“Winter calls for root vegetables and ingredients like allspice, cloves and cinnamon that warm us from the inside out and help lull us into hibernation,” Shea says.

It isn’t sunny outside, which means a theme of pastels, Gerber daisies, and rainbows isn’t going to work.

Take a page out of Shea’s dream journal, and go for something bold and cosmic, dark and moody. And really commit to it — from food to flatware.

“By keeping all the elements in the same tone, we were able to create cohesion with the tableware, flowers, interior space, and food,” Shea says.

For flowers, Shea chose Garden Roses, Eucalyptus, Ronia Black berries on twigs. The black-rimmed Soie Tressée plates are from L’objet ($50-$130, L’objet), paired with navy plaid napkins from Crate & Barrel ($4.87, Crate & Barrel). The dining table is a custom-order American Walnut live edge table with steel integration from Becky Shea Design.

Who said you have to do all the work? “Prepping with friends and loved ones ahead of the actual RSVP time makes the experience so much more fun and cuts the time in half,” Shea says.

Inviting your right-hands over turns party prep into an actual party, but do also make sure to plan the menu a week or two in advance, in case you have to change plans when your grocer runs out of nutmeg.

To still get that “wow moment,” your tabletop should be set, appetizers ready, and main courses roasting as other guests arrive.

To help you recreate this spread, Shea says the Hasselback Butternut Squash can be roasted up to 4 hours in advance, wrapped in tin foil, and then reheated right before serving.

Shea and Powell called the pears their “hero dessert,” as the fruits had quite the role to fill.

“We strive to hit all five senses in our experiential designs for tablescapes,” Shea said. “[T]hese pears played the perfect part of stimulating your smell, sight, touch (texture), and most importantly, taste senses.”

The pair topped off the brunch with some classic Frank Sinatra tunes to fit in with the warm, classic vibes.

“We love to surprise guests with a little take-away gift as a thank you for spending time with us and as a token of our relationship,” says Shea.

For this brunch, Powell and Shea baked rosemary shortbread wreaths the night before and wrapped them in canvas bags with ribbon to give guests “something to enjoy later in the night when they return home or the next day as a reminder of the fun event.”