Transporting Design at Greenwich Room to Read Benefit

One of Sue’s more personal projects of late was her design for a dinner benefiting Room to Read, a global literacy organization. Founded by John Wood, a former Microsoft executive, Room to Read ignites the spark of reading among children in the developing world, and its mission was at the heart of this recent Fairfield County event.

Held at the Greenwich home of Shauna and Eric Varvel, the dinner already had a lovely backdrop. Sue sought to create a beautiful environment with modern contrast, layering Fall hues and textures with ethereal Asian motifs, a nod to the charity’s program constituency. Her look for the tented affair paired the crispness of a chocolate brown and white color scheme and tailored awning stripe ribbon with sculptural elements like pheasant feathers, calla lilies and Bosc pears from Connecticut’s Averill Farm.

The chocolate brown paper lanterns against the white Sperry tent provided dramatic contrast – perfect for an October evening – and a festive glow augmented by the porcelain hurricane lanterns at each table. The mix of foliage and fruit was also seasonal, though chic and unexpected.