Right in time for New Years Eve, this beautiful and romantic table is the perfect mix of refined and fun incorporating classic elements like gorgeous crystal glasses and festive one of a kind gold accents. Meet the creator of this table, Ariana Ost, who founded a brand of “modern day heirlooms” from jewelry to pieces for your table, many of which are featured here!! {The placemats, napkin rings and place card holders are all hers!}. I am thrilled that Ariana invited us into her stunning New York apartment for a dose of dinnertime inspiration. Read on for the touching story of how she came to start her company and more about how she likes to entertain!

Q & A:

FH: Tell me a quick bio of how you came to start? 

AO: Growing up in Brooklyn, my father was in the jewelry business. I was so lucky to be able to accompany him on European buying trips my whole life with direct exposure to fashion and culture. I went to Parson’s school of design and studied abroad in Paris finding my identity and creativity. After graduating I worked with my family in jewelry design servicing big corporate clients, being behind the scenes in collaboration. In 2006 my mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and was given six months to live. It was very difficult for us to accept that fate. We all became proactive – my mom became vegan and we were all immersed in health and wellness. My mother defied her prognosis and extended her life by 3 and a half years which was a miracle and testament to all the alternative healing measures we pursued. I was 25 years old when I lost my mother and through grief, I found cooking and homemaking comforting and a therapeutic outlet to combat the loss. After getting married and becoming a mother, I knew I wanted to do something more and really make an impact.

I went out on my own starting a design service business as a female entrepreneur in 2012. In 2016 I launched my lifestyle brand Ariana Ost. Ost is my mother’s maiden name so this is a tribute to her and the creativity she gave me. Designing this brand has been so exciting, taking my dreams to the next level and making them a magical reality. I take a jewelry approach to design and now specialize on home decor, “jewelry” for you, your home and table. It has been so wonderful getting the name out there and selling to top notch retailers like ABC home, Uncommon Goods, Bergdorf Goodman, Anthropologie, Free People, Gumps and more.

FH: How would you describe your company?

AO:  Ariana Ost is a lifestyle brand that thrives on elevating the everyday experience and creating objects to be cherished as modern day heirlooms. People are drawn to our brand for its romantic aesthetic, attention to detail and unique designs. The mission is to revive the lost art of ceremonies and rituals with pieces that are designed through an emotional lens. Every piece has conviction and is meant to celebrate life’s simple moments, like setting a table, putting on a special necklace, decorating your home, planting an herb garden, practicing yoga, or spending time in your child’s room. Many clients are drawn to our creative process of handcrafting most of our items made by our metal-smiths and sample making team at our charming Flatiron studio.

FH: What is your entertaining style? Traditional, Contemporary, Seasonal?  

AO: I am vegetarian so for many guests that feels contemporary, but my aesthetic is traditional and elegant with a jewelry pop to it. I love collecting vintage antiques like toast racks, tea pots, tea strainers, and hot chocolate pots and finding creative ways to serve with them.

FH: How often do you entertain and for how many guests?

AO: I entertain quite often, usually at least once a week. Living in New York City, not many others love hosting since we have access to so many restaurants and many people have small kitchens. My husband and I love home cooking and entertaining so we are always inviting friends and family which we enjoy enormously. We recently renovated and made sure to have an open layout conducive to hosting with the kitchen as the heart of the apartment. Nothing is as wonderful as having intimate dinners at home without interruption for deep conversations and meaningful connection. Eric and I both grew up in similar homes that embraced togetherness with delicious food as a vehicle for closeness. We are creating memories for our daughter Aurelie and dog London who always has a seat at the table. We usually host 4-8 people but recently for my birthday we had 15 people which was spectacular.

FH: Do you have a go-to recipe or dish or cocktail? 

AO: I adore cooking, I find it so therapeutic and it’s a hands on creative outlet. Nothing is more satisfying than designing a meal and the decor along with it to share with my nearest and dearest.  I have a food blog called ‘edible jewels’ which was so much fun for me to work on but after my daughter was born in 2015, in addition to running my business. Now I have less time to test, measure and shoot each recipe, it is a passion of mine I want to revisit in the near future. For now I post quick photos and recipes as I make them at home on the @ediblejewels instagram account. Here is one of my favorite go to recipes from my blog. It is roasted zucchini marinated in olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar with garlic and fresh mint leaves. It is amazing, and the flavors combine in such a magical way!

FH: Did something inspire you for today’s table? A certain color, flower, plate? 

AO: For this tablescape I was inspired by the approaching holidays to create a seasonal, golden jewel-like crystal dream world. The color palette is gold and white with pops of icy crystals and touches of gilded silver metals. I wanted the table to feel super luxurious yet inviting with a mystical aura. The power of healing crystals  intrigues me, so I added some onto the table for positive energy and beauty.

FH: What’s your favorite element in today’s tablescape?

AO: I just launched my new Ariana Ost metal placemat/charger collection based on our popular coasters and napkin rings to make a complete set. For this tablescape I mixed and matched the design patterns here as they blend so well. Featured are the doilies in lace and eyelet and the celestial twinkling star pattern. I love casting fabrics into metal or mimicking texture and patterns. One of our bestsellers is the doily collection in lace and eyelet, they are contemporary expressions of fabric executed in modern metals. Whats great is that they only need to be wiped clean which is less maintenance than fabric. For holiday I also just launched plate clips that hold notes or placecards. The beautiful designs stay on your plate to hold a guests name, event name, personal message or dietary restriction. Usually place cards get removed from the plate and lost, I wanted a clever way for the place card to stay on the plate without touching the food.

FH: If you could give one party tip for readers what would it be?

AO: Plan as much as you can ahead of time so you can be fully present at your dinner party and able to engage with your guests. I used to fuss over serving everything at the perfect temperature when the buffet opens. Now I am more easy going and feel comfortable letting things sit out a few minutes before guests arrive. This way I can greet people and indulge in the experience, the food will always be delicious. I also serve in the pots I cooked in – they are beautiful and they also keep the food insulated and hot!

FH: Table top… Share all the deets!!

• Plates: Crate & Barrel
• Napkins: Wayfair
• Napkin ring: Ariana Ost
• Placemats: Ariana Ost
• Coasters: Ariana Ost
• Sets: Ariana Ost
• Place Card Holder: Ariana Ost
• Trivet: Ariana Ost
• Vase: Amazon, Amazon

Shop the look:

Photography by Ariana Ost