Entertaining Essentials featuring Carolina, Olympia and Ariadne Irving

Summary

Deep Dive in Design: Entertaining Essentials with Carolina, Olympia, and Ariadne Irving

Released on September 25, 2024

In this engaging episode of Deep Dive in Design, host Dara Caponigro welcomes Carolina, Olympia, and Ariadne Irving, the creative minds behind the lifestyle brand Carolina Irving and Daughters. The trio delves into their journey of building a family-run business, the intricacies of entertaining, and their passion for art-inspired homeware. This detailed summary captures the essence of their conversation, highlighting key insights, experiences, and practical tips for both budding entrepreneurs and design enthusiasts.

1. The Birth of Carolina Irving and Daughters

Eugenia Soto introduces the Irving sisters and their mother, Carolina, who launched Carolina Irving and Daughters in 2018. Initially focusing on tabletop ceramics, the brand quickly expanded into a broader range of handcrafted, purposeful objects designed to celebrate daily moments.

Carolina Irving shares the spontaneous nature of their venture:

“It was very quick. I was sitting with the girls in their apartment in London, just chatting, and I had already started making some plates because I just loved it.” ([01:15])

The decision to formalize their collaboration was immediate, driven by their shared love for entertaining, food, and ceramics. The trio's swift action, including establishing a website just before the COVID-19 pandemic, proved pivotal. Carolina reflects on this decision:

“We had a real presence, we had a commercial presence. And when Covid hit, it saved us completely.” ([02:58])

Olympia Irving adds that launching the website during the pandemic allowed them to connect with customers seeking beauty and comfort at home:

“People were just happy to see things and know that you could still be surrounded by beautiful things even though you couldn't leave your house.” ([03:24])

2. Building a Family Business: Roles and Dynamics

Eugenia Soto probes into the dynamics of running a family business. Olympia Irving emphasizes the transparency and open communication among family members:

“We can be really open with each other about what we like and what we don't like. There's no fear in expressing what our likes and dislikes are.” ([04:07])

The sisters have naturally fallen into distinct roles:

• Ariadne and Carolina focus on the creative aspects, leveraging their backgrounds in art history.
• Olympia handles logistics and collaborations.

Olympia highlights the harmonious collaboration:

“We all have the same eye; we were brought up by my mom, so I think we're all sort of drawn to the same thing. It’s magical.” ([05:10])

3. Lessons from the Past: Oscar de la Renta Experience

Carolina Irving recounts her tenure as the creative director for Oscar de la Renta Home and the valuable lessons learned:

“Designing textiles is different. You understand what the market wants, create a collection that makes sense, and manage production and pricing effectively.” ([05:40])

Olympia credits Carolina's experience as foundational for their own business:

“If you hadn't done it, we wouldn't have been able to start our business. You need to understand production and timings.” ([06:55])

Navigating the shift from a corporate brand to their own venture allowed them greater creative freedom:

“It was liberating because we could go crazy and experiment without restrictions.” ([08:48])

4. Intergenerational Collaboration: Blending Past and Present

Ariadne Irving underscores the importance of their intergenerational approach:

“From my mom, we get the tradition and vast knowledge about art history, which sets us on a higher level.” ([09:34])

This blend of old and new influences their designs, merging historical references with contemporary trends. Olympia echoes this sentiment, highlighting their upbringing surrounded by diverse social interactions:

“We were always surrounded by people of all ages, which naturally influenced our intergenerational business model.” ([11:47])

5. Embracing the Joy of Living through Design

The brand's ethos revolves around “making art inspired homeware for the joy of living”. Ariadne defines joy in living as:

“Being surrounded by things that make you smile and beautiful items that offer moments of peace and serenity.” ([12:28])

Carolina adds that rituals, such as sitting around a table, create meaningful interactions:

“These rituals where you sit around a table are moments of happiness and make life more enjoyable.” ([13:43])

Olympia further emphasizes the everyday aspect of their philosophy:

“Elevating a moment, like sitting down to a meal, makes it special.” ([13:43])

6. Philosophy on Entertaining and Tabletop Design

Olympia Irving discusses their approach to tabletop design, aiming to bridge the gap between expensive, formal plates and overly simple, outdated crockery:

“We wanted people to use our plates every day, whether it's a TV dinner or a dinner for 20 people. Our plates are dishwasher and microwave safe, making them practical and beautiful.” ([14:57])

This philosophy is rooted in their childhood exposure to both formal and informal entertaining, blending elegance with ease:

