“When it comes to hosting the perfect outdoor party, the rule No. 1 is, don’t worry about things being totally perfect,” Kelley says. “Have people over, host the parties, do the things.”
With summer approaching, it’s time to make your guest list and create parties your friends will remember for years to come.
It comes down to four things: Atmosphere, lighting, people and food, Kelley says. And above all, it’s about you being a friendly, inviting, authentic host.
“What makes a good party? It’s about opening up your home, opening up your heart, having some little nibbles, having a good energy about it, being easy-going and just having fun,” she says. “And that’s hosting.”
Kelley was born in Hawaii and grew up on Lake Tahoe. As an adult, she’s lived around the world and moved to Oakwood from the Australian outback. Her parents instilled in her a love of creating beautiful outdoor spaces and menus that make guests feel special. And as a landscape designer for local landscape architecture firm The Site Group, she has the opportunity to imagine and bring to life exquisite outdoor spaces.
But she hasn’t always had the budget to fulfill her own big outdoor ideas.
She described her first home as a cinderblock house in Australia with a plain backyard and an ugly corrugated iron fence.
“We went to the tip shop (a salvage section of Australian waste plants) and got railroad ties and old stuff to build garden beds, and we made a pond out of a kiddie pool,” Kelley recalls. “We had no money to spend on anything, so we got really creative.”
Even so, she let the pressure of perfectionism stop her from having an important party this year in Oakwood. She wanted to celebrate her home’s 100-year birthday and had even sent out invitations for the event. But she canceled the week before.
“And the reason why was because I didn’t have the backyard finished. And I thought, it won’t feel romantic, it won’t feel ‘Pinterest’; and it won’t feel like I want it to feel, it’s not done,” she says. “And so, I didn’t host. And it’s my biggest regret.
“I don’t ever want anyone to feel like they can’t host just because something’s not done,” Kelley says. “Because nothing is ever done, and people don’t care about that — as long as you create good food, good people and good atmosphere.”
Atmosphere matters
For Kelley, one key to atmosphere is designing small vignettes, islands of cozy spaces in your backyard.
“I do feel like it’s important to have one outdoor space that you really, really love,” Kelley says. “And if you don’t have the budget to do some big massive renovation, create something small. Put in a veggie garden or just reseed your grass or put in a little small patio. At my company, we always talk about phases. It’s OK to phase in a project. You don’t have to do it all in one go.”
You don’t need expensive outdoor furnishings or special outdoor equipment to set the mood.
“Get a cheap, Walmart plastic table and put a tablecloth over it. Bring your indoor dining chairs outside and put them in the grass,” Kelley advises. “Put some flowers in little jars — wildflowers or go to Trader Joe’s. Create that environment. It sets you apart immediately.”
Kelley now lives in a 6,500-square-foot Craftsman-style home called Shadowbrook, a charming stone and timber house that seems straight from a storybook. And yet, it is a work in progress, with charming vignettes amidst piles of rubble.
“My yard is half-way a complete mess,” she laughs. “There’s dirt and rock and stone piles.”
She, too, is approaching her yard in phases. Their first project was a courtyard patio built with stone she’s collected from all over the area. It looks as if it’s always been there.
She bought a greenhouse from Costco — a 10th of the price of the one she really wanted — and is using those same stones to match the home’s look. Other projects in progress include rebuilding retaining walls and transforming a space that was once a screened-in porch.
“Phase 1 is just getting through the main hardscaping,” Kelley says.
Phase 2 is creating plantings that seem as if they’ve been there forever. She planted climbing pink roses, boxwoods and other plants that take several years to fully establish.
The patio and greenhouse are two of those vignettes. “When I sit right here on the patio, and I get to see my lilac tree and my pansies and a little peek of the greenhouse, it makes a really cool experience when guests come out here.”
Light the way
In Australia, Kelley was a wedding and family portrait photographer. It taught her to think about light and spaces in a different way.
When planning for an outside event, Kelley uses her camera to help her imagine the way the light will look. “I take my camera and look through the lens, because I can see a different perspective.”
Festive food
As with other things, Kelley’s advice on menu planning is to go for simplicity, not perfection. She recommends the book, “A Perfect Day for a Picnic,” by Tori Finch, which has preplanned menus and recipes.
“Recipe making and menu planning shouldn’t be a stressor,” Kelley says. “Just put out some meat and cheese — get the Costco pack and put it on a tray — or leave it in the packaging. Give yourself grace.”
One of her go-to appetizers is sauteed mushrooms over brie. She simply sautés mushrooms in garlic, pours the mixture over brie and bakes.
Focus on guests
And then, it’s just about the guests. Invite your friends and family and make them the focus.
“There’s so much pressure for things to look good, but they need to feel good,” Kelley says. “They need to feel good for you as the host, and they need to feel good for other people.”
This year, Kelley’s Shadowbrook home will turn 100. She’s already planning the party — despite unfinished projects and imperfections. You can bet she won’t cancel this one.
“A lot of people don’t believe they can have beautiful spaces like this. They think, ‘I can never afford it’ or ‘it’s just not right for me.’ But opening up your home is like opening up your soul in a way. Just let go of the concepts of what life is supposed to be like.”
Jana Collier is a longtime area journalist. Her blog, myNanaJana.com, features nostalgic recipes, small-town travel and offbeat DIY projects.
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