How I Host with Eva Sonaike: The interior designer’s West African tablescape
Textile designer and creative director of eponymous interior design studio, Eva Sonaike, is passionate about bringing her West African heritage into her work and home, which is a riot of color, pattern and creativity.
Born to Nigerian parents in Germany, Eva formerly worked as a fashion journalist on glossy magazines and on television, before honing her interest in textiles and going on to found Eva Sonaike in London.
Her designs celebrate the culture and aesthetic of West Africa, and she’s considered a trailblazer in bringing the vibrance and craftsmanship of African interior design to contemporary homes around the world.
We caught up with Eva to discover her tips and tricks for curating the perfect tablescape, which she shares below in an exclusive video for Homes & Gardens as part of our How I Host series.
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How Eva curates her vibrant tablescape
Eva’s tablescape for a simple Sunday lunch with her family is far from simple. It’s bold, welcoming and fun – a true reflection of her personality, heritage and penchant for color, pattern and eclecticism. ‘I love to go overboard and bring color and pattern into play,’ she explains.
Eva’s table is a feature in itself. ‘The table is literally the centerpiece of our living space,’ she explains. ‘I like people to see the actual wood because it has that feeling of having stories to tell.’
Color is always Eva’s starting point with any tablescape. ‘Generally for any of my designs I always think about color first,’ she says. ‘I want to add a lot of other colors here, but my foundational colors are going to be pink and green.’
After laying a bold green accented runner, Eva lays out some natural woven place mats. ‘They’re really plain in comparison to what else I’m going to put on,’ she explains,’ ‘but it makes quite a nice contrast and also gives a bit of texture.’
(Image credit: Future / Max Thurlow)
‘You hardly ever find plates with African patterns,’ Eva explains. ‘Every plate I’m using here is different and colorful. Nothing really matches, but I think they’re perfect.’
She likes to give her food the same treatment, too. ‘Even when it comes to the dishes I’m preparing I love to bring color into play. I love greens, I love fresh vegetables and light fish dishes – something that’s just fun and easy to digest.’
A stunning vintage flatware set frames Eva’s place settings. ‘My parents bought this set in the 1980s on a trip to Florence. The pieces all look different, but I like that.’ Mismatching plays a big part in Eva’s table styling, which allows her to use some statement pieces, alongside some more everyday ones to help balance the look. ‘I’ve only got four coasters in this really beautiful amber colored glass, but I also have some of these really nice African-inspired raffia ones, so I’m just going to do a mix and match,’ she explains.
(Image credit: Future / Max Thurlow)
Similarly, Eva adds thoughtful and personal pieces, which she’s collected from her travels – salt and pepper pots and a bread basket from Marrakech, to a goat’s bell from Switzerland – to give her table a curated feel that will spark conversation.
‘I’m very clear with the curation when I put a tablescape together. If it doesn’t fit in, it doesn’t come onto this table,’ she adds. ‘I love these elephant ornaments. Someone told me to always place elephants facing towards the door for good luck and prosperity, and they’re a good conversation starter.’
Eva mixes luxe pieces with global finds and some of her own textile designs for a truly eclectic and collected look. ‘I have a lot of glasses, but these just spoke to me,’ she admits of the set she found recently at a thrift store. ‘I love the little bubbles and the way the pink and purple color kind of fades in at the bottom. They’re perfect for my tablescape.’
She adds napkins from her own collection ‘I love cloth napkins and think they elevate a table,’ Eva says. ‘These are inspired by Kano, a city in Northern Nigeria, which is well known for its beautiful architecture.’
(Image credit: Future / Max Thurlow)
The flowers are the finishing touch to Eva’s thoughtfully put-together tablescape. ‘They bring a bit of color and texture to the table, as well as height, so I can play with the layering,’ Eva explains. She starts with a simple white orchid. ‘I’m going to make this beautiful orchid my centerpiece – it’s white, really floaty, and doesn’t interfere with the colors.’
She places a few pale pink roses in a small, textured green glass bud vase. Adding a few more elegantly arranged vases of flowers and foliage in some of her favorite glassware, she explains ‘[flowers] bring life to the table. I really feel like there’s more going on right now.’
(Image credit: Future / Max Thurlow)
Eva recalls: ‘When I was a kid we always had family lunches and my parents had a kids’ table where we sat separately from them, but what I love now is that we all sit together.’ Her own children are in their teens now and have their own busy lives, but they always make time to sit down together as a family. ‘Coming together for Sunday lunch is a time when we can all get together – we laugh, we debate, we discuss what happened during the week.’
And her beautiful and characterful tablescape is the perfect reflection of that. ‘The little personal stories are intertwined within it – travels we did together and things that I did by myself all come together here. It’s more than just an aesthetic look, it’s a real story, but also something that is really personal to me and my family.’
And at that, Eva picks up the goat’s bell that was gifted to her by a farmer on a childhood hiking trip to Switzerland, and gently rings it to call her family to the table for lunch.
Shop Eva’s eclectic look
Idunu Pink Napkins, Set of 4
Part of Eva’s Kano Tabletop Collection they feature a vibrant pink batik design, inspired by the intricate decorations of Hausa buildings in Northern Nigeria’s largest city.
Pastel Floral Glass Bud Vases, Set of 3
Made from durable glass to limit breakages, these pretty colored bud vases are perfect for showing off single stems or small posies, as a group, or individually.
This beautiful carved wood-effect elephant ornament comes in two sizes so you can add a pair, like Eva or just one, as an interesting talking point, to your table.
Fique fringe placemats, Set of 4
Made by artisans in Columbia, these fringe placemats add texture and handcrafted appeal to an Eva Sonaike-inspired tablescape.
LA DoubleJ dessert plates, Set of 2
While genuine African plate designs are hard to come by, you can recreated Eva’s style with some bright colors and graphic prints that lend a nod to this look.
Round Rattan Storage Basket
Crafted from eco-friendly rattan, this ochre hued woven basket is perfect for keeping warm fresh bread on the table. Plus, it’s easy to clean, too.
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