How To Entertain…With Skye McAlpine
The author, cookery writer and designer, may split her time between London and Venice, but she’s never more at home than when she’s hosting. We caught up with Skye McAlpine in her gorgeous London abode to chat dinner parties, tableware and, of course, fashion…
It’s hard not to feel like you’re instantly part of something special the minute you walk through Skye McAlpine’s door. Her beautifully renovated home is warm, welcoming and very clearly designed with entertaining in mind. Sitting down to freshly made cake, there’s a sense of ease and an unspoken invitation to indulge in delicious food and a good old natter. Unsurprisingly, this woman has made a very successful career out of making people feel – simply put – really good.
Having moved to Italy with her family as a young child, the influences are evident throughout her home, her cooking and her work. From the busy kitchen and huge Murano glass chandeliers hanging from her ceilings to her cookbook, ‘ A Table In Venice: Recipes from My Home’, not to mention, her own Italian-made tableware collection, Tavola, this early childhood change has clearly made a lasting impression. The laid-back grandeur of it all feels somewhat iconic and intoxicating, and yet McAlpine makes it effortless and attainable. With another new book out and an expanding Tavola collection, she’s definitely one to watch and follow.
Read on to discover more…
Where did the love for food and entertaining come from?
I am the world’s greediest person – that’s where the love of food comes from. The love of entertaining… Well, it’s impossible to grow up in Italy and not love it. Since moving there, my parents always ran an open kitchen; we constantly had people joining us for lunch or for dinner. We very rarely ate on our own. I think in retrospect, it was kind of like their way of building a family in a country where, at the beginning, we didn’t have so many friends, didn’t really have family or even speak the language. Essentially, my parents had the biggest impact. They always made entertaining very relaxed, joyful and celebratory. It was never a source of stress. It was consistently something exciting to look forward to and enjoy.
What is it about entertaining that you enjoy so much?
My dream is basically to be at home, and just have people here the whole time. I love having friends over and for it to feel relaxed. It’s weird because I am actually quite an introvert. I will basically either go to bed at 6 and sleep, or endlessly entertain. I don’t do much in between.
Your home is made for hosting. Was this a big consideration when renovating?
Absolutely. We worked with a friend of ours, Ben Pentreath, who’s an architect. It was such a huge project, but he could see our vision. As a friend, he had a clear understanding of how we live, what we like to do and what we care about. That’s vital when it comes to designing a home – especially for a family. Yes, there were certain things I knew I wanted, specifically with the kitchen, but he knew how to implement everything in the best way possible.
SKYE MCALPINE TAVOLA, Lily Tumbler Millefiori, Honey, £94
How important was the kitchen in the renovation process?
Hugely. Designing a kitchen is thinking about your lifestyle and really identifying what you care about. Consider what will make your life easier or better because it’s a room that you spend so much time in. For me, there’s such a lack of boundaries between my work and my life. I needed a kitchen that would work for entertaining, but also for photo shoots.
Firstly, I wanted the space to be light, so Ben, our architect, made the windows bigger and put in french doors. We then painted it in this beautiful Farrow & Ball yellow, which feels really joyful; it lifts my mood and helps make it a room that I want to be in.
Our island is on wheels, so you can move it about, which not only works when hosting large groups, but is great for catching the right light on shoots – the marble top is also ideal for this. We added trestles to our dining table to allow for more people. And, another genius idea from Ben, was to add two dishwashers. I’d never considered this, but in my case, it’s the best thing.
The biggest addition was my Lacanche oven. It’s incredible; even when I’m catering for 20-30 people, I never run out of space.
You have three brilliant cookery books to your name that feature your home, was it a natural step to branch into tableware design?
I’ve always dreamed of doing my own tableware. For me the presentation of food is almost as important as the flavours. I believe that you eat with your eyes, as much as your mouth and your tummy. And I don’t mean fancy foods, like a carrot made to look like a flower. I express this feeling of celebration through abundance – big bowls of delicious food, pretty glasses, candles, colourful dinner plates; something that feels very welcoming, but kind of beautiful and elegant at the same time. Simple, but overflowing. I don’t want my guests to feel intimidated or like they need to be on best behaviour. And yet, it still feels like a moment… a moment to remember.
Before developing your own tableware, where did you find pieces to create the perfect tablescape?
It was all vintage, which is what prompted me to take inspiration from these collections and create something new. That way I could then own multiples of them, but in some way, each piece would still have a bit of character to it. I initially did a tabletop collaboration with Anthropologie. It was great and gave me the confidence to take the next step in developing my own range.
What were your first designs?
We launched Tavola with the Romilly plates that we still do today. I still use them all the time; I love them a lot. Then we created the Murano glass vases in pink. In fact, a lot of the pieces we launched with, we still do. I never wanted Tavola to be seasonal. I would never want to feel like we’re putting more stuff out there, just for the sake of existing. I love stuff and I’m a total maximalist, but that ‘stuff’ needs to bring joy, like in some small way you’re making the world a prettier and happier place by virtue of it being there.
Are they all your own designs?
