Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) 4/26/2021 – Joseph Marini, a veteran caterer, event designer, and ardent host has dedicated his life to perfecting the art of entertaining. His accomplished roster of clients who have enlisted his catering and event services range from CEO of BBDO – Alan Rosenshine and Actor Tim Allen to Mark Winkelman. His work has been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, Connecticut Cottages and Gardens, Phoenix Home, New England Home, Town and Country, Atlanta Magazine, and Town and Country Weddings. The youngest son of a prominent home builder and a self-taught interior decorator with a unique style mixing French and Southern-style with his coveted garden object, Joseph has honed his domestic skills in Home Economics through ten residences that he has bought, decorated, entertained in, and successfully sold, from New York City to Florida. Several have been featured in the New York Times, Connecticut Cottages and Gardens, Design Sponge, Bay Magazine, and the Tampa Bay Times.
Your lifestyle brand, At Home with Joseph, has teamed up with Aspire Design and Home for a new web series. Tell us what led this project.
I believe that Modern Home Economics is about curating and maintaining a fulfilling and authentic life at home. Whether you are single or married, the basic principles of Home Economics dictate how we live in our homes, and within the communities that surround us. Home is really the place where we can experiment and learn about what inspires us to grow and mature, whether it is learning how to cook, garden, decorate, collect antiques, renovate, entertain or simply run a household. These are all innate human activities that build our character and connect us to other people. Historically, home economics was taught to us as young children both in school and from skills and knowledge imparted within the family from older generations in order to prepare us for adulthood. As trends have changed over the years, along with changing family structures, the younger generation has perceived these skills as unnecessary, outdated and oftentimes find themselves uninterested. Instant gratification has become popular, not only for young ones but for adults as well. Teaching others that slowing down to foster these skills at any age will inspire them to find their authenticity and lead to productive, fulfilling lives. Life at home for me was a laboratory to discover who I was and what brought me great pleasure, even from a young age when I was dubbed “Betty Crocker” because I loved to bake.
During COVID, as people were tethered to their homes, there was a shift in consciousness, whether easy to acknowledge or difficult, that all of life revolves around the home. With more people consuming information about cooking, being outdoors, gardening, or decorating, I wanted a platform to share my knowledge about all things related to Home Economics and how that relates to a lifestyle rather than just doing chores. I wanted to share the authenticity that I have with the connection with my home in hopes that it would inspire others to find a connection with theirs.
Aspire, although focused heavily on interior design, became a wonderful fit because they wanted to broaden their appeal to readers about living authentically and holistically within their homes. A video web series platform seemed to be the natural way to be able to speak to others, and it gave me the ability to include them in the conversation. The videos can be found on Aspire’s website, https://aspiremetro.com/?s=at+home+with+joseph
As well as on my youtube page: AT HOME WITH JOSEPH My Instagram is: athomewithjoseph
What excites you the most?
What excites me the most is being able to share my knowledge of making a home authentic. I have bought and sold nine homes since I was in my early 20’s and have put into practice almost every domestic skill that was learned or passed down to me. Sometimes life forces us to take shortcuts or find abbreviated ways of doing things, but in the end, the knowledge and the skills practiced all come back into use at some time or another. My professional career as a caterer and event designer inspired me to focus my attention and hone my craft of creating a home so that I could welcome others into it and have them see my story visually. Empowering others to create their story using the canvas of their home and its surroundings brings me great joy, especially when they go out and share it with others.
You recently had A Masterclass in Home Economics: Spring Cleaning: Refresh Your Room From The Floor Up with Tara Shaw, interior designer, author, and antique expert. What did you enjoy most about this segment?
What I most enjoyed about my recent episode with Tara Shaw, really was the opportunity to meet her and to learn her process. Life is about creating connections and relationships, and to have the opportunity to connect with someone like Tara who has inspired me and helped me to refine my aesthetic through her words in her new book, “Soul of the Home,” is gratifying. She excels at her craft, not because she is trying to impress anyone, but simply because she has an authentic, well-honed sense of space and what to do with it. I also enjoy the sense of accomplishment and pride that I feel every time I walk into the leisure room since re-doing it.
What are your goals for the series?
My goal for this series is to expand it to a broader audience. Possibly television or a series of books about Home Economics.
Your next show on April 27th will be on “What fathers, husbands, and children can do to create a thoughtful Mother’s Day.” Did your mother inspire you with your passion for entertaining and homekeeping?
I am excited about my upcoming episode because Home Economics should be a shared passion for creating a home. Mothers and Fathers impart valuable lessons and experiences to their kids. With covid having affected so many women, especially mothers who have had to wear multiple hats every day, this is an opportunity to pull dads into the kitchen, find their vulnerability, practice their cooking skills and make something homemade. Setting the table is a great skill for children to learn, especially if they are encouraged to get out some crayons and draw, scribble or write messages to their mother right on the tablecloth! Home isn’t just about paint and wallpaper, it’s about the relationships that you create inside those four walls. My mother was a stay-at-home mom who raised four boys and always made it look flawless. She instilled in me the importance of a tidy, orderly home that was always well appointed. Some days it wasn’t always perfectly kept (mostly because of us kids), but every season had its chores. Especially spring when the cold crisp air would filter through the house, the screens came off the windows and the washing ensued. The drapes were changed for the summer season, linens were ironed, the décor was refreshed and flowers were planted in the front of the house. My mother was also an ardent host. Whether hosting card night for friends, ceramics night with the ladies, or every single holiday during the year, her table was meticulously set. The food was freshly prepared and drinks were properly dispensed. My mother’s authenticity was making sure every single guest in her house was well cared for. So to answer your question, yes, in a very big way I was inspired by my mother for my love of keeping home and entertaining.
Please share a memorable mother’s day with your mom
Last year was the Mother’s Day I will remember most. It was the first time in 55 years that she did not have my dad to celebrate it with. He passed shortly before Mother’s Day. We were also locked down from Covid, so we spent the day having a low-key lunch, played games all afternoon, and reminisced in the memory of him.
What can we expect from this show?
Anyone tuning into the show can expect to learn something about any number of topics from cooking to gardening and decorating to entertaining. A pre-recorded twenty-minute video is broadcasted, and then I host a live q&a session after with a guest who has intimate knowledge of the topic. Viewers can send in their questions in real-time, and I strive to answer all of them. No matter what the subject matter is, I hope everyone will take away some piece of knowledge or encouragement to try something new. Because social media has become so perfection-based, I want people to realize that creating a home does not have to be perfect, it just has to be thoughtful.
Why is your show to inspire creativity and entertainment as the world opens back up from the pandemic?
Opening up from the pandemic should remind people that it is ok to slow life down. Do not rush out and neglect your home or the ability to make it the center of your life. Practice the craft of Home Economics, whether it is cooking, baking, gardening, decorating, or entertaining. Make it your “lifestyle.” If you fear cooking, but love gardening, cut some flowers and practice making floral arrangements. If you don’t think you are creative, try one of my craft projects just for the fun of it. If you’ve wanted to host a party, but fear overcame you, start small, but practice.
I have always thought entertaining was a way to create connections with people. Opening your home and inviting people to sit at your table is one of the most vulnerable ways that you can connect with others. I also believe entertaining authentically takes preparation. It means taking the time to cook your own food, set a beautiful table, practice being a good host, prepare your home, think about topics of conversation ahead of time, make new introductions, and be thankful for the people that take the time to be a part of your life. If I can help someone through my web series put aside their perceived anxiety and understand that perfection is subjective and comes with practice (and even then, it’s ok not to get it right), then I have fulfilled my purpose.
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