Sale: Tablescapes

Bali 4-Piece Tablescape - $17.95

Every once in awhile, I stroll over to HSN to see what Nate Berkus is up to. I was over there this morning looking for sheets (and he does have some interesting patterns at the moment. Look HERE). But what really caught my attention was a grouping of "Instant Tablescapes" that were on sale for ridiculous prices.

Normally, I would say put together your own little groupings. But Nate has put together some really handsome combinations, and the prices make it very easy to succumb to the ease of it all!

Ikat Set of Three Photo Frames - $9.00

There are frames in the collections, as well as beautiful boxes, candles and vases. The collections could certainly be broken up and used in any number of ways with your own things.

Westchester 3 Piece Tablescape - $11.97

I know....I am sounding just like the ladies on HSN. No, I do not work for them. I just know a good sale when I see one.

Ahmad 3-Piece Tablescape - $11.97

Even if you don't buy, the combinations from Nate might inspire you to rearrange a few things of your own and get that "Look".

Oh! And this rug! Amazing price! If you remember Joni's post on striped dhurries HERE, you may just be inspired. $59.97 for an 8x10!!!! I will be feeling anxious about buying one the rest of the day, even though I don't have an immediate need...operative word "immediate". I am sure I will think something up by the end of the day.

Woven Striped Rug - $24.90-59.97

Just paying it forward.

The Art of the Table: Preview Party For DIFFA

"CHAHUT" Table by Ken Fulk

The Fall party season in San Francisco is in full swing, and what better way to start it all off than with the "Art of the Table" Preview party benefiting DIFFA's DINING BY DESIGN. Gumps hosted the party last week featuring the table topping talents of these four top San Francisco designers: Ken Fulk, Claudia Juestel, Martha Angus and Orlando Diaz-Azcuy. The party was a kick-off event to the upcoming DIFFA events this November in San Francisco. To find out more about DIFFA DINING BY DESIGN click on over HERE.

Partnering in the event at Gumps were notable tableware masters: Hermes, Puiforcat, Cristal Saint-Louis, Raynaud, Ecruis, Alberto Pinto, Varga and Jean Louis Coquet. All contributed to the fantasy table decor put together by the designers.

When we arrived, the party was in full swing. We got a glass of wine and immediately found the tables. I have to say, I was a little star struck by the designer line-up. I am a long time admirer of each one of them.

I started at Ken Fulk's table, which was dazzling. Topped with the front half of a black stallion ringed with dozens of sunset hued roses, this table was off and running at first glance. Ken was so imaginative with this table, I hardly know where to begin!

The dark wood table was topped with a piece of glass which was back-painted with Hermes orange paint. Now, that is an idea that anyone could use to update a table and make it one-of-a-kind. Ken contacted Hermes to see if they might lend saddles to use as the dining "chairs". And they said "Yes"! Ken painted the saddle stands (also by Hermes) a fuchsia pink, topped them with the Hermes saddles, and draped those with Hermes scarves and belt buckles.

The table is set with Fil D'Argent China and Attalage Silver, both by Hermes. The Black Martini glass is by David Redmond, Martini Shaker by Lappas, Toroise DOF by Stueben, and charger by Laque De Chine Noir and Platinum by Haviland.

Ken added the crop (Hermes) as a "party favor", or perhaps just to whip a little more excitement into this equestrian fantasy. This run for the roses is a clear winner.

Hermes Saddle and Stand

Next up was "The Observer Effect" by Claudia Juestel. Claudia, founder and principal of Adeeni Design Group, brought her own design sensibilities to the table by designing a custom Dining Table with Brazilian Rosewood Veneer. She also created the custom dining chairs upholstered in a shagreen textured fabric.

"The Observer Effect" Table by Claudia Juestel

Claudia used China by Raynaud, silver by Ercuis and crystal by Saint Louis and Varga. The silver "bowls" at each place setting are made out of coins and titled "Beggar" Bowls, by Dave Meeker. The centerpiece of the table was not the expected flowers, but what appeared to be a miniature laser light show made from the "Shpera" Light Fixture by Matteo Thun coupled with "Quiet Tectonic" Single Channel Video Projection available through Baxter and Cook Art Advisors. Try THAT at your next party!

Perhaps my favorite thing about this setting was the brilliant bar cart design by Paul Benson. His talent never ceases to amaze. Paul works out of Sonoma and creates the most beautifully crafted metal and lacquered pieces of furniture art. You may remember his console from the Met Home Modern by Design Showhouse HERE.

"Tantalus" Bar Cabinet by Paul Benson

Martha, Martha, Martha! I love your designs! Full of artful fun, high and low, Martha Angus' table is as beautiful as it is accessible. Martha Angus designs are playful as well as sophisticated, which is just how I like it! Martha started things off with a Duodecogonal (say that ten times fast!) Mirrored Dining Table with etching from Sarlo. The beautiful orange and pink upholstered Gustavian and Louis XVI chairs are from Therien.

"NtRain" Table by Martha Angus

And here is where things get fun. The area rug is actually two IKEA rugs put together and the light fixture by Aargon Neon was made from plastic bags. Beauty and creativity is not dependent on price.

Martha topped the table with China by Alberto Pinto, Silver by Puiforcat and Crystal by Saint Louis. Lovely!

