Set the Mood for a Festive Outdoor Holiday Soirée

Landscape designer and (three-time-over) shopkeep Greg Salmeri’s Laguna Beach garden marries a formal Mediterranean feel (think echium, Italian cypress, and olive trees) with wild wisteria and colorful natives that call the bees. All while, the neighboring palm trees and ocean views ground you in a sense of place. The look, balanced with a handpicked assembly of rustic European antiques, reflects a personal narrative that’s also told through the lens of his Los Angeles home and garden shops, Rolling Greens. So naturally, when Salmeri opens his home for one of his epic holiday soirées, he’s inclined to lean on the sprawling outdoor spaces to do the heavy lifting. Follow his tips for shifting the party and the décor outside, no matter the season.

Ensuring guests feel welcome from the onset, Salmeri lines the curved concrete steps that wind to his front door with oversized hurricanes and white pillars. He fills the jars with a few inches of sand, and, occasionally, glass ornaments.

Salmeri unearthed this storied, Spanish-origin wood carved door on a picking trip in Europe more than a decade ago. Then, during a remodel several years later, he integrated the ornate door into the redesign. Now it doubles a dramatic backdrop for the elaborate seasonal creations he whips up. In this case, a faux eucalyptus wreath (fresh variations work, too) is adorned with fresh blooms and bits, including festive hot pink proteas that pop against the weathered wood. To apply, simply use pruners snip flowers and fasten with paddle wire.

“I haven’t done a traditional holiday palette in, I can’t tell you how long,” laughs Salmeri. Here, he elected for a tonal yet festive colorway, both in vases and blooms. The formal arrangements, packed tightly along the center with hand-dipped flickering candles in metal hexagon holders, are balanced by the tabletop’s worn surface and mismatched place setting casually topped with knotted napkins. “I love those moments that you can bring unexpected items together,” says Salmeri. Bonus touch: Rewire an antique chandelier for outdoor use.

“Outdoor lighting is a way for you to show off and highlight areas that you wouldn’t normally pay attention to,” says Salmeri, who brightens olive trees by wrapping them in simple white lights and hanging illuminated rattan spheres in varying sizes. “Lighting is what brings out the details, and what you choose to light and choose to hide tells the story of the party.”

Salmeri advises seeking out florals, foliage, and produce that give a sense of time and place. (There are still plenty of blooms available in the winter months, including carnation, dianthus, and scabiosa.) Here he worked with colors that are reminiscent of the holidays, but with slight variations to ensure a feel that’s far from predictable. There’s deep burgundy dinner plate dahlias, gold-toned ‘King White’ protea, and subtle silver-green foliage cut from an artichoke plant. Also, don’t forget the importance of fragrance. Scents are strong memory makers, so be sure to include citrus, eucalyptus branches, and sprigs of cedar.