Expert Tips To Get You Hosting Like A Pro

Many of life's most memorable moments are spontaneous, but the truly momentous ones are usually planned — to a T. Whether it's a birthday dinner or an industry party, coordinating said celebratory events requires laser-like focus and a stable of experts (flowers! food! venue!) to pull them off. That is, unless artist/author/chef Julia Ziegler-Haynes is running the show, in which case she plans and executes every single detail herself.

After getting frustrated with the lack of personal attention to customers she experienced while waitressing in Brooklyn, Ziegler-Haynes took matters into her own RISD-trained hands and founded The Dinner Bell, a periodical supper club and customized dinner party biz that takes her clients' most meaningful milestones to a whole new, bespoke level. Handling the menu (she never cooks the same thing twice), the decor, and all, this self-taught entertainer has mastered every kind of fete, from intimate settings to close friend/designer Rachel Comey's biannual four-course presentations. Recently, her success has led to mastering another type of hosting gig: becoming a video host for Vice's foodie destination, Munchies.

Ahead, we get the grand tour of the gorgeous, modern-rustic abode where Ziegler-Haynes whips up her dreamy concoctions and her secrets for hosting like a pro. And, while you drool over the exposed wood and vaulted ceilings of her '70s-era barn turned home, snag her cozy-meets-chic personal and home-decor style with essentials from T.J.Maxx. The only hosting skill you won't learn is how to roast the perfect turkey.