An Autumn Evening.
An intimate private dinner for 60 guests at a villa in Porto Rafti, designed around the season and the things that already belonged to the place.
It was mid-October, and for one evening the villa garden was transformed into a warm autumn setting for dinner, music and celebration. Rather than bringing an entirely new world into the property, we chose to work with the one that was already there: olive branches from the grounds, seasonal fruit, old books from the villa’s library and even roof tiles that belonged to the house itself.
The result was a private dinner in Attica that felt as though it had always belonged in the garden.
- Occasion
- Private dinner · 60 guests
- Where
- Private villa · Porto Rafti, Attica, Greece
- Palette
- Ivory, olive green, deep red & warm antique gold
- Scope
- Creative direction, event styling, tablescape design, stationery, centerpieces & overall event setup
The concept grew naturally from the place itself and from the season. In mid-October, the olive trees surrounding the villa were covered in tiny, still-unripe olives. Branches were cut that same afternoon and became the foundation of the styling, alongside pomegranates, pears and pumpkins — elements taken directly from the language of an autumn landscape.
Instead of conventional floral arrangements, we looked inside the house for the centrepiece of the tables. The villa’s large library was filled with old hardback books, their covers worn and their pages aged with time. A selection was brought into the garden and used as the focal point of the tables, surrounded by olive branches, seasonal fruit, pearls and white candles in aged gold and brown-toned holders.
Even the table numbers were created using old roof tiles from the villa. Almost nothing felt as though it had been brought in simply for the occasion. The house itself became part of the styling.
At every place setting, a personalised name card was paired with a fresh olive branch cut from the grounds, its tiny olives still attached. A simple detail that connected each guest’s place directly to the landscape surrounding them.
Round tables, white chairs and crisp white linen created a quiet canvas for the autumn elements layered across each tablescape.
Olive branches, pomegranates, pears, old books, pearls and candlelight replaced conventional floral centrepieces. Different textures and heights made each table slightly individual while maintaining the same warm, effortless aesthetic throughout the garden.
The garden did more than host the dinner. For one evening, it became a complete event setting, with the dining tables, buffet, live music and dance floor all existing within the natural surroundings of the villa.
As daylight faded, white candles began to illuminate the tables and the atmosphere became warmer and more intimate. A generous buffet accompanied the dinner, while live Greek music carried the 60 guests through the evening and into the early hours of the morning.
For one night, a private home became a place of celebration without ever losing its own identity. In fact, the entire design was built around it.
“Sometimes, the most beautiful way to transform a space is to begin by looking at what already belongs there.”
