Fresh, fragrant florals and softly playing music permeated the air on a crisp fall evening as the warm glow of candles and cool craft cocktails beckoned guests inside. Attendees were greeted with spicy grapefruit margaritas and pomegranate spritzes as they stepped through the front door of Alexis Warren’s charming Myers Park cottage. It was a stunning setting for a festive celebration of female business owners in the Charlotte area.
Warren’s thoughtfully selected guest list included founders of local businesses, ranging from clothing stores to design studios, health and wellness services to a gourmet food market.
“There is so much creativity among this group of women, so I wanted to offer an opportunity for everyone to get to know each other,” says Warren, who owns Alexis Warren Interior Designs. “Community and collaboration are crucial for woman-owned businesses. We need to share our experiences and support each other.”
Conversation flowed as guests nibbled on Piedmont Pennies cheese straws and Queen City Crunch pretzels while sipping beverages by Nina Moore of Drink Moore Cocktails. Warren eventually ushered guests to the dining room, where personalized embroidered cocktail napkins by M&D Threads doubled as place cards on the tables.
“It’s the small details that make guests feel special in your home,” says Warren, an avid entertainer.
When planning a party, her first to-do item after finalizing the guest list is designing a beautiful table scape. Warren sifted through fabric and wallpaper archives at Baxter Mill Archive in Rock Hill to select linens for this event. She collaborated with their design team to convert an antique floral wallpaper remnant into a tablecloth and to revive a delicate French silk fabric for napkins, creating completely bespoke table linens.
“Baxter Mill has a huge assortment of antique fabrics, hand-painted artwork and historical wallpaper dating back to the 1600s,” Warren says. “The creative team will create a digital file so a designer can make changes to the pattern, scale or color and print it on fabric or wallpaper. It’s a really cool process and gives your linens an heirloom feel.”
The custom tablecloth was layered with brightly colored seasonal flowers by Marigold Floral Design, as well as blue and white ceramic plates, bamboo silverware and Estelle colored glassware.
“The blue and white plates are actually my everyday china,” says Warren. “I found them at the Chinoiserie Squirrel and bought a set of 40. My mother-in-law once told me ‘You never know when you’ll host a big event!’”
The ladies chatted over a delectable dinner provided by Bo Phillips of Gourmand, a one-stop shop for everyone's culinary and entertaining needs at Apex SouthPark. Gourmand offers personalized baskets, pre-ordered holidays meals, and more. The autumn-themed menu included a golden beet salad with whipped goat cheese, seared Chilean sea bass with butternut squash Farrotto, and cranberry bread pudding for dessert.
Throughout the meal, Warren initiated introductions around the table, which led to spirited discussions.
“I think the best conversations happen at a dinner table with great food, cocktails and low lighting,” Warren says.
A consummate hostess, Warren had set a table for Mahjong in case guests wanted to start an impromptu game.
"Having a game or some type of entertainment at a dinner party is key, whether it’s a get-to-know-each-other game that goes around the table or an after-dinner game,” says Warren. “Mahjong is so popular right now, so I had Ashley Sigmon and Leigh Young of Mahj in the City bring a set for the party.”
Warren was given a custom hostess gift box from Bonnie + Bud filled with a small floral arrangement, wine and carefully curated Southern goodies. After the plates were cleared and the evening wound down, guests left with a gift bag of homemade pasta from Gourmand as well as their personalized cocktail napkins from the dinner table.
“I never send my guests home empty-handed,” Warren says. “Hopefully after this dinner, they walked away with some great new relationships and ideas, too.”
Guests included Erin McDermott of Erin McDermott Jewelry, Caroline Cecil of Kravet, Maggie Gavigan of Mignonne Gavigan, Daisy Perper of M&D Threads, Eloise Reeves of Thirty One Jane, Hannah Munce of HM Studio, Jess Sidhom of Coco Leto, Karly Barker of Courtside Kids, Katie Cooper of Queen City Crunch, Ashley Sigmon and Leigh Young of Mahj In The City, Lila Levet of Primary Spine Institute, Nicole Gibbons of Clare Paint, Annie Spence of Spence Social, Hope Skouras of The Whole Hope and Liz Brown of Queen City Magazine.
“It’s the small details that make guests feel special in your home,” says interior designer Alexis Warren, an avid entertainer.