I've never really been much of a formal entertainer. Don't get me wrong, I love great food and having friends to celebrate with, but I'm a fan of casual parties that make people feel at ease and not worried in the least about what fork they're using. But I do have a real appreciation for the artistry of putting a great-looking tablescape together, and that's why I love the new entertaining book, Flair, by legendary interior designer Joe Nye. There is plenty of finery to go around, but more often than not, the book is filled with practical, affordable takeaway ideas that could be applied to any decorating setup. 

Here are a couple of ideas I'm planning to try:

1) Hand-written invitations. This idea came to Nye when he ran out of time to have invitations printed for a party. Undaunted, he bought thick, off-white card stock and penned one invite simply and slowly (and legibly!)  with a red sharpie. Then he had Kinkos color copy the handwritten invite onto the rest of the store-bought cards. All he had to do from there was address the envelopes in red and add great-looking stamps. 

2) Chic and cheap flowers. The book is full of inventive ways to use inexpensive, grocery store variety flowers. Nye even found a way to make baby's breath incredibly stylish. His rule? Always use it by itself. In the photos below, it's such a lovely, informal counterpoint to the fancy chinoiserie wallpaper in a dining area and the antiques in an entryway. 

***Another great chapter in the book talked about easy and unexpected centerpieces, like placing fresh lemons in a white bowl (shiny leaves still attached). What are some of your favorite, low-key centerpiece ideas? Small ferns planted in pretty terra cotta pots? Glass hurricanes filled with shells?

Photo credits: Reprinted with permission from Rizzoli. Photos by Edmund Barr.