Every so often we stumble upon an account on instagram that really catches our eye. Today, we introduce you to Nectar and Stone.
It is rare to come across an instagram that is not only beautifully curated, but also features treats that looks as delicious as they are stunning. Nectar and Stone’s soft, feminine vibe falls in line with this year’s Pantone trend colours (Rose Quartz and Serenity) and has provided us with lots of inspiration for upcoming party themes.
The company was established by Creative Director Caroline Khoo, who had a vision to construct a brand that celebrated food, design and creativity, whilst pushing artistic boundaries. Nectar and Stone focuses on deserts, styling and photography, often featuring Khoo’s gorgeous handmade rose water chocolates (which rapidly sell out) and ice cream pavlova meringues.
The brand specialise in birthday party and wedding event management, often surprising their fans with pop up stores across Australia.
Spattered with pastel macarons and peonies, Nectar and Stone’s social media platforms have attracted over 350,000 followers, and for good reason. We love N&S’s lollipop macarons, their hand painted hummingbird cookies, and stunning meringue slabs – piled high with berries and edible flowers. The website’s popularity has gained Khoo a book deal, which she is currently working on!
Perhaps most hypnotically, we find ourselves watching Caroline blend icing colours together with a spatula knife – don’t judge until you have seen this for yourself, it is strangely therapeutic to our busy London brains.
In addition to their tastier offerings, N&S also produce a range of beautiful art work that runs in line with the rose pink, pastel toned instagram that their followers adore. We would love to hang this beautiful peony painting in our studio – it would give us something gorgeous to stare at in the hope for another sunny day!
Caroline has collaborated with a wealth of desirable clients including Dior, and has been featured on the Martha Stewart and Apartment Therapy websites, and in publications including The Australian, Renegade Collective and The Herald Sun.
You may have noticed we are quite big fans of the Australian party scene, having featured Katherine Sabbath, Alana Jones Mann, and now Nectar and Stone too. After visiting The Finders Keepers Australian Design and Art market in Melbourne last year, we were hooked. Stalls included petal sprinkled gluten free dougnuts from We Are Nutie, creme caramel brains (yes, brains) from You Me And Bones, and delicate hand painted puppets from Ben Conservato.
There are so many inspiring artists to keep an eye on – often, we find, providing a colourful and playful twist that might have something to do with the fact they receive considerably more sunshine and vitamin D than Londoners could ever hope for!
Nectar and Stone have really reminded us how wonderful it is to keep themes simple. Sometimes, all you need is a colour palette to really get a party started. As Sarah said in our recent interview with Mandarin Oriental, it can be very easy to get carried away with complicated ideas – with N&S, Caroline Khoo really demonstrates that sticking to a beautiful colour scheme can provide endless inspiration, a style and a party spread to be incredibly proud of.
For colour palette inspiration, we hugely recommend Pantone and Adobe Color CC. We love Pantone’s book – 21st Century in Colour. It explores the different eras and trends over recent years and compiles them neatly into complimentary swatches.
If you have a certain colour in mind, but are not sure how to find complimentary or contrasting companions, the Adobe Color CC website really deserves a visit. You can pick from a range of styled colour palettes and move your mouse around the colour wheel to alter the tones as you please. If this all sounds a little technical don’t worry, just have a play and you will understand immediately – it is a simple as it is addictive!
Don’t be afraid to take inspiration from your favourite Instagram accounts and curate your party accordingly. Select complimentary colours and style your table layout to be as neat as a flat lay image, and your event will be impressing your followers no end.