And suddenly, it was over. The endless summer that stretched before you in May, all tanned and fireworks-strewn, has melted away like a popsicle on a two-year-old. Time to start thinking pumpkins and rakes. Or is it? Could you maybe pull together one last barefoot-on-the-lawn summer party? We know someone who could for sure — David Stark. An artist turned event producer, owner of David Stark Design & Production and author of the new book “David Stark Design,” Stark has been the guiding hand behind jaw-dropping parties for hosts as diverse as Jon Stewart, Beyoncé and Tony Bennett. And when the dictators of cool at Target and Condé Nast have an event to plan, they ask him for ideas. Stark offered to tell us how he’d whip up a memorable last-minute summer bash.
Quick, a pic-a-nic
“It doesn’t have to involve a dining table,” says Stark. Or chairs, or really any structure at all. “Keep it simple,” he suggests, “Make a picnic.” Lay down a blanket and grab throw pillows off the living room sofa or the beds, “to give guests something to lean back and lounge on while chatting or watching a game of badminton,” he says. Then set out a platter of juicy last-of-season tomatoes, some sweet mozzarella and cold roast chicken sandwiches, and let your friends loll around on the lawn with a crisp chardonnay while you load the picnic basket. Stark suggests thinking of your basket as a circus clown car. “More and more surprises should keep coming out of it. Not just food, but playing cards, games, coffee table books! Anything that helps people kick back and enjoy.”
Commission some lawn art
“Make a centerpiece on your lawn,” says Stark, who likes to set out a stack of thick serving trays (cutting boards would work as well) or a low stool –– on top of a picnic blanket — to provide a symbolic center-point for his guests: The Party Is Here. “It can hold glasses and other things that need a steady surface. But then I might add a clay pot with a liner filled with daisies or sunflowers, or maybe herbs from the farmer’s market.” He says if it’s just drinks he’ll stock his “centerpiece” as a bar. “Nuts, dried fruit, cheese, some bottles of wine. All the things you’d put out for a cocktail party except it’s not on the bar, it’s on a picnic blanket on your lawn — which makes it special.”
Use the good stuff
Stark thinks the easiest way make a thrown-together meal memorable is to get out the wedding china. “People think of outdoor dining as a disposable experience. They use paper plates and plastic cups, that sort of thing, but it’s much more exciting if you use your own cutlery and good dishes.” Imagine hamburgers and hot dogs on beautiful platters, your fancy silver tongs in the potato salad and pretty decorative bowls filled with relish, ketchup, and an array of mustards. It’s all about making your guests feel coddled says Stark, “Every opportunity to gather and eat should be cherished. Using disposable dinnerware denigrates the experience and your party won’t become all it could be.” And as you might expect from a guy who literally wrote the book on folding napkins –– “Napkins with a Twist” — use cloth! Which brings us to Stark’s next idea.
Create linen origami
A quick way to add a dash of style to a last-minute barbeque is sitting right inside your linen drawer. “Folding a napkin creatively can be exciting,” says Stark enthusiastically, “I think napkins are the unsung heroes of table décor. Get creative!” For a beach party, Stark might do something as simple as iron three horizontal creases into a napkin to look like waves. For a gathering in the garden, he might attach a flower to a ribbon then tie it around the napkin for a touch almost too beautiful to muss.
Spotlight one singular sensation
Speaking of flowers. “You don’t have to labor over arrangements,” assures Stark. He suggests going out to your garden or the local farmer’s market and finding one flower that’s at its perfect moment of bloom, then celebrating it in a vase or a bottle all by itself. “A million different flowers in a container celebrates the ingenuity of the flower designer,” says Stark (who’s a legendary floral designer himself), “But a single beautiful specimen is about celebrating the beauty of nature. Plus it’s incredibly elegant.”
Let there be good lighting
Invited the whole neighborhood over for potluck on an hour’s notice? And still want to make it special? Stark would focus on the lighting. He’s big a fan of that hoary standby — paper bags filled with sand and votive candles, “It’s an old trick, but still so romantic.” He says he keeps a party-ready stack of lunch bags and votives in a kitchen drawer. “Edge your patio in bags, or use them to create a path down your driveway leading your guests to the backyard. They say ‘magic is going to happen.'” Then to save time says Stark, he’d forego flowers and just scatter his collection of candlelit lanterns across his table and around the yard. “I have lanterns from West Elm, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, IKEA. It was a bit of an investment, but one that keeps giving back.” Stark suggests having a dozen or so lanterns ready for impromptu soirees. “One, two, even three candles won’t do it though,” he warns, “But fifteen candles in lanterns and paper bag votives flickering everywhere — now that’s a statement!”
Assign seats
Want the easiest way to elevate “last-minute-spontaneous” to “four-weeks-of-planning” elegant? Place cards. Yes, even at a barbeque. “I always believe in place carding,” says Stark, “They alleviate the anxiety of where to sit and they’re a quick, no-fuss decorative opportunity.” Try cutting the stem off a sunflower and pinning a place card on top Stark suggests, “Or pick up some perfect pears or summer squash and use decorative push pins to attach your cards. Maybe tie place cards onto little bouquets of flowers from your garden. Place cards are little jewels; they’re an opportunity to let your personality fly.”
