Host a Milan-Inspired Cocktail Party

Designer Craig Stanghetta dreams up a cocktail party that celebrates la dolce vita.

“Nothing beats getting buzzed in a dimly lit room with your friends while punchy Italian jazz crackles from the record player,” laughs interior designer Craig Stanghetta. We asked the designer, who is renowned for his restaurant and retail design (he’s the man behind the look of Vancouver’s Bao Bei and Homer Street Cafe, as well as Victoria’s new Meat and Bread and the recent South Granville Boboli overhaul), to apply his signature mix of raw materials and refined romance to planning the perfect cocktail party vibe. “The ideal party for our studio would be in a beautiful old apartment reminiscent of Milan, surrounded by masterful Italian design from mid-century to the best of the present.”1. This Minotti Riley coffee table ($14,000) mixes the raw with the refined. livingspace.com2. Good vintage mid-century record players can be found at Lotusland in Kits, or go new with a Rega turntable ($530). vanspecial.com3. Seating should be comfortable but elegant—like these Mario Bellini Le Bambole chairs (from $4,100). informinteriors.com4. We all love a good Aperol spritz or a negroni. Serve them up in these elegant Baccarat glasses ($125 each). atkinsons.ca5. A hit of gold, like this Yukiwa Japanese Baron gold shaker, brings an element of glamour to any party. parchedpenguin.com6. Ideally, I’d source a bar cart by Italian master Ponti, but this chrome Earnest bar cart from CB2 ($200) works, too. cb2.ca7. You can’t have a cocktail party without some booze. Stick to the Italian classics: Aperol, Campari, Punt e Mes vermouth or Cynar. legacyliquorstore.com