There's a particular kind of magic to a South Bay summer evening. Golden light, a long table, friends who linger past sunset. The best gatherings never feel fussy. They feel effortless, warm, and a little bit special, and that effortlessness usually comes down to a few beautiful, well-chosen pieces.
At Beck + Brix Home in Hermosa Beach, we've pulled together eight summer entertaining essentials that make hosting feel easy and look gorgeous, whether you're setting a table for eight or grabbing a last-minute hostess gift on your way to a Manhattan Beach dinner. Every piece here can be found in our shop on Pier Ave or ordered online, with free shipping over $150.
1. A Linen Runner to Anchor the Table
Great entertaining starts with the table, and the table starts with a runner. Our stonewashed linen table runner comes in ivory and mint, both soft, sun-washed tones that work outdoors without competing with the food. At 108 inches it fits a long table with room to drape at the ends, which is exactly the look you want.
2. Napkin Rings That Do the Heavy Lifting
Small detail, big payoff. A set of handwoven rattan napkin rings turns a folded napkin into something intentional, and the natural texture reads as coastal without being literal about it. They're priced as a set of four and they'll carry you from summer straight through the holidays.
3. Wooden Bowls You'll Reach For All Season
You can never have too many. Our acacia wood boat shaped bowls come in three lengths and look best grouped together down the center of the table, filled with olives, almonds, and cherries. For a little color, the bamboo bowls with a natural finish inside come in mint, rose, yellow, and blue, and they're light enough to pass around.
4. One Serving Board That Does Everything
If you buy a single piece for summer hosting, make it a board that holds cheese at six and dessert at nine. Our marble serving board with mango wood bowl pairs a cool stone surface with a built-in bowl, so you're not hunting for a second dish halfway through. The marble footed bowl is the companion piece, and it looks just as good sitting empty on the counter as it does full of stone fruit.
5. A Candle That Smells Like Summer
As the sun drops, lighting does all the work. Our Voyage et Cie Positano candle is creamy honeysuckle with jasmine, magnolia, and orange, and it burns for about 80 hours, which is most of a season's worth of dinners. If you'd rather have something going all the time without a flame, the Mare home fragrance by Acqua dell'Elba is built around lemon, sea salt, and green notes.
6. Candleholders That Handle the Breeze
Tapers are beautiful right up until the ocean air finds them. Our metal taper holder with leaves and berries has a distressed pewter finish and enough weight to stay put, and the antler hurricane with a glass shade keeps the flame protected so you're not relighting between courses.
7. A Hostess Gift Worth Remembering
Nobody remembers another bottle of grocery-store wine. What they remember is the friend who showed up with a gorgeous book. A Screaming Blast: Exceptional Entertaining is the obvious pick for anyone who loves to host, and Slim Aarons: Once Upon a Time is full of poolside glamour that fits a South Bay summer perfectly. Both wrap beautifully, and we're happy to do it for you. Life's too short for boring home goods, and it's too short for boring gifts too.
8. Coastal Textiles for Golden Hour
When the evening cools off, a woven indoor and outdoor pillow on the patio bench and a slub cotton throw with fringe over the back of a chair make guests want to settle in. Our Turkish beach towels do double duty, beach in the afternoon and an extra table layer at night. These are the forever pieces, the ones you'll still love long after the season ends.
Shop the Edit in Hermosa Beach or Online
You can find all eight of these at Beck + Brix Home, 423 Pier Ave in downtown Hermosa Beach. Come in and we'll help you pull the perfect set together. Not local, or shopping for a gift out of town? Everything is available at beckandbrixhome.com with free ground shipping on orders over $150.
However you gather this summer, we hope your table is full and your evenings are long. Stop by and see what's new. We're always adding pieces we can't wait to share.
