James Bond Inspires Tony Marklew’s Table for At-Home Movie Fun

By Jill Brooke

Doesn’t this table make you swoon? Makes you just want to have a chic dinner party.

This peony masterpiece was created by the fabulous London event planner and florist Tony Marklew. Notice how he sprinkles some of the blooms around the table with the lemon sherbet and pale pink peonies. And the Jonathan Adler vases are fun too.

Aren’t you just loving the James Bond movie poster image of actor Roger Moore?  Not surprising that Marklew worked his magic on this design since his previous career was in theater and fashion.

“My previous neighbor and now a good friend is Deborah Moore, Roger’s delight daughter,” says Marklew.

Was struck by this amazing tablescape for several reasons.

Recently, unclassified Polish files say there was a spy named James Bond who was an embassy secretary who spied on military bases in 1964. Wonder if he took the name from Ian Fleming who created the character in 1952 and the first movie came out in 1962.

So while we all wait for the next James Bond to be announced, we can enjoy a movie night at home, inspired by this great tablescape. “No matter who they choose to replace Daniel Craig, you can be sure that the next Bond will be a suave guy like Roger Moore or Sean Connery who knows how to wear a tuxedo,” adds Friedman.

Well, until then, we can also create opportunities to watch the other 24 Bond movies until a new one begins production.

In fact, flora has always played a role in Bond films.

In “Casino Royale,” Le Chiffre poisoned James Bond with “digitalis,” which is derived from foxglove flowers.

And who can forget Moonraker where the villain Hugo Drax finds some rare South American orchid that can be distilled into a poison that he can spray from the air to commit what one writer called flowery genocide. Maybe add these flowers for conversation.

And for extra fun, perhaps read the books by Ian Fleming as well. Most of the book jackets had floral motifs that were created in conjunction with botanical illustrator Richard Chopping. In fact, according to literary007.com, Fleming once wrote a book of poems called “The Black Daffodil” which he was so unhappy with that he bought all the copies and destroyed them.

He also wrote a film outline called “The Poppy is also a Flower” and had intended to author a book on the flora of Jamaica, where he lived while writing the series.

Considering that James Bond movies are also great escapism opportunities that let the viewer visit some of the most glamorous places on earth – which we can’t do right now – try identifying all the flowers in the films and create your own bucket list of places to travel.

Maybe inspired by Tony Marklew, you can also create your own glam dinner party before you watch the movies and even take out the tux as well as some jewels.

Clink your glasses and think glam. Even if you are wearing slippers.

Jill Brooke is a former CNN correspondent, Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is an author and the editorial director of FPD.