Hosting a party can be a total rollercoaster—one minute you’re pumped about having all your guests over, and the next you’re stressing about whether you have enough wine glasses. We get it, planning the perfect get-together can feel like a lot. But don’t worry, we’ve got some expert tips to help you throw a party that’s both stylish and fun without losing your cool.
Meet lifestyle bloggers and curators Beau and Matt from Probably This. Originally hailing from New Orleans and now residing in Tennessee, this dynamic couple has won over a substantial following on social media with their delightful blend of design, DIY projects, and home entertaining tips. If you’ve seen their Instagram, you know they’ve been turning their Victorian-era shotgun home into a stylish haven.Their book, Housewarming, is a treasure trove of insights on creating welcoming spaces and memorable gatherings.
We had the chance to chat with Lifestyle bloggers Beau and Matt about all things hosting and home entertaining. Here’s what they had to share to help you nail your next gathering and have a blast doing it.
Can you tell us about the journey that led to the creation of Probably This and how your personal backgrounds have influenced your approach to entertaining?
We’re both very social people, and having grown up in New Orleans, community was always very important to us. Probably This was created to share our interests in domestic pleasures, particularly creating spaces that were ready to host friends, family, and neighbors–that was the lens through which we approached all of our projects around the house. We’re most in sync when we’re hosting at our home.
While we didn’t know it at the time, our hosting skills were honed through our many years working in the service industry, which really helped us learn to anticipate needs before they even arise. What felt like somewhat dead end jobs at the time were actually the roots of a now ten-year long career in the home living space.
How do you balance aesthetics with practicality when planning a party, and can you share an example where you successfully merged the two?
This is one place where our teamwork shines through. While we both care greatly about beautiful arrangements and decorative flair, Matt has a particular eye for functionality. How people will move through a room or a gathering, and if they will have everything they need to do so gracefully and with joy.
If you each had to describe your design style in three words, what would they be and why?
Beau: whimsical, nostalgic, and unexpected.
Matt: collected, organic, casual.
What are the key elements you consider when designing a tablescape for a dinner party?
A tablescape should excite your guests, but not overwhelm them.
It should set the tone (tropical, casual, formal, etc), but not dictate it.
It should encourage conversation, not distract from it.
How do you incorporate seasonal elements into your entertaining, and what are some of your favorite ways to celebrate different times of the year?
Seasonality is extremely important to us when entertaining–it helps inform the colors used in decor, the food being served, the music being played. Now that we live in East Tennessee and experience all four seasons very vibrantly, turning to the natural world around us for inspiration has been more prevalent than ever.
What role does storytelling play in your entertaining, and how do you incorporate it into your parties when you’re hosting?
This is such a fun question because when you’re hosting a gathering, whether it’s two friends or twenty, you’re in charge of building a whole microworld. It’s your job to confidently embrace everything you’ve planned, and set the tone and culture of the party. Are we doing shots? Are we getting vulnerable? Guests will look to the host for cues on that stuff and the design, what you wear, your attitude—all of that stuff plays into creating your party persona. We’re all just characters and the story unfolds at the table.
If you had to create a playlist with just three songs to set the mood for a party, what songs would make the cut?
Totally would change based on what the vibe of the event is, but for this one I’m fantasizing about a dancey poolside brunch.
Genius of Love by Tom Tom Club
I Feel Love by Donna Summer
I Wonder if I Take You Home by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
What’s your go-to menu for a casual yet impressive dinner party?
In this season of our lives we’re most likely to go for something pared down, hearty, and made using ingredients that are of excellent quality. If you were coming over tonight I’d make the kale caesar salad from our book Housewarming, a whole roasted chicken with rosemary, and some roasted crispy potatoes topped in a parsley & garlic emulsion. The whole meal might consists of just ten ingredients, and it would be delicious.
Can you share a guilty pleasure snack or dish that you secretly love to serve at your parties?
There’s nothing guilty about it but if I’m putting together a snack spread the truffle and sea salt chips from Kettle brand are absolutely going to be there. They are… exquisite.
During the summer dessert often moves outside by the fire for s’mores, no matter how nice of a dinner party it is. S’mores are the best and we’re big fans of nostalgic picks.
If you could collaborate with any designer or chef on a project, who would it be and what would you create together?
Well if it was up to us we’d collaborate with forager Alexis Nikole and beg for her guidance as to what flora at our Tennessee home is edible. She’s incredible and we’re surrounded by so many things we think we could probably eat!
What’s a quirky or unusual hobby or interest that each of you has that your followers might not know about?
Beau: It’s kind of sad that I don’t have an answer to this! I dunno!
Matt: I am fascinated by linguistics and mycology—my TikTok FYP is basically all science stuff.
Looking ahead, what are some of the exciting projects or plans you have for Probably This, and how do you envision the future of your brand?
Aside from our book, we’ve been pretty much exclusively available to our audience digitally, and we’re ready to change that. We want real in person connection with our online community. This summer or fall we are launching our first ever in-person experience at The Chanterelle Cottage. We’ve spent the past year building a cottage on our property here in Ocoee, Tennessee and will be opening it up for guests to rent. Our vision is for it to be experiential for anyone who wants that–offering tours of the property, providing fresh eggs from our garden, maybe even breakfast baskets, maybe even dinners! It’s still a concept in progress but it’s coming together. Of course if anyone wants to stay and be totally unbothered that will be an option too!
We have our audience to thank for everything in our lives and we would be ecstatic for the future of our brand to include furthering that connection and being able to really get to know the people who have watched us grow over the years.
