How I Gather

Bringing people together around a table is our greatest passion in life and we believe food is one of the most powerful tools for connection. In our series, How I Gather we go behind the scenes with our favorite foodies to see how they do it. See All

Today we’re stepping into the East Austin home of creative maven Sarah Wymer of Studio Slomo and Rosehip Flora, and her über talented designer husband Derrit Derouen of Derouen and Co. for a glimpse at the duo’s super inspiring entertaining style. We practically fell in love when we headed over to the couple’s bright and modern abode for brunch with Chelsea, and discovered their amazing design and letterpress studio downstairs. It seemed that every element in their home had a story behind it… vintage posters from Mexico City, dining room chairs needlepointed by Sarah’s grandmother, and family recipes to boot. Click through for some of our favorite inspirational details from the day!

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The kitchen rule they rarely break:

Sarah – I always disinfect after prepping meat. I can’t help myself. Derrit tries to keep my bacteria paranoia in check, but usually obliges and reaches for the 409.

Derrit – Scary
My must-have entertaining tool:
A well stocked bar. They love local brewery, Hops & Grain.
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Sarah’s entertaining style:

I get most of my entertaining style from my mom. I like to cook things that she made when I was growing up — it feels like sharing something special to us. And I love to have guests sit on the barstools that look into the kitchen while I finish prepping, just the way we do at my mom’s house when she’s entertaining.

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Click here to get the recipe for Sarah and Derrit’s Ortega Egg Casserole
This recipe happens to be a  favorite of the Wymer family on Christmas morning. Good tip: eat the left overs in a tortilla the next day!
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Their standard hosting outfit:
Sarah – Something clean + a little perfume.
Derrit – Jeans and a comfortable shirt.
Dream dinner guests:
Terry Gross, Tina Fey. Thom Yorke, Michael Pollan.
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The restaurant meal they’ll never forget:
We had an anniversary dinner at Uchi a few years ago. We were there for four hours, we had no idea!  Just the two of us, enjoying the atmosphere, great wine, great food, great conversation. It was a magical  night. Uchi is a perfect place to explore one item at a time, savoring the flavors. The staff was really  friendly, but probably ready to see us go.
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The perfect dinner party playlist includes:
  • Bitte Orca – Dirty Projectors
  • Regina Spektor
  • Robbers & Cowards – Cold War Kids
  • Little Dragon
  • Brazilian Girls
  • Johnny Cash

The music plays a big part in our entertaining style — we tailor our playlists to our guests. If someone likes country, we’ll play Johnny Cash. Nothing too overpowering, we like for the music to be more ambient in the background.

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Always in their refrigerator:
Avocados, good cheese, yogurt and, of course, eggs. You can always make something with eggs.
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The tastes they’re always craving:

Sarah – Hum, it is less of a taste than a thing. I can’t get enough pizza! Also, I’m big on tea. I always have several different blends  on hand and know how long to steep each one. My current favorite is Versailles Blend from Tea Embassy.

Derrit – Good coffee is a must. Sarah bakes almost every day, and I can’t get enough of her scones, banana bread and…blueberry muffins. If I haven’t had them for a few days I start to go into withdrawal.
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The items in Sarah and Derrit’s home are bursting with history. We absolutely fell in love with the gorgeous china that brunch was served on, handed down to Sarah from her grandmother.
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Head over to Go Forth Creative to view more of Chelsea’s work.

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Chanel Dror