“Mixing old and new, high and low, informs our brand ethos and design approach.” ([17:04])

7. Practical Tips for Hosting and Entertaining

The Irvings share their meticulous preparation process, emphasizing early setup to reduce stress:

• Carolina: “I set the table in the morning to allow time for adjustments. It prevents last-minute stress.” ([22:30])
• Ariadne: “Setting the table early allows you to enjoy the view while cooking.” ([23:36])
• Olympia: “Plan which platters to use for each dish to streamline the process.” ([24:25])

They outline their top three entertaining rules:

1. Lighting: Creating a comfortable and intimate atmosphere with candles and soft lighting.

   “Lighting is the most important thing. It creates an atmosphere where people feel comfortable.” ([25:47])

2. Guest Comfort: Ensuring guests feel included and at ease.

   “Make sure guests are included in conversations and feel comfortable.” ([26:29])

3. Visual Appeal: Enhancing the table's beauty with simple yet elegant decorations.

   “Adding candles or fruits can transform a plain table setting.” ([27:19])

Ariadne suggests additional touches, such as offering drinks upon arrival and providing a self-serve bar area to minimize guest inconvenience:

“Having a mini ice bucket or a setup where guests can help themselves makes them feel more comfortable.” ([28:45])

8. The Influence of Childhood and Heritage

Ariadne reflects on their grandmother's formal entertaining and their parents' blend of formality with fun:

“The mix of 18th-century cutlery with rustic plates taught us to balance tradition with modernity.” ([17:04])

Olympia shares how their upbringing fostered a love for bringing people together:

“We love putting people together and seeing everyone enjoy themselves.” ([33:07])

9. Future Plans and Expansion

Looking ahead, the Irvings express a desire to expand their product range and engage more directly with customers through events:

• Carolina: “We aim to grow our range beyond plates and delve deeper into lifestyle products.” ([33:46])
• Ariadne: “Hosting trunk shows and pop-ups will allow customers to experience our designs in person.” ([34:06])

Olympia underscores the importance of face-to-face interactions:

“Designs come to life when seen in person, and pop-ups offer a wonderful opportunity to connect with customers.” ([34:06])

Conclusion

The Carolina Irving and Daughters team exemplifies the harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, fueled by familial collaboration and a shared passion for design. Their insights into entertaining, combined with practical hosting tips, offer valuable guidance for listeners interested in both entrepreneurship and the art of creating beautiful, joyful living spaces.

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Thank you to Schumacher for sponsoring today's episode.

Transcript

[Dara Caponigro]

Welcome to Deep Dive, a podcast series in which Frederick's editor in chief, Dara Caponigro, and fellow editors are joined by design industry leaders to share their unique insights, experiences, and knowledge on the world of decorating.

[Eugenia Soto]

I'm Eugenia Soto, the design and decoration director for Frederick, and I'm thrilled to welcome today's Deep Dive guests, Carolina, Olympia and ariadne Irving. In 2018, Carolina Irving, a textile designer, former creative director of Oscar de la Renta home, and also former design editor at House and Garden, launched Carolina Irving and Daughters with her daughters Olympia and Ariadne. The lifestyle brand, which began with Tabletop, soon expanded beyond it. And now the three women work collaboratively designing beautiful, purposeful objects, each one handmade by artisanal craftspeople to celebrate daily moments. So welcome. Let's dive right in. Thanks for being here.

[Olympia Irving]

We're super excited.

[Eugenia Soto]

Yeah, we're excited to have you. And we have so many questions, starting with the family business. So tell me a little bit about how Carolina Nerving Daughters came to be. Carolina, I'd love to hear your perspective on it. Was it something that was years in the making, an idea that you had in the back of your head, or was it like a spur of the moment thing? Like, just tell us a little bit about how you came to that point.

[Carolina Irving]

Well, actually, it was very quick. I was sitting with the girls in their apartment in London and we were just, just chatting in the afternoon, and I had already started making some plates because I, you know, just loved it. And, you know, I thought it was fun. And then I had these wonderful artisans in Portugal anyway, and I can't remember whether it was Ariadne or Olympia who said, why don't we just start this business, do this business together? We all love entertaining, we love food, we love ceramics. It's something that runs in the family. And I can tell you it was done so quickly because literally I emailed my accountant and I said, could we just make this company? Just, you know, we. We agonized a little bit. Her. What are we going to call it? And we thought, you know what, let's just call it Carolina Irving and Daughters, because that is. That's what it is. So we. We couldn't find another name that made it in any, you know, better sense. So it was really, really done on the spur of the moment very quickly. And we started really quickly. We had so many ideas and things that we wanted to make, so we started creating these, you know, ceramics and, you know, candlesticks and this and that. And at the beginning, you know, we put them on Instagram to get visibility and everything. And to make a long story short, literally just before COVID the girl said, listen, we absolutely have to have a website. And they were pushing and pushing and I'm old fashioned, I thought, oh, website, no. And you know what? Thank God we did it because that was. That really saved us, you know, completely. I mean, it was unbelievable. We had a real presence, we had a commercial presence. And you know, when Covid hit, it was really scary for everyone. But. But we had this website and that's when it's really. You realize it's fantastic working with younger people. And if it happens to be your children, then even better because I wasn't even thinking of having a website.

