STYLE NOTES: Lauren uses her Walter G range throughout: Luxor Saffron cotton tablecloth + Burano Azure cotton napkins (set of 4) both from walter-g.com.au
Summertime entertaining is a specialty for the Emersons. The young family is uniquely qualified to put on a spectacular spread, with Lauren (co-owner of Walter G textiles) and her husband Andy (co-founder of Avalon Beach wine bars Bar Elvina and Randy’s Wine) both bringing their wealth of food and design expertise to the table.
“When we entertain, it’s almost always an outdoor long lunch involving barbecued seafood – freshly caught when the fishing gods are kind,” Lauren says. “We like to break out all the fancy platters, glassware and textiles. Nothing too stuffy or serious. We generally think of a signature dish, then build the rest of the menu around flavours we crave. We’re lucky to have many great suppliers available through Andy’s restaurant, so we stock up just before Christmas and avoid the supermarkets.”
Then, of course, there’s the tableware. “I’d like to say that the table is all my doing, but Freda (the Emersons’ daughter) rivals me with her table-setting skills!” Lauren says. “We generally start with a festive block-printed tablecloth, combined with some contrasting coloured napkins to make the
