Equinox Glow - how to recreate this look
In March, I hosted a couple of gatherings at The Willows both centred around a theme I'd been planning for weeks: Equinox Glow.
The equinox felt worth marking. That particular turning point in the year when the long, hot, languid days of summer finally begin to loosen their grip, and the evenings start arriving earlier and staying longer. I wanted the table to celebrate both the golden glow of a summer day, and the deep blue of the coming night. Navy, amber, and ivory. The palette almost chose itself.
I have written about the dinner and lunch more extensively on my post that you can find on The Gatherings page, including the menus that I used. They were low effort, high impact and worked beautifully with my new-found philosophy of less time in the kitchen, more time at the table.
What follows is how I put my favourite table to date together, in case you'd like to recreate it at home.
1. Start with a dark base. Navy, black, dark wood — anything that suggests the night sky will be ideal. I used a navy tablecloth from my own collection, and it anchored everything that came after.
2. Build warmth with amber and gold. Amber adds the glow; gold reflects it. That's the whole trick, really. Amber glassware, candle holders, placemats, table runners, even fruit — each brings its own warmth to the table. I used my gold cutlery to bounce the candlelight around, and the effect was exactly what I'd hoped for.
3. Choose cream or ivory plates, not stark white. White plates would have broken the spell. Cream or ivory keeps the warmth unbroken. Bonus points if your dinnerware has a gold rim, you lucky duck.
4. Add one grounding neutral. Without it, all that amber and gold can tip into a bit much. I used taupe napkins — placemats would work just as well — and it quietened everything down in exactly the right way.
5. Use fruit instead of flowers. I love flowers. But working within my budget, I reached for seasonal fruit instead — pears, plums and figs — and I think they may have been the better choice. They glowed in the candlelight in a way no floral arrangement could have managed, and did double duty as lunchbox fillers for the rest of the week.
6. Turn off your overhead lights. Then layer what's left. This is the step people skip and then wonder why it isn't working. Overhead lights flatten everything — turn them off first, then build back up:
Candles in amber or clear holders
A low table lamp or two if you have them
Warm-toned bulbs throughout (this matters more than you'd think)
The difference, once you get it right, is not subtle.
Equinox comes once.
You may as well make it glow.
