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“Mrs. Alice saved me last year,” said Allison Chavez when she arrived at the River Oaks home of Illa Gaunt on Monday. Chavez, the owner of Sweet Paris Crêperie & Cafe, has placed a rush order for one of Alice Naylor-Leyland’s boxed plates to celebrate a holiday event in 2021. The homewares brand, Mrs. . Alice, just two years ago.
The idea of starting a table decoration company was not quite in his career plans. Born in Switzerland and raised in London, she studied fashion and worked for Aerin, French Sole and Vogue magazine. The art of hospitality and entertainment was born. England-based Naylor-Leyland thanks her mother Serena Fresson and asks if the “table” concept has crossed the pond.
Now they are working together. She has about 190,000 followers. Alice on Instagram (@mrsalice); Fresson, the design director of the brand has 31,000 more (@serena_fresson).
“My mother was setting the table my whole childhood,” Naylor-Leyland said. “Our table-in-a-box helps you set that table without thinking too much.”
In early November, she and her husband Thomas went on a three-city tour of America, bringing Mrs. Alice in Wonderland in Palm Beach, Dallas and Houston just in time for Thanksgiving. Gaunt and Natalie Steen hosted a dinner for two before opening their pop-up shop down the street.
The maids and sisters-in-law set the two long tables in the Gaunt dining room in Mrs. Alice’s way, with lots of mixing, matching and layering.
“The best thing you can do is use the tablecloth as your base and add from there,” Naylor-Leyland said.
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One of Gaunt’s favorite things about Mrs. Alice is long. Arrange for a table for 8, just table cloths on the floor.
She and Steen paired an Ikat tablecloth (from $72) with a Woodland Moss Decor Set ($178) that includes decorative squirrels, velvet mushrooms, wooden pumpkins, candles and coordinating candle holders, moss and a foot bowl . On the olive pheasant table (from $72) they add a gold glitter natcracker trio ($48), swan family ($74), olive green reindeer herd (a set of three for $22) and mini pagoda candles (for $72 a pair). To personalize each event Gaunt added her own china plates and silver cups from interior designer CeCe Barfield Thompson, who also decorated the Gaunt home.
Like Naylor-Leyland, Gaunt doesn’t care much about hospitality. Both women embrace the surprise and humor of having family friends in a home. Fresson used to dilute the ketchup for the guests. Gaunt prefers to serve caviar — and potato chips — in Murano glass.
Their favorite rules for entertaining? There are no rules. So, don’t be afraid to use the good stuff.
“People don’t take their best silver with China,” says Gaunt. “I think it should happen all the time, except during the holidays.”
Steen likes to add something “a little naughty” when hosting. One year, he put a single cigarette and a mint in goody bags. Put cards with the family’s last name or inside the joke to make it fun, she suggests.
“The story sets the tone,” says Steen. As a digital producer, her weekly newsletter “The Nat Note” offers a variety of happy, shop-ready items for women, children and the home to some 50,000 followers.
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He and Gaunt, an art consultant and collector, agree that soul music and lighting play an important role. They warn about thank-yous, paper plates and canceling plans at the last minute for social gatherings.
“The host has to pay,” Steen said. “But you don’t want someone to be like a last-minute bid to fill that seat.”
It’s bad news for millennials — the generation’s tendency to slip through the cracks may actually cross some leadership lines.
How many times can a guest cancel and stay comfortable? “Two strikes gets you out,” Gaunt said with a laugh.
All the more reason to bring a thoughtful gift this holiday season. And can Mrs. Alice helps with that.
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