Lydia Millen Shares Her Top Tips For Summer Hosting

We might be in the middle of (another) heatwave, but don’t let the fact it’s hot stop you from becoming a great host. Make the most of summer with Lydia Millen’s guide to seasonal hosting, featuring home grown food, thoughtful details, fine wine and fun ideas to keep guests entertained.

Lydia Millen’s Guide To Summer Hosting

Known for her timeless sense of style, from capsule collections with Fairfax & Favor and Karen Millen, and as the author of Evergreen, Lydia Millen brings that same eye for beauty and detail to entertaining. From end-of-summer soirées to early autumnal feasts, here’s her take on hosting at home, from setting the mood with music and fragrance to celebrating the simple joy of mismatched crockery, garden flowers, and a perfectly chosen tipple, this is hosting done beautifully. 

‘Hosting is my love language, and I am so thrilled to share my guide to summer entertaining with one of my favourite magazines, Country & Town House,’ she tells us. Her top tips are:

Begin With Abundance, Not Perfection

You first need to set the scene for your gathering, says Lydia. ‘The vibe is everything,’ she emphasises. ‘Who is present, and the dynamic of the group is super important. Think about the people you are bringing together, and if you’re offering a meal, where to sit them. Aesthetically, I don’t want to just create a beautiful event, I want it to feel wonderful too. Mismatched crockery, home grown/arranged florals, antique silverware is magic. I like well-loved and cherished over curated and styled for picture perfection.’

Include Seasonal Touches

Bring the outside in, literally. ‘I use whatever foliage is on offer in the garden, so, bud vases of roses or a pot of basil in summer, bowls of home-grown tomatoes, figs and as autumn approaches big branches from the old oak tree to really make a statement,’ notes Lydia. ‘This feels effortless but indulgent and thoughtful whilst blurring the lines between the outside and inside.’

Set The Table With Homegrown & Homemade Produce

And when it comes to culinary inspiration, look close to home. ‘I find the best dishes aren’t the most complex. Sometimes it’s about the love and hard work that’s gone into them. A simple homemade sourdough with home churned salty and herby butter has had more excited gasps than anything else!’

Scent With The Seasons

‘The scent of a home is something I treasure, and creating it, even more so,’ says Lydia. ‘A beautiful candle paired with bundles of herbs around the kitchen in summer or the added scent of woodsmoke from the fire in early autumn is perfection, thinking about all the senses when it comes to hosting is key.’

Curate The Music (& Volume)

‘It’s not just what you are playing but I find the volume too is an art form,’ Lydia tells us. ‘The playlist of choice has to fill a space but not overwhelm the room and conversation, and dependent on the vibe of the evening, may grow and change as it gets later. I love a relaxed vibe in the summer, and perhaps an old jazz playlist as we move to autumn/winter.’

Pick A Good Wine

Lydia’s top tip? Don’t skip out on the wine. ‘My best friend would put me in the bin if I didn’t take wine seriously! And whilst I’d usually turn to her for help with this, I truly appreciate the impact a good bottle of wine has on the senses and really adds another layer to the depth and experience to an evening,’ she says. ‘If it’s a crisp white wine you’re serving in the summer, remember some people like theirs with a cube or two of ice. Rosé is always another summer wine delight. If it’s a red, remember to decanter it to let it breathe.’

Leave Gifts On The Table

Leave guests thinking about your party long after it’s passed, by sending them off with a small gift. ‘Homemade, homegrown gifts are my favourite, and they don’t have to be complex,’ says Lydia. ‘They’re made with love, and there is truly nothing better. A posy of herbs, box of eggs, a homemade written card. It’s more the thought!’

Don’t Forget The Games

And finally, be prepared to entertain. ‘Good board games and fun, slightly cheeky quizzes are perfect,’ says Lydia. ‘Something to get people engaging and working together or competing always adds for a great evening. It can also help break any ice if you’re bringing separate groups of friends together.’

Keep up with Lydia Millen (and find more summer hosting inspiration) via her Instagram page, @lydia