The Tablescape Series: August-Marigold Yellow

Robin Daprato
Aug 26
4 min read

A study in sunlit tones and the last blooms of summer.

When I began dreaming about August’s colour, I didn’t have to think long. I was taken straight back to late summers at my grandmother’s house (you can read more about it here & see little me with my giant sunflower friends). The air was thick with heat, time slowed, and everything seemed to glow.

Though my young mind couldn’t name it then, I now know that the late August feeling was nostalgia. The simple ease of childhood summers. Long days spent biking down dirt roads, forts built under the sun, hands sticky from apples picked straight off the tree.

But what I remember most were the sunflowers.

Sunflowers that felt like giants, towering above me—just out of reach, yet begging to be touched. If only I could reach!!

What felt like a million blooms, lined my grandmother’s long gravel driveway, year after year.

These sunflowers always meant it was August. They meant for just a little while longer I would be able to enjoy the fresh country air before returning to the city.

That’s what I wanted to channel with Marigold Yellow. A colour full of warmth, nostalgia, and light. An homage to my summers at my grandmother’s, something I have spoken of here before.

The golden haze at the end of a long day. The colour of ripened fruit, honey, dried apricots, late blooms. The afterglow in the sky when the world has gone quiet. A reminder that there is richness in the in-between.

This dinner was exactly that. A slow summer evening wrapped in yellow, a table that felt like memory. The table sat beneath a soft canopy of marigold fabric, draped like late-summer sky. The idea for the canopy was sparked years ago, when my mom took me to Central Park as a child to see Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s saffron gates—an installation that showed me how fabric could transform space into something monumental yet fleeting. That vision lingered, and here it reappeared, reimagined above the table.

Golden tablecloths ran the length of the table, layered with napkins in shades of ochre and saffron. Vases spilled over with sunflowers, daisies, and wild greenery, catching the last of the daylight. It was meant to feel immersive, almost as if the room itself had been dipped in yellow.

One of the highlights of the night was the cocktail workshop, led by mixologist and Rasa Restaurant's head bartender, James Kenny. Guests gathered around the bar to learn how to make the classic Bee’s Knees, but what made it extra special was the tasting where we explored five different honeys.

Saffron honey, manuka honey, wildflower lavender honey, hot honey, and a simple syrup.

Each one transformed the drink into something entirely new. It was a sensory reminder of how even the smallest ingredient can shift the mood, the memory, and the meaning of a moment.

The menu carried the same yellow inspired thread: chilled sweet corn soup with chive oil and microgreens; shaved zucchini ribbons with pine nuts and ricotta; roasted chicken glazed with citrus and honey. And for dessert, a beautiful lemon cream cake alongside a yellow ombré madeleine tower from Café Pastel, adorned with fresh blooms. Every dish, in its own way, was a study in yellow: bright, sun-warmed, and deeply seasonal.

And at the close of the evening, as the plates were cleared and the last glasses emptied, we circled back to the theme. Each guest shared what the colour marigold meant to them. The responses were moving—stories of late summers, of childhood gardens, of light that lingers in memory, how a favourite pair of yellow hued sunglasses could make the world feel and look a little warmer.

It was a powerful reminder that colour is not just something we see, but something we feel. It shapes experience, triggers nostalgia, and deepens the way we gather.

And when it was finally time to part, everyone carried a little piece of marigold home with them. A beeswax candle, striped matchbooks, a jar of honey, and a bottle of simple syrup to revisit the Bee’s Knees we had made together. Tucked in were a recipe card, a Pantone swatch of the month’s colour, and the playlist that had carried us through dinner. Simple quiet tokens — a way of letting the light of August linger a little longer.

Thank you, truly, for being here. This has been such a gift.

THE TABLESCAPE SERIES: MARIGOLD YELLOW

PHOTO GALLERY

WORDS FROM OUR AUGUST TABLESCAPE GUESTS

“Experiencing The Tablescape Series was definitely a highlight of this summer. I was most struck by the attention to detail—the whole experience was elevated with marvellously inventive ideas and personal touches. The cold corn soup was truly one of the best soups I’ve ever had. The cocktail seminar was super fun and a great way to break the ice with some new people who I got to know over a beautifully set table, incredible food, while immersed in a beautifully decorated and very welcoming environment. I can’t wait to experience another one soon! Thank you Robin, you’re a rock star!” -Brendan

“I had such a lovely time at Robin’s Tablescape Series event. The theme and decorations created such a warm, inviting atmosphere, and the cocktail-making lesson was a fun and unique touch. Every dish was delicious, and the evening was filled with great company and conversation. It was the perfect blend of creativity, hospitality, and attention to detail. An experience I’d be happy to recommend.” -Erin

“A night of storytelling swirled in colour. This tablescape was truly a canvas—carefully crafted that carried us on a journey. The workshop added such a nice layer, making the evening feel not just creative but also personal. I can’t wait to see what the next event unveils—thank you so much for having me!” -Lindsay