Tuesday January 07, 2014
Sometimes the simplest things make me the happiest. Found these on One Kings Lane . While it is a great container for my garlic on the counter, I can't wait to use it for fresh berries.
Tuesday March 19, 2013
Sometimes you have to bring spring to the table to fight off the when-will-winter-ever-end blues! For me tulips and asparagus seem to do the trick. With asparagus as the spring vegetable that symbolizes the start of the gardening season and tulips as the mid-spring season flower, you can't help but have hope!!
And for me, I scored BIG at the Boston Design Center a couple of weeks ago and found a deeply discounted Victorian Majolica asparagus dish to finish off my happy table. I think in a prior life I made porcelain or pottery as I am drawn to dishes, pottery, plate ware, etc. any time I go into an antique shop. This plate is the icing on the cake as it shows off my asparagus polonaise while adding complimentary color and style.
What inspires your spring tabletop design?
Monday November 19, 2012
This year has been about transition for me, as you may have noticed if you follow my blog, Fresh American. I’ve been renovating and moving into the house that belonged to my late mother, and now I’m just over a week away from hosting my first Thanksgiving there—where Mum, the consummate hostess, celebrated many a holiday. As a designer, I believe that every tabletop is an opportunity for a bit of sassiness and self-expression, and so lately I’ve been having fun playing with some of Mum’s vintage plates, glasses, flatware, and accessories, and mixing them up in new arrangements. It’s comforting to have those bits and pieces, and all the memories associated with them, around during the holidays. It helps me connect not only with Mum, but also with all my family and friends who are carrying on the tradition with me.
For this tablescape, I was inspired by the rich variation in neutrals—from snow to cream and chocolate—in my indigenous Vermont granite dining table, created by Adam Ross Cut Stone Company based in Albany, New York. I started with the dessert plates, which are antique Copeland Spode and once belonged to my great-grandmother. Their stunning, raised lacelike pattern are at once astonishing yet subtle. I placed these on top of the “blank canvas” of contemporary white chargers from Crate & Barrel for an instant dose of depth and dimension. Not to mention plenty of room for all the side dishes I want to serve on Thanksgiving!
Those amazing tumblers and stemware are also from my great-grandmother’s collection. With their Old World, etched grapevine pattern, they’re an exquisite addition that really elevates each setting. Mum was the keeper of fine, ironed linens—they were always perfect!—so I chose a set of her simple, elegant linen damask napkins. The silverware, Mum’s again, and monogrammed with an S for Shreve, works equally well for Selke!
I wanted the centerpiece to have an easy, organic feel, and I wanted to stick with the nuanced neutral color story. So I chose white pumpkins in two sizes and slightly different shades, and tucked white lilies and roses between them. I added the magnolia leaves to pick up the chestnut brown of the tabletop, and the eucalyptus leaves for a pop of color. (This arrangement holds itself in place pretty well, but if you’re at all concerned about disturbing it, you can insert the flower and greenery stems into water-filled picks and then into small blocks of floral foam.)
Now it’s your turn. What family tradition or heirloom are you spotlighting on your table this year? Tell me in the comments for your chance to win a two sets of Juliet embroidered napkins from Pine Cone Hill—a $96 value!
Tuesday July 03, 2012
This past week Jim was out working on the garden, and he picked these BEAUTIFUL Wild Lilies. We already had some Garlic Scapes in the kitchen, so I decided to arrange them. Look at the pictures of the two. They make for a gorgeous pair, don't you think?
A match made in heaven!
Wild Lilies and Garlic Scapes add a touch of Summer to the Heirloom Meals kitchen.
Tuesday June 05, 2012
A while back I blogged about some chairs I stumbled upon at Brimfield almost a couple of years ago. They were exactly what I had been looking for ....and for a mere fraction of the cost...These are over 100 years old. The wood is oak and very heavy as typical of old growth wood. The seller told me they were sitting in a barn in Rochester, NY - no wonder the needlepoit was all destroyed!
It took me a long time to select the fabric and then to have them reupholstered. But alas they are done and gorgeous. Total cost is 1/5 of buying them new. Feeling pretty good about my score!!
This is what I love doing!! It feels so gratifying.
Wednesday January 11, 2012