A mixture. When we first launched, some of the pieces like the bud vases and glasses were my own. However, with the Romilly plate, we took a mould that the ceramicist in Italy had and I added a pop of colour. It was an archive piece that they hadn’t used in a while, so they put it back in production for Tavola. But we’re increasingly moving to all our own designs. For example, the Tutti Frutti collection is inspired by my love of summer fruits – I collect handbags that are shaped like fruit – so I wanted to recreate that playful feel in the collection.
Your love for colour and your Italian upbringing has clearly had an influence on your collection…
Yes, all the glassware is made in Murano. All the ceramics are made in Bassano del Grappa, which is a tiny town near Venice that is also known for making Grappa. We currently work with three different family businesses that make slightly different styles of ceramics. As for the colour and eclectic mix of designs, I love mixing and matching, as it creates a sense of imperfection that makes the table feel more relaxed.
Hosting a dinner party can be quite a daunting task. What are your top tips on keeping it a calm and an enjoyable experience?
I’m a big fan of doing as much in advance as you can. Even build it up three days in advance, and choose a menu that’s easy. Don’t go for a filet of sole and homemade pasta. Think about dishes that aren’t a huge amount of effort for large groups of people. So by the time the actual party comes around, you don’t have that much to do other than serving. It means you get to enjoy your party rather than constantly taking care of everybody.
Keep things simple. Doing more of one thing is a lot easier than doing lots of different things. So don’t do six different side dishes or six different salads. Make something like a cold roast beef, then thinly slice it, do a green salad and some boiled new potatoes with parsley. Serve it in big, big dishes. And that’s you done. Whether you’re making a salad for two people, or making a salad for 20 people, this kind of dish doesn’t really make a difference to the amount of effort unless you’re like shelling peas. All you need is a bigger bowl. So, basically, think about a menu that scales easily. Cook in advance and keep things simple. It doesn’t have to be hard or scary.
DAYLESFORD, ORGANIC SPARKLING APPLE JUICE, £5.99
What is your dinner party drink of choice?
Again, I keep it very simple. We have a good stock of white wine, red wine and Prosecco. Daylesford also does this really lovely sparkling apple juice in a champagne bottle, which is nice for non-drinkers. It means it’s easy to delegate serving drinks to a friend. If I’m hosting for a smaller dinner, I might do prosecco with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds. Or in the summer I’ll have a pre-made jug of Pimms or Negronis.
But honestly, I think if you have really pretty glasses it even makes drinking water a bit more exciting.
How do you create an Insta-worthy tablescape?
Don’t aspire to perfection, aspire to imperfection.
I’d say invest in plates that you love, because that is where the impact lies. Build a collection over time; combine quite plain plates with something much more ornate.
I think a tablecloth is the easiest way to transform the table. You can have the ugliest, nastiest table and by simply adding a linen sheet you’ll transform it into something quite elegant.
I just love that you can be surrounded by mess. Or maybe you’re living in a rental that you kind of hate. Maybe It’s not what you imagined your dream home to be. And yet, a beautifully laid table, whatever your budget, can create magic. When you walk into a room, that’s all you look at and all you ever notice.
What is your favourite centrepiece?
I love bud vases. There’s something beautiful about those single statement stems, plus they’re easy to talk over. I used to use jam jars, which are great, but you need a lot of flowers to make an impact. Coloured candles are also beautiful. We’ve just introduced them to our range. We have some that have been hand-painted in Italy to go with the Tutti Frutti collection.
Dinner parties should be relaxed; keep the food simple, the table colourful and enjoy.
Skye McAlpine Tavola, Ivy Green Bud Vase, £48
When creating an ambience, what’s your fail-safe playlist?
I know it’s very controversial, but I typically don’t have one. I find getting the speakers working way too stressful, and I simply like talking. However, if you’re after more of a party atmosphere, Le Sirenuse do a great playlist with a mix of ‘80s pop and Italian tunes.
And finally, with the food prepared and the table set, what is your go-to fashion for dinner parties?
For me, I love being barefoot, because I’m comfortable that way and I want everyone else to feel relaxed, too. I mean, I absolutely love shoes. I have an incredible collection of shoes that is in pristine condition because I just don’t wear them.
Similarly, I feel more comfortable in a dress or skirt. Not to be fancy, they just suit my body shape.
What are your favourite brands to wear?
I mainly wear vintage clothes. I buy a lot of vintage Prada. You’ll often find my obsessively scouring Vestiare Collective and the RealReal designer app. I also use a couple of vintage dealers on Instagram. One is called Butch Wax Vintage – she’s brilliant. She’s very good at guessing whether something will fit me or not. But if you like something, you can’t hang about. You need to snap it up or it will go.
I’m currently really into the ‘80s American designer, Victor Costa, who has the most fabulous dresses. Yes, some are a bit ‘80s fancy dress, but so many others are stunning. Realistically, I could spend £100 on a high street dress that everyone else is going to have or I could spend the same amount and own something utterly unique and beautifully made.
I also adore Emilia Wickstead and Emporio Sirenuse for true investment pieces. For shoes, I go to Charlotte Olympia. I feel like her brand really resonates with me; it’s glamorous, yet playful. And she does great flats that are pretty jazzy, too. For basics, Boden has some gorgeous, quality pieces, as does Uniqlo. I generally can’t wear trousers, but Kate Barton has the perfect cuts and styles.
The products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however, The Handbook may make a small commission on some products purchased through affiliate links.
