Parisian ceramicist Cécile Daladier throws four parties every year: one per season, and each with its own theme.
Photography via Cécile Daladier.
As Demory says, “You can’t open them too early, otherwise they’ll dry out, so it’s a lot of last-minute work.” In addition to the oysters, the menu included white and opalescent fare: brie, white wine, yogurt ice cream, and rice pudding.
The table setting before the party.
Source a gigantic round of brie-style soft cheese to feed hungry guests.
Demory and Daladier pulled in a large table on wheels from the studio: “We just added pieces of wood all around it to make the edges higher. Then we stapled a big plastic sheet to the wood to keep the ice from running when it melted,” Demory says.
A dormant fern called a Selaginella lepidophylla (or Jericho flower) unfurls in a white dish on the ice-covered table.
Demory notes, “The great thing about oysters is that you don’t need a plate, just a little fork, so no dishes involved.”
Ceramics are molded from beach shells, then coated in a high-gloss white glaze.
Daladier’s matte-glazed bread boards have a rustic, seashell-like appeal.
Crates of oysters from Normandy.
Daladier’s oyster-inspired serving dishes.
The Melltorp Table in white is $69 from Ikea and is scratch-resistant and easy to wipe down.
Cover your tabletop with parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap—and be sure to double up.
Ikea’s Svalka White Wine Glass is a quick fix for an impromptu party, priced at $4.99 for a pack of six.
Source antique silver flatware on Etsy, or buy new flatware made to look old, like this pre-distressed Bricklane Cutlery.
The 50-ounce Pinch Carafe is $19.95 at Crate & Barrel.
The Mechanical Polder 11-Pound Stainless Steel Kitchen Scale is about $71.40 from various sellers on Amazon.
To purchase Daladier’s ceramics, contact her directly via Cécile Daladier.