life fairytale weddings he has designed over the past decade in Once Weddings.

“Inside its tire-black rubber case is a richly photographed compendium of 100 exceptional 20th-century automobiles.” – Vanity Fair

We never like to say never, but Assouline gives us a look at an art collection that would be pretty tricky, to say the least, to obtain in just one lifetime.

“The 100 black-and-white photos and gatefolds of burly, frostbitten men eating Heinz baked beans from cans; dreamscape chasms; and beautiful, huffing huskies are candid and transporting.” – The Wall Street Journal

To visit our Assouline library, click here.

We recently asked some bloggers to review some of our linen care products. We love what Interior Design Musings did with the Laundress Fabric Fresh spray – tested it out on her unsuspecting houseguests.

What did they think? Find out at the Interior Design Musings blog.

We asked Meg from Pigtown Design to try out some of our newest LeBlanc Linen Wash products, and she loved the Blue Violet scent. Read all about it at her blog, Pigtown Design.

Thanks, Meg!

Join us for a Gracious Style sale! Items from some of our favorite tabletop, bath, and bedding collections have just been added to our sale section. Incredible prices on Fresco Towels, Linen Way, Garnier-Thiebaut, and Couzon!

View our complete sale section at GraciousStyle.com

Most designers tell you they learned to appreciate design at an early age.  I did not.  I learned to appreciate the value of design on the job — specifically, the job sites where Carolina and I renovated or built five different houses over a ten year period.

When we’re planning a house, we’re often trying to figure out what to do with the space.   A simple example of that went something like this: Take a look at this picture:

Huh?  Look at what?  There’s nothing but an empty corner here.

Now look again:

Gee, wouldn’t it be nice to sit here and relax, maybe read a book for a few hours?

“Aha!” says the Engineer in the Left Brain:  “Design is really engineering.  Just like engineers tweak components and interactions to maximize their functional usefulness, interior designers do the same thing with all the components that go into a home.”

“You know, a more useful space is more valuable space,” chimes in the Wharton grad in the Left Brain.

But surely good design must be more than just engineering for “functional” usefulness, lest we go back to living in Stalinist concrete blocks?   (Which weren’t very functional either, by the way.  Trust me.)  Look at the picture again and ask yourself: Is this a chair you’d want to sit in and relax for a few hours?  Or would you be happier curling up into one of these?

Source: Google Images search for “armchair”

No matter what your style, the right chair will make you want to relax in it, not to mention feel good about yourself for having such great taste.  The wrong chair will inevitably elicit an “I can’t believe my husband/wife/mom/dad/grandmother bought that thing” whenever you see it.  In other words, good design should make you happy.

When you walk into a space and everything feels right, it’s because somebody designed it correctly for you.  The space should be useful, and you should feel happy when you’re there.  That’s why design matters.