Charlotte Calloway is the embodiment of modern-era elegance with eyes that cut through to a much greener, sustainable, environmentally-aware future. As a founder of Earth & Harmony, an eco-friendly stationery and goods brand, Charlotte has made it her mission to marry beauty with responsibility. From compostable invitations to sustainably-sourced serving ware, her company designs everything for the conscious consumer-from eco-friendly party invitations to elegant as well responsible cocktail napkins.
“I’ve always loved hosting,” Charlotte shares, “but with this growing journey of learning about sustainability, I felt like every time I had to marry my passion for gatherings with conscious living, and I’m realizing every event now as an opportunity to leave a smaller footprint.”
Charlotte’s thinking about sustainability does not fail to impress during her annual New Year’s Eve dinner at her elegant LA apartment-flaunting just the right mix of vintage charm and cutting-edge green design. Since Charlotte does not do the usual cocktail mingling, the guests are seated for a long dinner whereby organic meals are shared and they rehash each one of the green living and sustainable-living interests which are often ignited by her passion for throwing things together.
“I like having people over for a really good dinner. It’s just much more intimate and satisfying,” she comments. “It’s important to slow down and enjoy the small things-good food, great company, and an eco-friendly environment.”
Social Gathering with Its Own Purpose
If you step into his dining room, he has perfected it with a luxurious and eco-friendly feel: place cards made from recycled paper, each hand-calligraphed in a plant-based ink and paired with bamboo cutlery and glassware recycled materials, adorn the tabletop. It’s not just an expensive evening for guests, but also an education on what and why Charlotte makes her eco-friendly choices through the night.
Being able to see and feel good about your choices is part of it,” Charlotte explains. She sends out her handwritten invitations made from sustainable paper at least six weeks before an event “to plan ahead-no last-minute waste here,” knowing that her guests will get the time they need to prepare. Charlotte’s sustainable dinner parties unfurl over the course of thoughtful phases, reminiscent of a great movie or series-each night has a rhythm-with guests transitioning from one section of the location to the next experience new facets of the event.
Maya Russo and James Lancaster collaborated on her comfy abode by blending green building materials with energy-efficient features while at the same time preserving 1920s charm. “We preserved the essence of the building by restoring the natural wood paneling and replacing the windows with energy-efficient glass,” Charlotte explained. “Whilst still modern and sustainable with low-VOC paint, recycled fabrics, and biodegradable flooring.”
Over-scaled vintage furniture from local thrift stores is set up for a cozy atmosphere where guests can mingle before dinner in the living room. In this minimalist sustainable setting, conversations are the focus. “Seating arrangements have that warm, deeper connection,” says Charlotte. “That’s what we’re looking for in a world that moves fast and is overstimulated.”
Sustainability Meets Style
For Charlotte, this stylish yet sustainable setting is an art in itself. “I let nature make the statement,” she remarks about her tablescape. A combination of dried flowers, greenery, and beeswax candles casts a warm and inviting glow. Around the reclaimed wood table are eco-friendly accents such as hemp napkins and organic cotton tablecloths.
“A good party is about more than just food; it’s about atmosphere,” says Charlotte. “I wanted things to matter—right down to a tiny napkin. Sustainability isn’t a trend; it is a movement.”
Then there’s the matter of arranging the visuals
A keen sense of flow through the evening is maintained by Charlotte’s thoughtful seating. “It’s like casting a movie,” she states, smiling. “I always put people next to someone they’re comfortable with but also next to someone they might want to learn something from. It’s about connecting people—just like the best scenes in Hollywood blockbusters.”
Somehow, Charlotte’s rhythm at the dinner party speaks to pacing of some of the Hollywood blockbuster and over-the-top versions of the small screen. The cocktail reception launches the evening with an eco-conscious focus on drinks in up-cycled glasses, and this event flows into a seated dinner, and later transitions to a lounge area where guests can sip on sustainable espressonov martinis and hold forth on the topical fodder of any latest environmental film or series they have laid eyes on.
Charlotte has ensured every last thing in her evening is a reflection of her sustainable lifestyle-from the biodegradable party poppers she sourced out to bring her guests a moment of sheer whimsical delight to compostable confetti made from dried flowers for a truly special count into midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Working Toward a Sustainable Future
Charlotte promotes the eco-conscious gatherings that offer an experience as serene as it is beautiful. After a lovely intimate dinner, guests proceed to Charlotte’s lounge for a chic screening, the room enveloped in soothing lighting made-wise choices of energy-saving bulbs. This year’s screening? The Secret Garden, a nurturing film that echoes Charlotte’s values regarding betterment for the Earth, along with The Social Dilemma, sharing insights on the harmful effects of social media, which of course is a subject very dear to Charlotte herself.
The guests start gloomy reflections-sweeping on the mass of potentials to integrate sustainability in all aspects of their daily lives-choosing stores with mindful decisions or screening thought-provoking documentaries that induce positive changes.
The last guests put on their coats and bid Charlotte farewell, feeling good about having spent the New Year in ways consistent with the Earth’s own celebration. Indeed, they must have already been stepping into the night when a bright future for all gatherings-elegant, considered, and with purpose-began.
