If there’s anyone who knows how to throw a beautiful party — and make it look effortless — it’s Annalisa Ferraris. Known for her dreamy, brutalist-meets-pastel paintings of poolside architecture and intimate interiors, the Sydney-based artist has long captured the mood of a perfect evening. Now, through her design label Ferraris, she brings that same sensibility to the tangible world, with sculptural chairs and softly glowing sconces designed to elevate any space.
With the long weekend ahead — and hosting season still in full swing — we turned to Ferraris for her foolproof advice. From how to politely send guests home to the unexpected pantry item that can save a party in a pinch, she answers T Australia readers’ most burning entertaining dilemmas with charm, practicality, and a martini in hand.
What are your key rules or guidelines for dinner party seating charts? Do you make sure couples aren’t seated together? Do you mix introverts with extroverts? How should I approach seating this season?
I don’t stick to any hard rules seating wise, as it always depends on the crowd- but one thing I do like to do, is break the meal up if possible.
Between or after the main course, before dessert have everyone wander out to the balcony, or into the garden- then once everyone returns encourage them to mix up the seating!
What are some creative ways to set the mood for a cocktail party without spending a fortune on decor?
I think any one decorative thing en mass always looks chic and impactful- keep it simple. Some simple, affordable would be: pillar candles down the centre; only large foliage – no flowers; it doesn’t have to be costly, even white tablecloths with books stacked underneath in varying heights to create layers; grapes – lots and lots of heaving piles of grapes!
How can I make a last-minute gathering look polished and put-together?
Fabric napkins or a tablecloth; foliage, from anywhere, anyway you can (carry snips in your handbag!); this should be done anyway, but please take any dips, olives, packaged goods out of their plastic and throw them into a dish or bowl (anything solid).
Is a self-service bar chic? How should I set one up?
Yes! Why not outsource the work – it’s chic and interactive. But I suggest written instructions or guidelines on said bar, so someone’s not galavanting around with a martini made solely of tequila.
How do I gracefully transition guests out of my house when the party has gone on too long?
When a dear relative of mine is hosting, and the evening is nearing the end, he will exclaim “Let’s go to bed so these people can go home!” Alternatively, my husband will say “OK, it’s time to brush my teeth.” Both sending fairly strong messages!
Help! I have no idea how to pair wine with food - any good rules of thumb?
White with lighter dishes (fish, chicken, etc). Red with heavier (meats, stews, etc). But I suggest always having both on hand and letting your guest decide.
Best (and easiest) cocktails to serve friends this long weekend?
A martini for its simplicity or a white negroni sbagliato, which literally translates to “a mistake” – it’s a hard one to mess up.
Martini
60ml Vodka or Gin
2-3 dashes of dry vermouth
Lemon rind
A classic martini
Rrinse your glasses in water and throw them in the freezer a couple of hours beforehand – the water freezes on the glass and provides a touch of dilution to the finished drink.
Put your preferred vodka or gin in the freezer as well.
When ready to serve, rinse your frozen glass with 2-3 dashes of dry vermouth, swishing to coat, then discard.
Pour 60ml of ice-cold gin or vodka and serve with a twist, making sure you spray the oils from the lemon rind atop of the liquid.
White Negroni Sbagliato
30ml blanc vermouth
30ml Suze
120ml brut style Prosecco (dry sparkling will work too)
A wedge of lemon and sprig of rosemary to garnish
Combine the vermouth and Suze in a tall rocks glass (or wine glass / larger drinking vessel).
Give it a stir, and throw in some ice.
Top with Prosecco or dry sparkling. Garnish.
How do you time your meal so things don’t go cold or sit for too long?
Before you start, make a plan or timeline of when you need what in the oven, etc, to make sure everything syncs up. Keep your timeline on the wall of the kitchen to keep you on track!
It’s foolproof!
What to do if you run out of food or more people turn up and you quickly need to cook something else?
It’s less of a hosting tip and more a pantry tip, but if you can make olive oil, besan flour and an eschallot or brown onion part of your pantry staples, you can now make Socca bread. It’s gluten free, so delicious, and takes about 20 mins from start to finish – great trick to have up your sleeve. There have been many evenings that rolled on into the early hours of the morning that saw me furiously whipping up Socca bread whilst unassuming guests sipped on cocktails.
Are grazing platters still a good idea?
To be honest, I’ve never been on board with a grazing platter – no one wants to see a blueberry sweating up against a piece of prosciutto. I think it’s much chicer and more approachable to separate each element, space them out and compartmentalise them into groups. Then people can easily navigate what they want, and it will look much more elegant.
