'People don't have to actually use the plates' – poolside brunch, LALA Reimagined-style, is much a feast for the senses as it is about the food

The interior designer firm LALA Reimagined is known for its love of curation. Each project that the LA-based studio founders Lia McNairy and Azar Fattahi create includes clever vignettes of fascinating objets, lovingly pieced together in artful ways. And that approach continues when it comes to a garden party, outdoor dining, or poolside brunch.

With stacks of plates, bowls of fruit, and at least a dozen carafes of water, they admit that their styling makes it tricky for guests to find room to eat. But their aesthetic take sets the right tone, relaxing guests on arrival, drawing them to the table to chat over wine and colorful food, to kick off their shoes and dip their toes in the pool. It's LA-style, influenced by the best of the Balearics, and is a way of brunching we can all get behind.

LALA Reimagined explain the decorating power of table dressings chosen purely for their prettiness rather than function

LALA Reimagined doesn't do things by halves. What are the ingredients for the perfect alfresco brunch?

Lia McNairy: The most perfect brunch is a combination of a perfect menu, a beautiful presentation, inviting the right people who are fun and ready to gossip and relax, and, of course, the weather. We live in LA, so it's pretty much perfect sunshine every day, but we have to look at the forecast when planning a brunch, especially if it's poolside.

Azar Fattahi: That's right, and we need to make sure there are umbrellas if it's too hot, which it usually is. Parasols are a must.

That's a lot of ingredients to get right. Let us start with the presentation. How would you dress the table?

AF: It's no secret that we're obsessed with curating tablescapes, vignettes, and decorative moments. Both of us pretty much have a warehouse each of plates, flatware, napkins, napkin holders, tablecloths, and runners. Literally an entire storage unit.

LM: So we dip into the vaults and decide our theme, usually based on a single color. Then we bring out all the things that work with that shade.

AF: At the moment we're drawn to purples, yellows, and greens. They're all rich in tone and so feel elevated when they come together, but there is a sunniness that comes from the yellow that helps people to relax and puts them in a fun brunch mood. And we love to mix and match. Every other plate along the table will be different.

LM: It's never a complete set. We'll pick out a dinner plate, a salad plate, and a dessert bowl, and layer them on top of each other as a setting. They won't be from the same set but they'll be in colors that complement each other somehow.

So it's quite a formal event? If you have salad plates and dinner plates...this is an event with several distinct courses.

LM: Oh, it's never formal. Never!

AF: People don't have to actually use the plates. It just helps to create a visual feast. You see the table all set and layered and you're drawn to it. It sets the right tone for a party.

What else goes onto the table alongside the dishes?

AF: I have an unnatural obsession with water glasses. I collect them in different colors, sizes, and shapes. So there is always a water glass for each guest, and always a wine glass.

LM: Azar only drinks water out of an amber carafe, and she usually buys 12 at a time. So we place them along the table so the guests can keep hydrated without having to get up - that has to be a key element to any brunch.

AF: There will also never not be flowers. We're very playful with them. One time we made a flower arrangement for a poolside brunch with artichokes, asparagus, and persimmon dotted in. Or we'll scatter as many kumquats as we can fit down the central table runner.

LM: Yes, and a beautiful purple or green bowl that we found in a flea market, filled with lemons that don't serve any purpose other than to look pretty!

AF: We make it hard for our guests to eat, honestly, but as soon as they see that bowl of lemons or a stack of pomegranates it sets the mood. You'll feel compelled to have fun conversations and gossip wildly when you're surrounded by explosions of beauty.

And what sort of food ends up on those layered plates?

LM: We definitely eat and serve seasonally, and start with whatever is fresh at the time. In Summer, we want a really vibrant palette of food, which we can create because there is so much wonderful produce around in LA at the time.

AF: On a platter of fresh, lightly grilled, and seasoned vegetables there has to be red, purple, yellow, and green. So we always choose purple carrots because they match the whole table scheme. Watermelon radishes are really pretty, served with a big bowl of lemon pasta for guests to help themselves.

LM: And a bottle of Sancerre. We'd never not have a bottle of Sancerre at a brunch. And playful mimosa garnished with flowers for guests on arrival. They put people at ease.

AF: We love freezing flower petals in ice cubes for the mimosas. So pretty.

What's on the playlist? There must be music, surely?

AF: There's always music. My go-to is a Bossanova playlist. Bossanova and brunch go hand in hand because it's subtly sexy and soothing and doesn't overpower the conversation. No one is ever going to break off a chat midway to say 'That's my favorite song!' when it's Bossanova, as it's not anything you need to focus on, but it just puts a little shimmy into peoples' demeanor.

If the brunch is by a pool, would you encourage guests to take a dip afterward? Once their food has gone down, of course!

LM: If it’s super hot I would definitely take my dress off and have a little dip but usually guests are so dressed up they don't want to. They might kick off their shoes and dangle their feet in the water though, and that helps add to the feeling of fiesta.

AF: With any good brunch, the energy you're trying to create is a feeling of being on vacation. Somewhere like Mallorca in the south of France. So encouraging a dip in the pool afterward helps to give that more holistic vacation feeling.

See more from LALA Reimagined here.

Shop the LALA Reimagined look for your next alfresco brunch

Lia and Azar's approach is all about layering, creating a visual feast that excites the eyes well before the actual feast appears, They want people to walk into their brunch and immediately know that is going to be a fun and fabulous event.

So that means purples, greens, yellows and ambers, glassware and flatware, and a lot for the eye to rest on. Build up your table with this edit of LALA-inspired pieces below.