Who’s Coming to Dinner? Eleanor Scola, Nuage Designs
Hi friends,
We are thrilled to be launching a *brand-new* blog series called Who’s Coming to Dinner? Inspired by our love of entertaining, accented by really fantastic food and beverage, we thought it would be fun to pose a “make believe” dinner party to introduce you to some of our nearest and dearest colleagues and friends in the industry, as well as a few aspirational members of the community we hope to work with in the future.
This blog spotlight is a way for us to highlight some of the outstanding creative forces in the luxury wedding space who really push our industry to new heights. As a boutique, full-service wedding planning, design, and production team, we take great pride in our strong matchmaking ability when it comes to curating our clients’ vendor teams, so this is a way to give a bit of insight into our expansive rolodex too!
First to have a seat at the table is our friend Eleanor Scola, Director of Sales for Nuage Designs, Inc., the leading purveyor of couture specialty table linens.
Eleanor, hi! What are you bringing to our proverbial dinner party?
I love a crowd-pleasing favorite that everyone can share like my savory monkey bread. It’s chocked full of parmesan, chives, and cranberries - serving up a different flavor profile with every bite!
And, what are you drinking?
Start me off with a Tequila + Soda (don’t forget the lime!). After cocktail time, you’ll find me savoring a bold, dry Spanish red wine into the evening.
What should we put on our Spotify playlist?
Something instrumental but with energy - a personal favorite is Rodrigo y Gabriela for an international vibe.
Ok - let’s talk shop. Why don’t you give our readers a look at how we work in tandem together? Discuss the creative process.
Most of our clients have a very clear design direction when they approach us for linen selections, but sometimes we have to put our heads together to identify the right accent hue or hone in on the best napkin choice. We may examine the clients’ monogram, focus in on details of the wedding dress or veil, or even take a cue from a catering element (have you ever looked at the soft curve of an endive?) to find the perfect textile to set the mood. At the end of the day, working with a planner who can communicate the vision is the key to unlocking a successful design.
We love all of the inspiration Nuage offers clients and planners alike. Where are three places YOU find inspiration?
I’m constantly looking at leading interior designers’ work, and I especially love hotel & restaurant design. I find there is so much exploration of color, texture, and scale in those applications! I’m also curious about architecture and the interplay of shapes, as well as fashion - which is perhaps the most closely related field, as it pertains to the human relationship with textiles.
Looking ahead for our future clients, what is a favorite design trend of yours you see on the rise?
Layers, layers, layers. After years of reclusion, guests deserve to be lavished with a social experience that delights all of the senses. I’m excited to see more tabletop details incorporated over the next two years as the rise in popularity of mats, chargers, napkins, coasters, and other curios come into play.
We love that! So with more at the table, what would be your favorite fabric or pattern to anchor it all this Spring?
Botanicals will always reign supreme when the weather turns warm, but I’m looking out for prints that feature hidden fauna thoughtfully incorporated into the design. You can also expect to see more lace and tone-on-tone styling in natural/neutral tones.
Any upcoming collaborations or exciting news you’d like to share with our readers?
We have some very exciting collections in development! Stay tuned for upcoming releases featuring soft textures, intricate prints, and romantic layering styles.
Thank you so much Eleanor for sharing your insights! For even more inspiration, you can follow Nuage Designs, Inc. on Instagram. If you’re interested in discussing a full-service partnership with our team, which includes comprehensive, original event design (that often features textiles from our friends at Nuage), get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!