I like to think of my apartment as an atelier–not a studio, an atelier–which is no doubt part of the reason I find the photos of this dinner party so appealing. Held in a lofty, skylit artist’s studio in East Nashville, Tennessee, the event was designed and styled by Jenn Elliot Blake of A Blog Named Scout for Anthology Magazine. Complete with painter’s drop cloths, splatter-painted brushes in earthenware jars, wild vines, and, of course, art on the walls, the whole scene is something we’d like to re-create.
Above: The studio belongs to painter Emily Leonard; she and Jenn pulled together the setup with help from Emily’s husband, Sloane, who built the table for the occasion. The rustic benches were rented from a nearby antiques shop. The painter’s drop cloth was left as is (paint and oil stains included). Above L: The studio is set in a midcentury industrial space; the paintings on display are Emily’s own. Above R: New and old brushes in ceramic mugs mingle with the floral centerpieces. Above: Jenn gathered greenery from Emily’s mother’s garden: stems of Lenten roses, local vines, and bright green hellebores.
Above: A painter’s Canvas Drop Cloth makes a good tablecloth (as well as floor cloth); the 9-by-12-foot size is $22.54 from Amazon. Above: The go-to water glasses: Ball’s 8 oz Quilted Crystal Jelly Mason Jars ($8.99 for 12) and 16 oz Wide-Mouth Mason Jars ($12.99 for 12), both from Ace Hardware. Above: Source silver-plated flatware in mismatched sets from flea markets, or consider Silverplate Table Settings, five pieces each–a knife, dinner fork, salad fork, large spoon, and teaspoon; $35 per set on Etsy. Above: For large parties, Ikea’s Svalka White Wine Glasses are good to have on hand in multiples; $4.79 for a set of six (marked down to $1.92 through December 23). For more ideas, see 10 Easy Pieces: Entertaining Essentials. Above: A collection of Artist’s Loft Marseille Brushes in various lengths, brush shapes, and fibers are available through Michaels. Photograph via Meredith Arnold. Above: Create name tags by sourcing an inexpensive Flat Chip Paint Brush ($9.97 for a pack of 15 from Home Depot) and splatter painting the handle. Then attach a name card using a Brass Thumb Tack ($4.61 for a pack of 200 from Amazon). Drawing paper works well as placemats. These display the menu, which was made using an old-fashioned plastic label maker (such as the Dymo Organizer Xpress, $13.88 from Walmart) and affixing the labels to a sturdy piece of cardboard. Jenn then overlaid the cardboard with paper and used colored pencil to create a menu rubbing. Above: Utopia Center Stripe Dish Towels are 100 percent cotton and work well as napkins; $9.99 for 12 on Amazon.
Above: Source silver-plated flatware in mismatched sets from flea markets, or consider Silverplate Table Settings, five pieces each–a knife, dinner fork, salad fork, large spoon, and teaspoon; $35 per set on Etsy.
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