Welcome to Party Trick, a monthly column where top tastemakers invite us inside their unforgettable gatherings and share their signature hosting rituals, plus a trusted item they’d never entertain without.
Stephanie Summerson Hall has kindled a colored glassware craze with her kaleidoscopic collection of vintage-inspired stemware, and since its launch in 2019, Estelle Colored Glass has become synonymous with entertaining. Like heirloom-worthy gemstones, emerald Champagne coupes and amethyst wineglasses turn a table into an opulent rainbow, making every place setting as lively as the conversations happening across them. For our monthly Party Trick column, VERANDA asked the hostess behind this beloved glassware brand how she entertains at home.
Estelle Colored Glass's assortment of candy-colored stemware can serve any and every occasion—whether you use soft pastels for spring luncheons or electric fuchsia for cocktail hour. When it comes time for Hall host her own soiree, she prefers to set the table for a dinner party so “guests can have extended meaningful conversations,” she says. “I love gatherings at my home and, of course, the homes of my aunts and uncles where I spent a considerable amount of time growing up. These fellowships are good for the soul and bring up happy memories.”
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Her mother and grandmother’s memorable gatherings have influenced the way Hall’s parties look—“a mix of new and old”—and smell—“candles and fresh flowers”—along with what’s served. “My grandmother and mother always prepared meals according to the season and used what could be sourced locally (especially vegetables). This teaches you to cherish what each season brings,” she says.
It's no surprise, then, that Hall’s ultimate party trick is “a simple menu of fresh, seasonal ingredients,” she says. “The ingredients become conversation topics and make the party extra special to guests given the story of the food.” For her Sunday dinners, guests can look forward to a bounty of locally sourced veggies. “This spring, I can’t wait to enjoy fresh sweet peas, since I had an uncle who grew them. They were a spring staple for our whole family, and everyone got a heap of them. My mother would blanch them and stash in the freezer for future meals,” she says. “At the beginning of summer, I enjoy butter beans with okra and corn. These days, I pick them up from my favorite roadside stand from a local farm,” she adds.
Of course, no dinner at Hall’s is complete without dessert. “A great homemade dessert ends the party on a high note,” she says. For this she brings out her pièce de résistance: her Estelle Cake Stand. “A tall stand for displaying a homemade cake or pie acts as an impressive statement piece, similar to how a special piece of jewelry would stand out,” says Hall.
Estelle Colored Glass Cake Stand