[Olympia Irving]

And I think also what was great is that as we all know, with COVID everyone was at home. You still wanted to be surrounded by beautiful things. You weren't going out anymore. So all of a sudden, I think it all very luckily for us happened because we launched this website. We'd been dreaming of doing it and, you know, people were just happy to see things and know that you could still be surrounded by beautiful things even though you couldn't leave your house. So I think for us, you know, we were very lucky with that.

[Eugenia Soto]

There is so much that you hear about running a business as a family. Olympia, I'd love to hear from you what it's like and what you think each of you bring to the table. Let's start with Olympia.

[Olympia Irving]

I mean, listen, it's amazing. Yes. Are there moments where you fight with your family more than you probably would fight with your boss? And in a different way. But what's fantastic about it is that it creates a huge amount of transparency. And it's easy because we can be really open with each other about what we like and what we don't like. And so I think for us, when you're designing something, for me to be able to say, listen, I actually think this color doesn't work and have that, you know, that lack of fear to be able to say that is something that's actually been quite incredible for us. There's no fear in expressing what our likes and dislikes are, which means that it ends up becoming a real collaboration. And I think we sort of naturally fell into our roles. Ariadne and my mother are definitely more creative and I really enjoy the side where there's logistics and the collaborations and things like that. But at the end of the day, we all have to approve something and we all have the same eye I mean, we were brought up by my mom, so I think we're all sort of drawn to the same thing. But it's magical. I mean, I think I wouldn't want it any other way. And I think what we've managed to create, at least we know that at the end of the day, what we come out with and what ends up on a table is something that we all love. And the other thing is Ariadne and my mom love the research behind it, because lots of our designs are based on things that they've, you know, from the past. They both studied history of art. So I think. I think we all naturally. I mean, I don't know if you guys would agree. We all kind of naturally fell into these roles.

[Eugenia Soto]

So, Carolina, you were Oscar de la Renta when the brand developed homeware. What are some of the biggest lessons you learned during that time and about growing a homeware business?

[Carolina Irving]

It was an incredible experience for me because I had never done that. And, I mean, designing textiles is a different thing. But here you understand what the market wants, what people want. You learn to create a collection that makes sense. You don't kind of do separate things just because you like them. It has to be a whole. And that was a. You know, it was a fantastic experience for me. It really was dealing with the production, keeping the prices at a certain level. This is something that you learn and how important it is. And, you know, my business sense is not the best. So, I mean, that was a. It was a very good lesson. It was very, very interesting. It was very interesting for me. And also to get into someone's mind, of course, it was easier because I loved everything that Oscar de la Renta was about and the way he lived. So it felt quite natural to me. So I will say it was easier than maybe having had to design for something that was so alien to my sensibilities. But, no, it was an incredible experience. I think, you know, thank God. I'm so grateful that I did it.

[Olympia Irving]

Yeah, I don't think we would have been able to start our business if you. If you hadn't done it, because it did. Like you said, it's a real understanding to know when to release a plate, what works, what doesn't. And I think, Mama, you really got that from being with Oscar de la Renta and understanding production and timings. And I think that is something that is really crucial. You could have a wonderful eye, but at some point, to translate it to go into the market, you need to have a bit of a understanding of how it works, right?

[Eugenia Soto]

And then just switching from being an editor on the journalism side to being on a brand side is so interesting and different.

[Carolina Irving]

No, no, totally. I will say I keep saying it to my children. I think they've had enough of me saying it. But during COVID I was looking at Instagram and there was a tutorial that Anna Winter was giving to people who wanted to start their own business. And honestly, I should have had it tattooed on my arm because she said, to anyone who starts a business, this is my advice. Don't look left, don't look right. Just follow your gut feeling. And I thought, whoa, you know what? You know when you're doubting everything you do and you think, oh, my God, are people going to like this or not? There's a point when you realize you can't please everyone. And hopefully you think that you do what you really like, and then eventually people will like it too, or certain people will like it. But I've never forgotten that piece of advice. And I thought, well, coming from her, it has to be true, right?

