East meets West: Asian-inspired decor

On occasion
Here are designer Frank Rea's foolproof tips for designing and throwing a party that's perfect.

•Use containers for arrangements that build on the theme, like bamboo tubes for an East-meets-West party, or distressed terra-cotta flowerpots for a Tuscan look.

•Work with existing decor. "Go with what the decor suggests, and stay with one colour scheme if there isn't a consistent look in the house," says Frank. "That way you can create flow from the street to foyer, cocktail area and reception area."

•Create impact. "You have to have an edge," says Frank. It can be one exotic leaf on a table, like a huge banana leaf layered over stalks of bamboo or dramatic Monstera leaves used as placemats or placed beneath a serving platter.

•Stagger arrangements on a buffet table, leaving room for food trays. If there's a light fixture hanging over the centre of the table, put two main arrangements on either end of the table rather than one in the middle for a more balanced display.

•Keep arrangements in proportion to the size and scale of the room. "Ceiling height and room size affect the scale of the treatment," Frank says. "Don't overpower a room unless you're going for a tropical jungle theme or maybe a secret garden."

•Prepare a menu and use accessories that support your theme. Use lighting, linens, cutlery and china to create a blank canvas for colourful food; or, for even more punch, serve food that matches your colour scheme.

•Choose flowers that fit the theme. Delicate lily-of-the-valley blooms and a Zen-garden-theme dinner party don't go, just as dramatic foliage like Alocasia leaves at a Parisian salon-theme luncheon would stand out like weeds in a parterre.

Read more in Food & Entertaining and Tabletop Ideas