Nina's Night In

 Sports Illustrated model turned health and fitness coach, Nina Agdal, knows how to steal the scene - especially when it comes to entertaining. Nina lets LUX inside her cozy “Girls Night In” dinner party at a private apartment in Little Italy to toast some of the women who inspire her most. Check out Nina’s easy to follow tips and tricks to incorporate into your next soiree.

READY, SET, GO!

 “The first step of any tablescape is deciding on an overall color scheme for the event and table. The apartment where I hosted my dinner party has deep navy blue walls, romantic overhead lighting, and a beautiful farmhouse-style wooden table where we would be eating, so we chose to lean into that,” shares Nina. 

“My menu always informs what flatware to choose. I like to serve healthier dishes and worked with Little Gem catering to make an elevated  family-style buffet, which left more room on the table to build out the florals and decor which I designed with PopUp Florist.”

“We chose navy blue dinner napkins to match the space as well as brushed gold flatware to go with the rustic farmhouse vibe of the table. We initially considered a white tablecloth, but the wood table in the space was just too pretty to be covered. Often less is more when creating your tablescape, so I always look at how we can refine different aspects once I set the table.” 

FLOWER POWER

 “The floral design is always one of the most exciting elements of creating a tablescape for me. Working with Popup Florist, we selected a palette of deep red and burgundy flowers, as well as mismatched vases in different colors and sizes which added a charming touch to the table.”

CHEERS!

 “I love to creating a custom cocktail menu, making sure it pairs well with the menu, tastes great, and looks fabulous against the table decor. I worked with Belvedere Vodka and their mixologist team to create my own signature cocktail, The Holiday Honey - a refreshing tipple topped off with a sprig of fragrant rosemary.”

 THE HOLIDAY HONEY

• 1.5oz Belvedere Organic Infusions Pear and Ginger 
• .75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• .5 oz Honey Water
• Pinch of Cinnamon
• 4 oz Ginger Beer

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker except Ginger Beer and shake with ice. Pour into tall glass with fresh ice and top off with Ginger Beer. Garnish with Rosemary Sprig.

** Honey Water: 2 parts honey to 1 part warm water.

GETTING LIT

“Once the table is set and florals are placed, the final touches of accessorizing can happen. The lighting in the space was really soft and moody, so we added a bunch of different sized candles all around the room to make the space feel super cozy and also lit perfectly for photos. 

Candles are always a really great add for dinner tablescapes, but you can also work with other greenery, ribbons, confetti, or even candy as table decor for daytime events.”

SAY MY NAME

“Beautiful place cards at each setting are my final touch for larger group dinners. Seating friends from different groups together is always a fun hostess trick and ensures everyone leaves having met someone new.”

 BE YOUR GUEST

“Don’t forget that the energy of the event is set by the hostess. Don’t stress if a guest doesn’t show, or the apple tart gets a tad overcooked. Go with the flow and a smile, and no one will notice the difference. Enjoy the beautiful table you have designed and the friends you’ve brought around it!”