[Eugenia Soto]

And then I think also just giving authenticity to what you do, and I imagine also just shifting from designing for a brand, which is an amazing brand. Oscar de la Renta. But, you know, doing what you wanted to do, how, like, was that shift? And was it something that just was completely natural and was always, like, within all of you?

[Carolina Irving]

Well, it was, in a sense, liberating when we did our own stuff, because then we could really, really go crazy and say, oh, my God, we saw this played in a 17th century painting, let's try and do something similar. And then all of a sudden, you know, who's going to say, well, no, this is not going to go with this or that. So there's a great deal of freedom, which is also a great thing, I have to say.

[Eugenia Soto]

So, Ariadne, tell us a little bit about working intergenerationally and how that's beneficial to the business. And is it something where you have an idea and you have your mom and your sister to bounce the ideas off of? Or is it sometimes, like, you come up with a design and you just feel like it's so strongly about it that you don't really need the feedback? Tell us a little about how it works.

[Ariadne Irving]

I mean, I think the intergenerational aspect of the business is so important for us because I think from my mom, we get the tradition, her huge, vast knowledge about art history and design. So that's already sets us on such a higher level because, you know, she's basically Our visual dictionary. You know, I show her something, I show you something like, oh, that's 6th century Iraqi tile, or something like the most niche. Know exactly what it is. That knowledge is imperative for what we do. I think especially that our designs are very much based on historical references. I would say, yes, I. I will find certain things, and if there's something I feel very, very strongly about, I will present it to both of them and, you know, I'll make my case and say, listen, I think this would be amazing with these colors and we can switch this and make it a bit more modern. And I think for our side, we'll go for dinner at lots of friends houses and we see how they live and we see what they're into and what they're interested in. So, you know, I think it's the sense of the tradition, but also a modern side of it. Not necessarily just making a white plate, but sort of seeing how everyone else wants to live. I think we have our sort of pulse on what young people like. I think being social and getting yourself out there really does help as well. But I also think the mix of, you know, going to our parents, friends, homes for dinner and lunches is also such a wonderful influence on what we're doing as well. I think it's just. I think that's a big part of our business, mixing old and new, whether it's ages or also just design. But yeah, I think, I think there's also a huge resurgence of young people wanting to entertain and liking to entertain and really feeling pride in their own home, like our parents did as well. And just on the marketing side and the more boring side, I guess it's, you know, my mom might not necessarily know how to market on Instagram, whereas we might know how to do that better than she does. So that's the type of thing where she's still writing hashtag and then there's a space between the next word, things like that. I think it's just a perfect mix. You need to have the old and the new, the modern and the traditional, and I think that works perfectly for us. And that's basically what our brand ethos is, is old and new, in a sense.

[Olympia Irving]

But also I think that the way that we were brought up was that we were always taken around with our parents, with their friends, so we were always surrounded by this. But. So I think it was always very natural that this was going to be an intergenerational business. And what we were going to come up with was also going to be intergenerational that it should work with, you know, our friends, but also with our parents friends. I think that's what we always loved was sitting around a table, being surrounded by people of all ages and the conversations that would come from that. So I think for us it is the most beneficial thing to our business.

[Eugenia Soto]

So the ethos of your company is making art inspired homeware for the joy of living. And I want to know what joy of living means to each of you.

[Ariadne Irving]

The joy of living is in our mind, I think, is just being surrounded by things that make you smile and things that are beautiful. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder or whatever it is, but I just think things that are beautiful just automatically put a smile on your face. Whether it's a tiny little vase with one flower that you got at the deli, you know, that can, that can brighten your day instantly. And I think we live in such a frenetic, loud world that when you're at home or when you're entertaining, it's. It's that moment of peace and serenity. And I think the joy of living, you know, if you can add a bit of beauty in it, why wouldn't you do it? It's so simple. You can just buy two plates or even put them on your wall and that sort of. Can you walk into your house like, oh, and you look at it and you stop for a second. It gives you that second to think about something and. Or it reminds you of something. I think making things easy and uncomplicated, which is why I think setting a pretty table, even for two people or watching television and having a pretty plate is just such a quick and easy thing that, I don't know, you made an effort. It just, I think it makes you smile and I think that's really the joy of living.

[Eugenia Soto]

And it's something that you do every day. Like you sit down to meals every day. So it is like just elevating a moment.

