A Dinner Party in the Glasshouse

I’m here to tell you, dreams DO come true!

My saved posts folder on my Instagram account, Welcome to Charlotte’s House, is full of posts of dreamy, romantic glasshouses. Some are vintage, covered in vines, surrounded by forest, others are used as sunrooms with couches and woodstoves, or working greenhouses in private gardens. The stuff my dreams are made of. We finished building our new house in 2022, and my vision from the start was to have the new potager in view from the house, with a glasshouse, which were both installed by late summer 2023.

My glasshouse is from BC Greenhouse, and I am very happy with the experience of working with them. The entire greenhouse kit arrived in three boxes; the engineering involved in designing the packing system was impressive! Customer service was prompt and attentive; we were missing a few pieces of hardware, and they sent out the missing pieces immediately. While a handy person could build the kit, I opted to have my local contractor and his team build the glasshouse for me.

I am beyond thrilled! My glasshouse is 12 x 16 feet, has heat and year round running water. I am itching to get out there and start seeds in March! I have been stocking the glasshouse with my pots and seed starting materials, and sometimes, I just go out and walk around inside the glasshouse with a crazy grin on my face. After years of dreaming, I finally have my own glasshouse! But, before the pots and trays moved in, the very first thing I did, was host a dinner party.

When planning a dinner party, my husband and I create the guest list, then decide the menu. Next, I decide what plates will look best with each course. Inspired by the You Tube channel le carte de voyage, I have started a collection of vintage plates. Fumiko is a Japanese makeup artist living in Paris, and makes videos while walking around Paris and other places in France. Her videos are lovely, have English subtitles and music by Sara Kang. In one episode during the pandemic, Fumiko purchased vintage French plates for herself, husband and daughter for Christmas dinner. When thinking of the dinner party in the glasshouse, I knew vintage plates would really set the scene.

While I am not much of an antique hunter, I have a fabulous antique store, Antiques Art & Collectables, about 45 minutes from me in Pellston, Michigan, and I went there in search of vintage dinner plates. I found the perfect selection of coordinating plates at the antique store, and the perfect napkins from Pottery Barn. (My next plan is to go back for salad plates!)

I moved my aluminum work tables outside for hors d’oeuvres and sparkleing wine and my husband’s bourbon selection, pulled the black metal café tables from the patio into the glasshouse, and gathered my collection of black, tarnished silver and bronze candlesticks for the table. I wanted all the metals to be muted, nothing shiny. I asked our guests, who are floral designers, my co-workers and dear friends, to help set the table.

From May to October, Bloom Floral Design, in Charlevoix, Michigan, creates stunning floral designs for weddings and events, and I am part of the team that designs pieces for our retail customers. For the dinner party, I set the plates out and Sam, Jen, and Allison set up the hors d’oeuvres and completed the scene with bittersweet woven along the length of the table and assorted candles.

October 1, 2023 was a magical evening. As darkness fell, the glow of the candles reflected back to us, and we could see ourselves mirrored in the glass roof above. The stars sparkled in the clear sky beyond. Conversation flowed, good food and wine was shared, and prized memories were made.

Here’s to dreaming big dreams, and seeing those dreams come true. Here’s to making the ordinary beautiful and memorable. I am beyond excited to get growing in my glasshouse and host more parties! I hope you follow along with my journey; summer of 2024 will find my potager full of armloads of flowers and baskets of vegetables. I hope you join me!