Based in San Francisco, Nicole Hollis has created an interior design empire known for merging fine art, fashion and nature. The US400 honoree specialises in high-end residential design, including the recent interior renovation of a Mickey Muennig-designed home, while her studio also delivers sophisticated hospitality spaces for the likes of Rosewood Hotels.
With two books under her belt, an eponymous homeware collection, and a decanter and glass collaboration with tableware brand Saint Louis launching this autumn, Hollis is booked and busy.
Spending time between ‘The Golden City’ and Hawaii, Hollis injects a laid-back coastal temperament into a fast-moving industry, which permeates her hosting style. Colour-coded tablescapes, cocktail making, and a platter of ‘picky-bits’ are all essentials, presented as a 'still life on the table'. However, don’t let the intricate attention to detail fool you, as Hollis’ dream dinner party ends with dancing, wacky ice cream flavours, and a psychedelic expert. This is how we host with Nicole Hollis.
How we Host with Nicole Hollis
Wallpaper*: Are you a relaxed host and pull it all together at the last minute, or is there careful planning?
Nicole Hollis: I'm very relaxed. We just spent two months in Hawaii, and we entertain there with friends, and it's just very laid-back. There's a lot of prep that goes into making it feel less formal. My husband's very good at pre-mixing cocktails. He'll do a pre-mixed Margarita, a Negroni, or an Aperol Spritz. He's just pouring, and everyone's enjoying. We then assemble salads and charcuterie and lots of picky food, but we don't do a lot of formal sit-down dinners. A little bit of preplanning is helpful
W*: Can you cook?
NH: I can cook, but I don't cook very often. When I do, it's very classic dishes. My mother is Italian, so there are a lot of pasta dishes and chicken cacciatore. I usually try to keep it simple: grilled fish or grilled chicken. I don't really do a lot of heavy French cooking.
W*: What was the first dish you perfected to feed a group of friends or family?
NH: I love assembling food more than anything. I think that's my favourite thing. It's all visual for me. For example, I might say everything's going to be black tonight, so the charcuterie board has dark fruit like cherries. It gets out of hand sometimes. It's really about creating a still life on the table, so much so that people ask, ‘Can we touch it?’
W*: Drinks on arrival – what’s on offer?
NH: We usually start with champagne. It's always my favourite. It seems more and more friends are cocktailing than drinking wine, I've noticed. During perimenopause, a lot of the women are like, "I can't drink wine anymore," so we're all cocktailing. Tequila and vodka seem to be a big request.
We have a lot of friends who don't drink alcohol. So there's definitely a mocktail on offer. It's usually a light spritzer using fresh lime, mint, and ginger beer. Nothing too heavy, because some of the non-alcoholic spirits are just not there yet.
W* Go on and tempt us – what’s your go-to menu, from starters to afters, whether homemade or bought in?
NH: The charcuterie board would be presented upon arrival, and then we serve a big grilled or roasted salmon or our roast chicken. My husband, being English, loves a roast with potatoes in duck fat. In San Francisco, we have quite a few vegans or vegetarians. So there's usually a couple of non-meat dishes that we'll serve as well.
We're not really big dessert people. It's usually options for ice cream. We have some pretty good artisan ice cream in San Francisco, so we'll grab those unique flavours, and everyone can try. Smitten has flavours like lavender with olive oil, whiskey with cereal, and sweet corn, and all kinds of fun flavours. I like to surprise people with those.
W*: What’s on your dinner party playlist?
NH: Lots of Britpop, The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, or we have Prince, The Cure. The Velvet Underground, The Smiths, and Björk. I think it's on the chill side, and nothing too high energy. If we feel like getting up and dancing later, there is always a dance mix on the ready – we do love it when it turns into a dance party. I think it's an excuse to blow off some steam.
W*: Who’s your dream dinner party guest?
NH: Right now, everyone's into psychedelics, so it'd be interesting to have a leading doctor in that field, like Robin Carhart-Harris, because we're all just sort of fascinated with longevity. I also love Louis Theroux. Louis Theroux and a psychedelic specialist; I'm already visualising my mushroom arrangement on the table
W*: Dish the dirt: what should a host never do?
NH: I have been to a party where the host told us what time everyone had to leave. Everyone took offence right away when the invitation arrived. It was a hard "dinner ends at this time." I'm sure there was a good reason, but a hard stop didn't feel welcoming. So I made a note of that, like, never put an end time to your dinner party.
W*: What should a guest never do?
NH: If somebody is planning dinner, and you've RSVPed saying you're coming, and then you don't show, I think that is probably the worst thing for a guest to do.
W*: What’s the secret to a successful evening?
NH: Keep the drinks flowing, the good music playing, and keep everyone engaged. Make sure people don’t break off into little groups, but stay engaged in conversation as a group is important. That's what makes it a great dinner party.