On the Town: Entertaining Tips from Lynn Easton

There’s a reason the folks at Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Martha Stewart Weddings, among others, turn to Lynn Easton for style advice. She’s the arbiter of understatement, the Oz of fresh elegance. She sets a mood like nobody’s business—maybe because it is her business, as the founding director of Easton Events and creative director/cofounder of Easton Porter Group, a boutique hospitality enterprise that brought us Zero George Street hotel and Cannon Green.

“Spring in Charleston is pure enchantment—if you love the casualness of outdoor entertaining as much as I do, there’s no better time,” says Lynn, who shares a simple garden supper with friends in Zero George’s courtyard. Her secrets for a flawless spring fling? Luckily, she shares those, too.

Lynn’s Dinner Party Tips:

Make it a team effort. Do what you do best and enjoy the most, then tag-team or outsource the rest. “My husband, Dean, is the primary cook,” says Easton. “I focus on the décor, mood, and music; he does the cheffing.”
Pick a focus for the menu. This one is Mediterranean, featuring Italian-influenced pasta, accented by Italian china and linens. Lynn believes that “you eat with your eyes,” so she makes sure her menu complements her tablescape and vice versa.
Offer subtle surprises with color. Add a refreshing pop to a table setting with a colored water glass.
Stir up the seating arrangements. Especially when gathering good friends, Easton likes to plot unpredictable seating. “It’s always a good idea to add singles into the mix,” she says, “and to separate couples.”

For more tips, as well as recipes, check out our feature “Supper in the Garden with Lynn Easton” here.

To read more from our April issue, click here.