[Carolina Irving]

I think that also rituals are great. I think everything, as Ariadne says, is so frenetic and so crazy. And to have these rituals where you're going to sit around a table, which is such. To me it's so important whether it's with your family or with friends. And it's a moment of. I usually call. It's like a truce in a war. It's like, okay, now everyone just stop. And then there's a conversation. And you take care of people. I mean, you know, happiness is moments and these moments are definitely part of making life so much more enjoyable, I think. And if you can give that to people, I think they feel it too. I really do.

[Eugenia Soto]

Absolutely. And it's probably a bit cultural as well. I think that I know in Spanish there's the word sobre mesa for this whole concept of just hours and hours at the table. And it's a lifestyle, really, more than anything.

[Carolina Irving]

Totally. I mean, there's nothing I like more than just sitting at the table for hours. I love that. I think we all like that.

[Eugenia Soto]

So, Olympia, when it comes to entertaining and tabletop design, what are your thoughts and what are your philosophies on that?

[Olympia Irving]

Well, I think that the reason when we started the brand was because we felt like there was this gap in the market where it was either really, really expensive plates or your grandmother's crockery that you were too scared to use or something that was really, really simple. And I think for us, our whole philosophy was that we wanted, like we said for this last question, we wanted people to be using these things. And, you know, it doesn't matter whether it's a TV dinner or a dinner for 20 people or whatever it is that that moment when you stop to sit down and have a meal, it should feel special. And I think that's why we really wanted to stop our business. And also to make it easy. I mean, I know it sounds but like our plates are dishwasher safe and microwave safe. So it's all these things so that you can really, you know, they're usable and you're not scared to use them. And if they chip, yes, of course it's annoying to have to rebuy a plate, but you don't have this fear of like, oh my God, this is going to cost me an arm and a leg and I can't replace it. So I think that's what we really wanted. And also by having this influence with the past and all these historical documents was also to show that you can have things that are usable and still be based on something that was, you know, in a 17th century painting. And that those worlds can collide. They work perfectly together. There's no, there are no rules. I think also, you know, not everyone has 12 sets of, you know, of this or that. And that's why we've always loved this idea of mixing and matching. So you might have four of our plates and four that you got from Ikea and four that you got from someone else and your friends lent them to you and then you put them all together and that doesn't matter. Beauty doesn't have to be perfect. It's whatever the effort that you've put into it. And I think that's what is so important for us. Mixing whatever you have and making something, I think, is what the real joy of it is as well, because then it's a game. I mean, then it's just. It's so much fun.

[Eugenia Soto]

And then Olympia and Ariadne, we touched on this earlier. How did your childhood, which was of course, surrounded by beautiful textiles and art and antiques and linens and tableware, how did that childhood inform your love of entertaining and tabletop?

[Ariadne Irving]

I mean, I think the notion of entertaining was originally introduced to us by our grandmother and my mother's mother, because even as she was Venezuelan and even as children, we had, like, a perfect place setting with 15 forks and knives. And it was all set super beautifully and extravagantly. It was incredibly formal, but so wonderful. But I think when we were growing up in New York with my parents, and, you know, my dad was at Sotheby's in the silver department, and he is a dealer on his own now, and with my mom's, you know, piles of textiles and the incredible mix of things, I think when we were growing up, we started to see that, how our parents would entertain. And it really showed us the beauty of mixing the formal and the informal. So the table would be. They would have dinner parties all the time, and the table would be set with incredible sort of 18th century cutlery and candlestick and silver candlesticks with rustic plates. But then you'd have those sort of Georgian green glasses. So I think it was sort of like the mix of everything really informed the way. And again, back to the ethos of our brand. It's just the mix of old and new, the mix of high and low, if you want to put it in that sense. And that's hugely influenced us, I think.

[Olympia Irving]

And I think also with our grandmother, yes, it was very formal. And I think what Mama. What our parents showed us is that actually it can also be very fun. So, you know, like, they'd be setting these amazing tables, and then dinner was roast chicken, roast potatoes and peas, and everyone was serving themselves. And so I think that that was what, like, just like Ariadne was just saying, I think that's what was always so nice, was it took away the scariness of it all of a sudden, because you didn't need the 15 forks and knives. You can still have a beautiful table, and then you have these foods on big platters. It was just all very jovial. And I think you Know, we'd hear them, we'd go to bed and you could hear them, you know, laughing until the night. And I think it was. But it was true. It was so much fun to have laughter filling the house and hearing and meeting all these amazing characters and us being allowed to come out and sit there and speak to them and then go off to bed. I think it was always in the background for us. So I think it was always natural that this was going to happen because it's part of our DNA. I mean, our parents literally instilled this in us from the beginning.

