Entertaining made easy

On a perfect autumn afternoon last year, Sarah and Paul Orrock married on the lawns of the Repulse Bay Hotel.  Under blue skies, guests were treated to a celebration with an English Country Garden twist: ice-cream coloured bunting flew from white marquees, large bird cages were used as decorations and filled with flowers, butterflies and green foliage, while every table was smothered with beautiful British blooms, such as foxgloves, ranunculus, peonies and lilacs - placed in quirky silver teapots and glass jar vases. “It was a wonderful day,” Sarah says. “The theme and dress code for our wedding was colourful and we wanted to ensure all aspects followed this perfectly.”  Sarah and Paul’s wedding plans were made a reality thanks to the clever event-team duo of Kate Green and Leini Ireland from POP Limited, who took care of every detail from invitations and flowers to creative decorations and table settings.   

When not working, the POP pair love to entertain family and friends at home, and they say even the uninitiated can make a dinner table or luncheon something special by adapting tips and tricks regularly used by professionals.  “I adore entertaining outside, particularly in Hong Kong as the evenings are so gloriously warm,” Green says.  “I enjoy bringing my furniture outside in summer and winter to style an outdoor room in our garden.  I bring sofas, coffee table, rug, side tables and even lamps to create a really lovely outdoor space.  In the winter I drape fake fur over the sofas and light a fire to make it feel cosy and warm.  I always use masses of candles, flares, fairy lights and the result is so magical and inexpensive to create”.

It can be as easy as placing different shaped and coloured glass jars on the table with candles inside to give some ambience, or hanging lanterns from nearby trees or balcony railings.  If you are looking for something more permanent with a modern bent, why not try illuminated furniture?  Lighting designer Paola Navone has created an InOut illuminated furniture line for Italian-based Gervasoni, with armchairs, ottomans and tables that change colour from icy blues to warm reds.  Or look at British-based boutique brand Clay Designs, whose geometric wood, glass and LED Sqill table is an inspired combination of design, style and technology.

The one rule the POP girls have when it comes to decorating – whether at home or for a major client - is to create something new and unusual for each project. They say this helps make each event memorable.  “Everything we do is handmade for the particular job and is incredibly personal,” explains Ireland. We use lots of candle light and trinkets we collect from flea markets, second-hand stores - nothing is uniform or the same.  The aim being to have a lot of eye candy.