An Evening With: Filigree Suppers

Who: Brita Olsen & Elise Metzger

Where: Los Angeles, Sunfolk Seventies Dinner

If there is anyone who truly understands our philosophy of "dine by design" - it's the gals of Filigree Suppers.

Brita and Elise are curating one of the most design heavy pop up dining experiences that we've seen....a gorgeous mix of linens, glassware, silverware and stunning florals are just the start of their thoughtfully themed events. Color stories are even threaded through the food and drink, creating an inspired full circle experience filled with visual treats.

So when Filigree Suppers decided to bring their stunning show out to the West Coast, it was a given that we needed a front row seat to take it all in. Let's just say they did not disappoint...in fact, they exceeded our expectations and even opened our eyes to a few new local makers (and cocktail shakers!) we hadn't had the pleasure of knowing yet.

We took a moment between delightful summer bites and whimsical botanical arrangements to to learn more about how Filigree Suppers came to be and what their specific dreams were to create the perfect "Sunfolk Seventies" party here in Los Angeles.

BRITA & ELISE | Filigree Suppers | Dine X Design

Above Brita & Elise | Photo Credit: Nancy Neil

Give us a little background on how Filigree Suppers came to life and what you're looking to add to the community.

Filigree Suppers evolved quite naturally from our shared love of food and anything design related. We also absolutely love entertaining. We have been friends for 20 years and have done a ton of creative projects together in that time - some professionally and some personally. When we were in our twenties, we lived down the street from each other in Boston. and would get really get into throwing themed parties. (Always with custom designed paper invites, mind you)

This past year we really wanted to work on something more long-term and impactful. Filigree Suppers gives us the opportunity to support local artisans, try new creative ideas, and connect with new people in our communities.

Our goal with the Suppers is to introduce design and food as an intertwined concept in unique settings. We want guests to feel like they are really a part of something fun and they are experiencing their city in a new way. When people attend Filigree Suppers we are always excited to see collaborations and friendships emerge.

You live in two different cities and have careers beyond curating these dining events, what are the challenges and which processes keep you on the same page for event planning?

Brita is an event planner and Elise a designer and brand strategist. Between the two of us we have enough overlapping skills to be collaborative, and a great diversity of experiences to balance each other out. We certainly depend on a lot of highly collaborative digital tools- a shared iCal, a list app called “Wunderlist”, Dropbox for photos, and we always do a weekly video call on Gchat.

Sunfolk Seveties Dinner Los Angeles | Filigree Suppers | Dine X Design

Let's talk about the Los Angeles Dinner "Sunfolk Seventies" - where did this theme stem from and what was your initial creative vision/game plane to pull the event together?

Because this was our first supper out West, we wanted to play up that dreamy California feeling as much as possible. We loved the idea of warm sunset tones and vintage glassware. After we spoke with Kristen (of Moon Canyon) about floral ideas, we expanded that to create a whole vision and mood board. Kristen had just moved into her studio, so this event was a “studio warming” of sorts. The space is a blank canvas and we wanted to pay homage to the folksy feeling of Los Angeles in the Seventies.

Sunfolk Seveties Los Angeles | Filigree Suppers | Dine X Design

You worked with some fabulous styling partners for the LA event - tell us a bit on why you decided to work with these creatives and what they did to bring this theme to life.

Kristen of Moon Canyon is a good friend and also from Boston, so we are always thrilled when we get an excuse to reunite. Her florals are next level amazing! We found Humble Ceramics through Instagram and Delphine’s earthy aesthetic was the perfect fit for this concept. Yeah! Rentals has such a great collection of Eames chairs in all the right sunset hues, and we thought that the mid-century look would add a touch of nostalgia. Borrowed Blu has a fabulous selection of glassware and gold flatware that further added to the warmth of the table.

Filigree Suppers | Sunfolk Seventies | Moon Canyon Florals | Dine X Design

Tell us about the night's food and drink - how did you decide to partner with Paper Palate & Fun Makers to bring the evening's theme deeper culinary excitement?

Daniele of Paper Palate was such a great collaborator. She got excited by the theme and was constantly thinking of new ideas to help push it forward. The food and the ceramics have to play really well together, and in this case she really knocked it out of the park. She used a lot of edible florals in her presentation, which was a little nod to the floral studio environment. Her uni-topped gazpacho was one of the dreamiest dishes we’ve had at one our of our events.

Daniele introduced us to Sabi of Fun Makers (pictured below) and we thought it would be so fun to try a dedicated bartender to kick off the evening. Sabi worked with the vintage rose colored glasses from Borrowed Blu and the results were truly stunning. The “California Poppy” cocktail was a twist on a Paloma- with fresh ginger syrup and then topped with Lambrusco and a calendula flower. Serious eye candy!

Filigree Suppers | Sabi of Funmakers | Dine X Design

What's Next!? Any dream collaborations or new kinds of events you'd like to tackle?

We love pushing the boundaries of the kinds of designers and venues we work with. For example, on July 12th we have a dinner at Rhine Hall Distillery in Chicago, and on July 19thwe are hosting our first dinner at a private residence, at the home of fashion icon Beatrix Ost. In September we are hosting a FEED supper where 100% of the ticket proceeds will go to charity.

An important component of Filigree Suppers is to provide a platform for American Made goods. We look forward to growing that part of the business in a meaningful way. We hope that guests leave our suppers excited to incorporate more handmade items into their kitchens at home.

Sunfolk Seventies | Filigree Suppers | Dine X Design

This Sunfolk Seventies evening was amber-hued, fresh and filled with an effortlessly chic style that screams California. A room filled with the work of unique creatives, a dinner that is as gorgeous as the surroundings (we'll take more of that summer gazpacho topped with uni please)....and design inspiration that is going to last us through the summer. We are in love.

Bravo gals! Cannot wait to see what you do next...and hopefully that means more events out west!

Head to the Filigree Suppers website a full list of the Sunfolk Seventies collaborators as well as a detailed list of past dinners.

We suggest you go sign up for one of their fab upcoming suppers ASAP and get some serious style inspiration by following along behind the scenes on the Filigree Supper instagram!

All Photos: Kristin Guy (Unless Otherwise Noted)