[Dara Caponigro]

We're going to take a quick break to thank the sponsor of today's Show, Schumacher. Since 1889, the fifth generation family business has been the go to source for textiles, wallpapers and trims. Their insatiable passion for luxury, beauty and quality have produced designs that transcend time and rise above the ordinary. So head to Schumacher.com to check it out.

[Eugenia Soto]

What does it do to you to have to use a beautiful set of plates every day and not just for special occasions? Carolina, why don't you take this one?

[Carolina Irving]

Looking at beautiful things really, really makes me happy. I mean, I can't even describe it in any other way. It's just some people, for some people it's less important and it doesn't really matter. And I think for all of us, I, you know, it's, it's part of the joy of life. And, you know, I understand that. You know, maybe it's a notion that's a little bit precious or. I don't even know. It just really makes me happy because it get. I look at a beautiful plate and then maybe I'm thinking of where it comes from. And then my imagination starts, you know, running wild. And these are moments in life that are great, but I understand not for everyone, but I think for us, living in the imagination is a really important thing. I think we all have our very individual worlds and we each have our fantasies. And look, it's very important, as I said, you know, life is, you know, it's difficult, it's rough at times. And I think, my God, you know, the joy of just looking at something beautiful, it makes me very happy. It really does give me great joy.

[Eugenia Soto]

There is something about it, feeding one's soul. I think that to have those little moments of beauty, definitely.

[Olympia Irving]

And I think, I think it's what we were saying also. It's that moment of stillness when you come back into a space, whether it's your own home or someone else's home, whether it's. You're eating alone or two people or 10 people. There is this thing where I think at some point, even just looking down, like my mom was saying, sometimes when we have our plates and then there's some food on it, and then we see the mix of colors, and we're like, oh, my God, how cool would this plate be in this different color? It's like what you were saying. It lets your imagination sort of run wild. And it could be from. It could be from anything. But I think it is important to us to have those little moments of just quiet and stillness where it's just you and your meal or whatever it is, you and your plate. I don't know.

[Eugenia Soto]

All of you entertain a lot. Let's go behind the scenes for a minute and just walk us a little bit through the preparation and setting the scene. When you're hosting an event or a dinner. Carolina, you've done it for so many years. Tell us a little bit about what you know, the day of, what you do. Or maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's just so natural now that you just don't have to think about it as much.

[Carolina Irving]

No, no, not really. I'm quite, quite nervous. So I like to do things way in advance. And I think. Olympian. Ariadne, I don't want to speak for you, but I think we like setting the table, really, in the morning. Let's say we're having people for dinner, which also gives you the possibility of changing your mind. And then you'll. You'll try the tablecloth, which whatever flower you could have bought, literally, from the supermarket. And it gives you a couple of hours to say, no, I don't like this. Let's change it. Let's put some lemons instead of flowers. So it's less stressful. And I'm quite stressed. So those things. I don't like to do that at the last minute. Absolutely not. And it also depends on the food that you have. If you're going to put big platters in the center of the table, you have to think what space you have left to put flowers or. All this takes time.

[Olympia Irving]

It takes a lot of time.

[Carolina Irving]

Ariadne, what's your little ritual?

[Ariadne Irving]

Yeah, I definitely set the table as early as possible. As you said, it does allow you time and room to switch things out if you need to. But it's one thing that just like you. And then also it's quite nice because then while you're in the kitchen or doing all the other things, you're just actually looking at your pretty table all day. So that's quite nice. And then, I mean, Olympia, we sort of have created our roles in when we entertain. I definitely do the sort of table flowers and Olympia's in the kitchen. I am a tablet. Olympia deals with all that. So it's also sort of figuring out what your menu is. And are you doing a. Do you have the. Do you have it in you to do multiple courses? Are you willing to sort of change the plates in the middle of the meal? It's things that you have to think about. So, Olympia, maybe you have more insight onto that.

