ENTERTAINING TABLETOP

The Art of Food Styling and Rustic Tabletop

leesa o\'reilly :: australian food stylist :: picnic and outdoor dinner party

My entertaining philosophy has always been to pay attention to how I present food and set up my table instead of passing hours cooking in the kitchen. I cook but I opt for delicious dishes that are simple to make. I often serve dishes I am used to do.  The key is to serve the entire meal in a more refined way. Adding a few details goes a long way. The idea is to make it looks special, to show that you care.

Any time you have guess over, always make sure the table is ready before your guests arrive. It sends the message that they are thrilled to have them over. Pay attention to how you dress your table. These pictures styled by the Australian-based stylist Leesa O’Reilly are perfect examples that modern rustic can be elegant and inviting. To speed up the process, practice how you can set up the table on weekend for your family brunch or dinner.

leesa o\'reilly :: cheese platters and french bistro style

Get inspired by how Leesa O’Reilly arranged her cheese platters. You can mix and match the classic linen with hemstitch detail to add interest to a bistro style tabletop. Assembling this table will take you 5 to 10 minutes. Remember it the next time you are in a hurry.

Notice that most photos were taken by Melbourne based photographer Mark Roper. Karen Martini and George Calombaris are Melbourne-based internationally renowned chefs. Their food is represented in a selection of the images.

SOURCING:
+ Portfolio of Leesa O’Reilly – photos for Vogue Entertaining & Travel (photography by Andrew McCornell and food by George Colomboris), Donna Hay, Sunday Life Magazine (food by Karen Martini) – most photographs are by Mark Roper
+ Table Linen Collection by Linen & Moore napkin $13.20 AUD, tablecloth $130-$185 AUD
+ Via Oh Joy!

  • KimVallee
    July 15, 2009 at 12:21

    Inspired by the work of stylist Leesa O’Reilly, I talked about the Art of Food Styling and Rustic Tabletop http://bit.ly/7mrEv

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • StillLifeWith
    July 15, 2009 at 13:03

    Inspiring rustic tabletop styling on At Home with @KimVallee: http://bit.ly/4au7JE

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • Camille
    July 16, 2009 at 04:54

    What an inspiring post… I love the modern/rustic contrast of the all white table in the last shot.

  • Whisk_food_blog
    July 16, 2009 at 21:42

    The Art of Food Styling and Rustic Tabletop by @KimVallee http://su.pr/2zsWAr

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  • Jess @ The Finer Things
    July 17, 2009 at 10:44

    Kim this is great! I’ll be linking to it in my Friday Linkfest today. Enjoy your weekend!