Talk Shop: Rebecca Gardner // House and Parties
Courtesy of House & Parties
ABOUT REBECCA
Rebecca Gardner first caught our eye a few years back, with a tablescape so beautiful it stopped us in our tracks. The event and interior design extraordinaire is the founder and creative director of House & Parties, a full-service event and interior design collective in Savannah and New York City – and recently launched e-commerce site that will leave you swooning for silver candlesticks in a way you never knew you had in you. (Or is that just us?)
Rebecca’s been named a top event designer by Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Southern Living, and has had her work published in AD, WSJ, T&C, and the New York Times – so it’s no wonder that her new venture has us wanting everything she’s got her eye on and more. Read on for RG’s business tips, inspiration, and tips on how to throw a certified soirées below!
Describe your style in three words or less:
Lavish, irreverent, confident
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
1.My uncle, Bill Gardner gave me bunnies at Easter in painted pink cages (to my parent’s frustration). He’s the most creative person that I know and has a fabulous antique store in Houston @wgardner51.
2. My favorite artist, the photographer, Tim Walker has inspired my work, before I worked.. His images feed the most outrageous dreams.
3. Venice brings all the things that I love to one dreamy destination. The opulence! The romance! The drama! The glass! The imperfection! I yearn for the city.
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
I started my events and interiors firm 10 years ago, my shop Houses & Parties launched earlier this month. I love to shop for treasures when I travel and now I have a place to put them.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I’ve studied Martha Stewart like a hawk since I was a precocious child.
What does your home say about you:
My house screams “Welcome. What would you like to drink?” Then, it whispers “Have another.”
Where do you find inspiration:
I’m afraid my answer is boring. The truth is, like everyone, I find inspiration in history and travel and meeting new people.
Who are your style icons:
Auntie Mame, whoever Wes Gordon is dressing and, with a heavy heart, the late Julia Reed.
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Flattering candlelight, heavy pours and a bit of mischief.
Do you collect anything:
Oh, yes, everything. Chinese porcelain figurines, Paola Navone ceramics and antique pave insect brooches.
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
@happymenocal, @trishandersenart, @chiachong, @fd_gallery.
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
I believe asymmetry > symmetry and imperfect charm > sterile perfection.
What are you working on right now:
I just launched Houses & Parties, an ecommerce destination for creating memorable occasions. Please shop!
Wardrobe staples:
I need a column of color. Marni is my go-to.
Best interior advice you ever received:
Let the architecture speak first.
Best career advice you ever received:
“Anticipate my needs.”
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
I don’t buy expensive eye cream and I couldn't care any less about cars. However, I don’t cut corners on my house.
Your greatest extravagance:
Aforementioned brooches and starched bed linens.
Favorite places to shop for home:
KRB (for treasures), W. Gardner Antiques (for dreaming), Courtland & Company (for details).
Most prized possession and why:
My most prized possession is a gold charm bracelet that is a jingling timeline of my life. Sometimes, it’s heavy and cold around my wrist!
Your interiors motto:
Fortune favors the bold.
Your life motto:
If something is worth doing, it’s worth over doing.
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
You either have it or you hire it.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Cacio e Pepe, Insalata Verde and Carrots with Cumin from Via Carota.
Drink: Ruinart Blanc de Blanc. Ice Cold. Coupe.
Film: Dirty Dancing. Rebecca. The Big Chill.
Hotel: The Gritti Palace
City: Venice
Bedding: Porthault
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Almond Milk Latte
Playlist: Old School Rap or Showtunes
Weekend Activity: Sleep late, dinner party.
Design Book: Jeffrey Bilhuber’s The Way Home. My copy is so worn, the spine has split. I reference it in almost every project.