[Olympia Irving]

Yeah, I think, like, you've both said, first thing, set the table. That's done. And then it also means that at the end, when you finish cooking, you have that time to relax before people arrive, because there's nothing worse than that, you know, being, you know, the hostess who's super stressed running around because you haven't finished setting the table. So I think definitely starting with setting the table, I do the cooking in the kitchen. So I always, for example, already in the morning know which platters I'm going to use for what I'm specifically cooking. So those are already out. So then Ariagni, when she's setting the table, can either figure out, are they going to be on the table or do we need a little side table? And then I think it starts becoming fun. So then whether it's deciding, you know, who's coming for dinner, so who's going to sit next to who, even if it's four people, six people, eight people, it's always nice to know, you know where you're going to sit. Sometimes you arrive at a dinner and you're sort of standing there awkwardly. I think as a hostess, even if you don't have placement cards, it's nice to sort of lead somewhere to where they need to be. And then I think then you just have to have fun. We put on a. I mean. I mean, I love to play music. My mom hates having music on. But, yeah, I think starting with setting the table. No. And then. And then the rest sort of falls into place.

[Eugenia Soto]

It sounds like you all are all quite comfortable and a little bit loose with the entertaining. But do you have any rules? And if so, what are your top three entertaining rules?

[Olympia Irving]

Our number one is lighting. I think lighting is the most important thing. It's creating an atmosphere. You want your people to feel comfortable. I think for us, we are candle girls. We love the light that comes from it. I think people feel comfortable. You look good with the candles.

[Eugenia Soto]

Do you Also do low ambient lighting in the room, or is it just candle lit?

[Olympia Irving]

We'll always have one or two lamps because you also don't want to be submerged in complete darkness and not see what's on your plate. I think that's also. Can be a bit spooky. You know, lots of candles, maybe a couple of lamps here and there. But I think that already with the lighting, it creates an atmosphere and people arrive and you, you already feel more comfortable. Whereas if you walk in and there's sort of, you know, interrogation lamps all over the place, you feel a bit awkward.

[Carolina Irving]

Lighting, honestly, it is, I think it is the most important thing because you want people to look their best. And if you had terrible overhead spotlights, I'm sorry, but you know, you look like, you know, you don't look good. So also it makes an atmosphere where people feel more relaxed. It's more intimate. You know, candlelit is really, you know, there's nothing like it, to be honest with you. And I will say you could have the plainest of table settings, which can also be really beautiful. Just a white tablecloth, beautiful rustic white plates and nothing on the table. But the minute you put candles and it takes on a new dimension, it looks like a sort of monastic, wonderful thing. It just. Everything is transformed, I think.

[Olympia Irving]

You know, I think number two for us is making sure, maybe this should actually be number one is making sure that your guests feel comfortable. And that means including them, making sure that they're included in the conversation. If someone doesn't know someone you know at the beginning, making sure that you're introducing them, trying to find something in common, I think that's something that is so important. There's nothing worse than sitting around and seeing that one person that's sitting alone in the corner and you just completely ignoring them. I think that's your role as a hostess, is making sure that the moment that people are spending your house, they're comfortable and happy and can, you know, join the flow. So I think that's something that we find important. And I think what goes hand in hand is then not being stressed as a hostess. So that means, like we said, being prepared earlier, you know, if you don't have help, which, for example, Ariadne, when we throw our dinners, don't have a three course dinner. So that in the middle of dinner you're taking up the plates and interrupting the flow and then people feel like they have to get up and help. So I think also simplifying your own role is crucial. And then the last one and that's just because I think, as we've said, is making it as beautiful as you can. And that could be anything. You know, if you can't find nice flowers, then we just take a bowl and put the fruits or the platters. I think that makes your guests feel comfortable, it creates an atmosphere and then it makes you happy. So I think those are three things that for us are very important.

[Eugenia Soto]

What are some other ways that you make people feel comfortable?

[Ariadne Irving]

I think a nice thing is to give your. To offer your guests a drink upon arrival. I think it's also a very nice thing to have a little bar table set up so the guests can help themselves, so they don't feel like they constantly have to ask you like, oh, can I possibly have another glass of wine? Or can I have a glass sparkling water? I think you have sort of a few essential things on your little bar table and everyone can help themselves. I think that's why it's quite fun. We have these sort of little mini ice buckets that we put down our table so you don't have to keep getting up and down for ice or things like, I know it sounds silly, but it's just these little things. And you know, I just think it's. The guest might feel awkward being like, oh, shoot, is it embarrassing? I'm asking for something else. You don't want to feel like the hostess is running around for you. But also, you know, that's what we're here for. But I think it's nice for the guest field to help themselves in certain moments. That's why I think it's nice to have family style platters down the table because then you just serve yourself. So much easier than having to get up and down. Of course, if we're doing a big dinner, a lot of the times we'll have a side table because there's just too much on the table, as Olympia said. Also, I think if it's a group of people that are very familiar, are not very familiar with each other, a seating plan can really help. It doesn't necessarily have to have plasma cards, but if you sort of like say, oh, I think you should sit here and you know, you work here and I think it'd be very interesting for you to chat. And you know, it mixes things up as well. Sometimes, you know, if someone doesn't really know anyone, they're sort of standing there waiting to figure out where, where am I going to sit? It's nice for the host to say, as I just said, you know, it would Be great for you to meet this person. Yeah.

