A Mother’s Day Celebration with

There’s something about a magical entertainer—an eye for the elevated, unusual, unexpected—a gut instinct on how to make a chic occasion a total ball. Enter, Rebecca Gardner, creative director and founder of Houses & Parties, a full-service event and interiors design collective in Savannah and New York City. 

Gardner has made a splash around the country as an event extraordinaire, designing jaw-dropping fêtes with giant red tassels hanging from ceilings and cascading paper butterflies on tables topped with hundreds of candles. She’s also been named one of the top event designers by VOGUE, Town & Country, and more. 

In fall of 2020, she brought her party tricks to life with the launch of her retail destination Houses & Parties—selling everything from witty parlor games to pink silk faille table lampshades. In her words, her collection of tabletop and off-beat gifts,  “uses jolts of irreverence to turn classic good taste on its head.” 

We were lucky enough to sit down with the doyenne of elegant yet unusual event design to talk all things Mother’s Day—from the perfect chocolate cake to setting the table with chartreuse lady slipper orchids.

Set the tone with effort. This means something different for everyone but effort never goes unnoticed. 

Lexington Tilleul

I was paralyzed this time last year when everyone was predicting oatmeal and mossy green. Thank heavens 2021 is full of pink and embellishment. The spring palette is a colorful possibility.

Pink Silk Faille Table Lampshade

 I've designed several soup-to-nuts tables on Houses & Parties to make setting a Mother's Day table easy and joyful. The collection For A Floral Bouquet was designed with Mother's Day in mind. Or, if she's too sporty for chintz, check out For Carnivorous Plants which includes wonderful Venus Flytrap Candlesticks by Tommy Mitchell. Both of these looks are meant for outside; take it to the backyard, to the lawn or drop in the woods. 

Venus Fly Trap Candleholder

The perfect menu for every occasion includes something filling, something fresh and something sinful. Then, chocolate dessert.

I am a huge fan of serving Miles of Chocolate. It is a dense chocolate brownie kinda crispy kinda chewy kinda insane. The dessert will wow everyone, and it's something new. Miles makes these by hand in Austin, TX. They ship nationwide. Serve any dessert with tiny iced cookies from The Rounds. They made a colorway exclusive to Houses & Parties. I think these look great as a colorful garnish, on a silver tray or scattered for edible decor right on the table.

These duos look like they have fun together; Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn + Diana Ross and Tracee Ellis Ross.

I've been using the same potted plants and flowers over and over in these marbled paper cachepots. I like to mix the colors according to what else is on the china. Lady slipper orchids in chartreuse green are my favorite. They're weird and wonderful.

I love this boat bag in zany orange. Why don't you send this to your mom with detailed plans for a girls trip? Aren't we READY?

Favorite J.McLaughlin Style: 

I spent last weekend on my patio with my laptop planning trips for every available minute of this summer. I'm going to keep a bag packed with the Helene Quilted Jacket and pearl earrings the size of gumballs. I'll always be ready for the next adventure.

Shop Rebecca Gardner's Go-To Pallette: Pink