Monocle Films and LG Signature are featuring a five-part “The art of hosting” series.

Setting the mood for an evening of drinks and dinner is best achieved through the careful lighting of one’s surroundings. Javier Marset – co-owner of Catalan lighting company, Marset – favours the low glow of directional illumination and a casual atmosphere to put guests at ease when visiting his modern retreat in the mountains.

The first step in hosting is putting together a guest list: a delicate operation that requires diplomacy and some social engineering. Daphné Hézard, founder and editor in chief of Regain magazine – a French journal about countryside, agriculture and farming – takes an editorial approach by drawing up a large list and whittling it down to an ideal collection of diverse personalities.