[Olympia Irving]

And I think also, as we were saying, I think as a hostess, you have to be vigilant and also not be sort of watching people like a hawk, but look around and see, you know, if at some point you notice that for a little bit of a while someone's been, you know, not spoken to, or the two people on their. Either side have spoken to someone else, you know, maybe even from across the table, just say, how is this? Or bring up something else. I think you have to sort of be present as a hostess and not sort of leave everyone to their own, you know, devices. I think it's nice to know that you're. You're there maybe sometimes leading things as naturally as you want. It doesn't have to feel forced, but I think you have to be watching. Like you said, you don't want to arrive there and feel uncomfortable. There's no. There's no. You're not. We're not inviting people to come to our houses so that they feel like they're on the spot when they're sitting. It's not, you know, it's meant to be a moment where you're learning something new or catching up with an old friend. And so I think those are. That's important.

[Ariadne Irving]

I think it's. Find the happy medium, I guess.

[Olympia Irving]

Yeah.

[Carolina Irving]

I mean, we've all been to these dinner parties. Sometimes when you arrive with a knot in the pit of your stomach and it's, you know, you don't know anyone or people don't talk to you. I mean, look, it's happened to, I think, all of us. And you're so grateful when the hostess is actually looking after you. And, you know, you realize that you're not completely left your own devices. And we were chatting about this the other day. Some people like to invite very antagonistic people or people who, you know, there might be sparks and an explosion and, you know, people will argue. Some people really love that kind of tension. I hate that things should be harmonious and you have to. But, you know, some people literally love the controversy and the. If I know two people hate each other, I'm not gonna sit them, or I won't even ask them to sit for dinner. But some people don't. They really care and they think it's entertainment.

[Eugenia Soto]

I think also what I'm hearing from all of you is just the practice part of it is so important. Like anything, the more you do it, the better you get at it, the hostessing. And you start to notice all these Little things. So I think it's just important also for people who like to host to just encourage them to just keep doing it. And if it's not perfect, that's okay. And you know, you get better.

[Carolina Irving]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ariadne Irving]

It's trial and error. I mean, you know, there's so many times that, as I said earlier, we've tried to do like an insane sort of roast or something that you just stress out the whole time. I think you just, as you said, the more you practice, the more you learn. I think it's.

[Eugenia Soto]

I always think about the Bridget Jones movie where she makes the blue soup.

[Olympia Irving]

Exactly. Yeah, exactly. But also I think just to quickly touch on this one as well. I think for me, what I actually find one of the big joys of living is I love putting people together and I think we all love that. And I think that's why we started this whole brand is because that's what makes us happy. You know, when you sit back at some point when you're having a dinner and you look around and people that you, you know, from all parts of your life are together and you're, you're watching them and everyone's laughing and having a good time, I think that is really the most wonderful thing. At the end of the day, what's.

[Eugenia Soto]

Next for Carolina Irving and daughters? Is there anything new on the horizon?

[Carolina Irving]

I think that, well, obviously we want to grow and design more plates and everything and just extend the range of things and maybe go bit more into lifestyle, you know, not just the table that's thing you know, we would very much like to do. So fingers crossed.

[Ariadne Irving]

I think also for our future, I'd love to do like a series of trunk shows or pop ups and you know, because selling online is great, but I think the designs really come to life when you see them in person. And I would love to meet our customers face to face. You know, as Olivia said, we can talk about our designs for days and days and days. So I think it's, it's nice to meet people in person. And again, you know, a lot of the times when we do a pop up, people pick up the plates, they're like, oh, wow, they're heavier than I thought or they're sturdier than I thought or wow, they're much glossier and they're, you know, that color comes out a lot more than it does in the picture. So I think doing pop ups would be really a fun thing to do more of, at least.

[Eugenia Soto]

Definitely. And in person with home things, there's really nothing like it.

[Carolina Irving]

Absolutely. Yeah. So we need. We need to. We need to get our act together. Yeah, definitely.

[Dara Caponigro]

Thanks for joining us today. Stay tuned for next week's episode of Deep Dive.