Women Who Inspire Us: Mesa Collections Founder Trishia Mariano on Hosting, Heritage and the Art of Setting the Table

For Trishia Mariano, hosting has never been about perfection. It's about intention — how a space feels, how people connect, and the quiet power of gathering around a thoughtfully set table.

The founder of Mesa Collections didn't come to tableware through design school or a formal interiors background. In fact, by day she works as a growth analyst, immersed in data and numbers. But during the long, isolating months of COVID lockdowns — as she approached her 30s and found herself craving connection — Trishia returned to something far more instinctive: cooking for others, inviting people in, and creating a sense of belonging through food. "I was bored, honestly," she says, laughing. "But more than that, I really missed community."

@trishiamariano join my dinner party or our group chat? https://mesacollections.com.au/pages/eatwithus #sydney #dinnerwithstrangers #sydneydinnerwithstrangers #hosting ♬ original sound - Ally Rendall

That longing led her to an experiment she called Dinner With Strangers: intimate supper clubs hosted in her Sydney apartment, where guests — often complete strangers — gathered around a shared table. What began with eight people quickly grew to dinners of 20, with Trishia collaborating with chefs and culinary creatives to bring each night to life. Some evenings were curated and structured; others were deliberately casual. One dinner ended with guests presenting their own work or interests to the group — terrifying, she admits, but transformative.

"It wasn't really about the aesthetics," she says. "It was about creating an atmosphere where people felt comfortable enough to open up." Those dinners — now well documented on TikTok — didn't just shape Mesa Collection as a brand. They helped Trishia articulate what hosting meant to her, and why it felt so deeply personal.

@trishiamarianoPart 4 | Launching a new product Photoshoot and all the preps behind it. Honestly, this was the tiring part but SO worth it. Doing this all with my FT job was brutal. I slept at 2am and woke up at 6am to start the day. I ended up hiring a super lovely shoot assistant very last minute and honestly that's one of the best decisions I've made in building this business. Networking is a big learning for me in this journey. The opportunities it opens for you are sometimes so surprising. See you in part 5!♬ sweet nothing sped up - kacey ✧.*

Raised in a Filipino household where someone was always cooking and the door was always open, hosting was never framed as an event — it was simply how life happened. That cultural instinct runs through Mesa Collections today, from the ruffled edges of its linens to the emphasis on pieces that feel lived-in rather than precious.

"Food and hosting are so intrinsic to my heritage," she explains. "When I design for Mesa, I always go back to that — my grandma sewing, the textures she used, the colours she put on the table."

Designing a Table That Feels Like an Invitation

When Trishia designs a tablescape — whether for a Mesa shoot or one of her own dinners — she starts long before guests arrive. Ideally, the table is set the day before. Not for Instagram, but for intention.

"It makes people feel expected," she says. "Like you've been waiting for them."

Her process is methodical but intuitive. She often follows a loose 60–30–10 rule: 60 percent of the table anchored in a primary colour or texture (often a linen tablecloth), 30 percent in a complementary tone, and 10 percent reserved for contrast — silver cutlery, ceramic plates or an unexpected pop of colour.

Layering matters. A tablecloth first, then placemats if the surface needs grounding. Plates and cutlery come next, with centrepieces added last, once the mood is already set. She prefers to see the table "breathe" before placing anything in the middle.

And despite the rise of elaborate, overflowing tables online, Trishia is firm on one thing: restraint.

"A centrepiece should be a conversation starter, not an obstacle," she says. "You still need space for food and for people to move."

Some of her favourite centrepieces have been deeply personal — framed childhood photos at her own birthday dinner, or bowls of seasonal produce instead of florals. Fruit and vegetables, she notes, have become a defining tablescape trend, adding texture, colour and a sense of abundance without feeling wasteful.

 

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What's Worth Investing In — And What to Thrift

Mesa Collections was built with longevity in mind, and Trishia is clear about where to invest versus where to experiment. If there's one category she believes is worth spending on, it's cutlery. Good silverware, she says, lasts forever — and often becomes the kind of object that's passed down. "Cutlery is used every day. It's tactile. It's something you'll have for decades."

Linens, too, are worth choosing carefully. Mesa's ruffled tablecloths and placemats are designed to age well — crinkling gracefully rather than demanding constant upkeep. Trend-led elements, on the other hand, are better thrifted: mismatched ceramics, vintage plates, heirloom serving spoons, candleholders collected slowly over time. "It's about mix and match," she says. "That's where personality comes in."

That philosophy extends to how Mesa operates as a business. Many of its pieces are available to rent as well as buy — allowing customers to try before committing, and reinforcing the idea that tablescaping should be accessible, not intimidating.

The Art of The Perfect Host

For Trishia, a good host isn't defined by what's on the table — but by how people feel when they leave. "The goal is that they want to come back," she says simply. That means removing pressure wherever possible. Not cooking everything yourself. Letting people contribute. Choosing comfort over formality.

The most memorable dinner she's ever hosted? The very first Dinner With Strangers — a potluck. "Everyone shared why they made what they made," she recalls. "It took the focus off me and made it about everyone else."

It's a lesson she's carried into Mesa Collections: hosting as an act of care rather than performance. Beautiful objects can elevate a moment, but they're never the point. "Sometimes what people remember most is a conversation that happened out of nowhere," she says.

 

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Building a Brand Around Gathering

Today, Mesa Collections exists not just as a product line but as a growing community — with Trishia hosting founder dinners, summer lunches and collaborative events that blur the line between brand and lived experience. A recent lunch at Northcote wine bar Samuel Pepys saw Mesa linens transform the courtyard into something relaxed, layered and distinctly hers. "I didn't create Mesa just to sell things," she says. "I really love the community that's forming around it."

In many ways, Mesa is a continuation of those early dinners — a way to give others the tools to host with confidence, warmth and a sense of self. Not perfect tables, but meaningful ones. Because, as Trishia has learned, the table is rarely just a table. It's where people arrive as strangers — and often leave as something more.

Explore Mesa Collections products via the website, and find out more about the next Founders Dinners via Trishia's TikTok.

Images: Supplied