The table by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy was an imaginary High Tea with all of the First Ladies in attendance. Mr. Diaz-Azcuy began his thought process with the selection of the Pensees pattern by Bernardaud. The Pansy motif set the tone for the whole table. Mr. Diaz-Azcuy had pansies printed onto the table top (table and chairs were designed by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy for McGuire Furniture) as well as onto the tea cookies.

"High Tea with Bernardaud" table by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy

It was fun to see which of the First Ladies had their place cards at the table. Michelle and the last six all seemed to be in attendance. (Can you name them all?) Pretty and feminine at first glance, there as it was quite another story that was running through Mr. Diaz-Azcuy's head as he told us all what he imagined the ladies talked about at this party! Very entertaining!

After seeing the tables, there was a discussion with the designers about their designs and how they personally like to entertain. Marta Benson of Gumps introduced Diane Dorrans Saeks who led the discussion with the panel.

Ken Fulk and Marta Benson

Diane led a lively discussion, and I learned some very interesting tidbits! There were strong opinions as to whether paper napkins were acceptable or not. (What do you think?!)Orlando likes to play old movies without the sound at his dinner parties to keep the conversation flowing. Claudia loves to play Latin music, while Martha likes techno, but not while at the table. Ken was not able to enjoy his parties until he learned that people had much more fun when he did not worry too much about things being "perfect". Most importantly, everyone agreed that a good mix of friends is key, and that simple is sometimes best.

Diane Dorrans Saeks, Claudia Juestel, Orlando Diaz-Azcuy, Martha Angus

Claudia Juestel, Ken Fulk and Martha Angus

(Love the Houndstooth suit Ken!)

At the end of the party, guests were invited to purchase their tickets for the DIFFA DINING BY DESIGN Events November 18th and 19th. A lucky (SOOO lucky!!!) few purchasers won gift bags from Hermes!

Thank you again to Gumps who knows how to throw a perfect party!

And please hop on over to the DIFFA DINING BY DESIGN site to see how you can attend or help.

Teen Birthday Dinner, In the Pink!

Last week, we celebrated the birthday of my younger daughter, who is growing up way too fast for my taste! She started High School this year and all I can say is: treasure EVERY MOMENT! My older daughter will be leaving for college next year, and I think I am missing her already.

So, at the invitation of Patricia at the most excellent Mrs. Blandings blog, and in honor of women everywhere, young and old(er), I am posting pictures of my daughter's PINK Birthday Dinner Party to help raise awareness about breast cancer. For information about this and how you can help, please click HERE and HERE.

ANYWAY! I had so much fun putting together a more "grown-up" table for my daughter this year. No more "Hello Kitty" or Disney Princess themes. I wanted to surprise her after school with a table that was pretty with a little glamour. I chose pink, black and white for the palette. This was a family dinner party, so I used mostly used things that we already had at home.

I bought these fuchsia pink Cyclamen at Target on sale and put them in a white ironstone tureen for the centerpiece. A simple Hotel Linen tablecloth covers the table.

I have a set of these rectangular plates that I also use as platters. They are perfect for so many things...I wish I had more of them!

For a bit of glamour, I added some mercury glass votive holders. I received these sweet votive holders with silver flowers on them for my own birthday last summer.

I added more mercury glass from my collection of different shapes and sizes. Some new and some old. I always have boxes of extra tall white and ivory tapers on hand. They are my favorite candle....along with votives.

You may remember the white shells I brought back from a trip to Morrow Bay recently. I gathered them up and used them to accent the black napkins on the plates. I added a little fuchsia pink Salvia flower from the garden.

Each plate has a different white shell. If you were hosting a larger party for guests, they would make such a pretty little gift for your guests.

And of course there were presents, all wrapped in black, white and pink!

We had a wonderful time eating my daughter's requested meal of barbecued spare ribs, creamy polenta and spinach salad. And of course, CAKE:

Cheers to all of the wonderful memories with the young women in your life. And to keep them all healthy and safe, I hope you have a chance to check out the websites for the National Cancer Institute and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Put a little PINK in your day!

Acorns and White Porcelain

The Oak tree out front is trying to tell me something: "Fall is fast approaching".

I was just playing around with some of my white "objets". I have things that are not quite perfect.: broken coral, a weathered concrete balustrade piece I made into a lamp (it still has green and brown paint on it that has worn through), a chipped vintage porcelain lunch pail with a metal lid. But I find them all beautiful and intriguing. Maybe more so than if they were perfect.

I found the lunch pail at the latest Sacramento Antique Faire and don't know a lot about it's origins. Has anyone seen one before? As I mentioned, it is white porcelain and has what appears to be a zinc lid that has clasps that wrap underneath the front and back. With all of it's imperfection, it is the perfect size for letters and postcards, photos and other small remembrances.

Perfectly imperfect.

Random Tablescape and Your Thoughts

It has been a challenge juggling things this week. Perhaps it is the end of the school year for my two kids, one graduating up to High School, the other testing for college. Perhaps the going away party we had last weekend for a good friend who is moving to Martha's Vineyard played a part. Perhaps the starting of a new design business and the best part: the wonderful new clients that I have been fortunate to meet from this little blog.

I have run out of time today. But I wanted to share a little something. It represents a little juggling act itself. There is the Andy Warhol poster my mother has had since her days working at the Ace Gallery in Venice Beach in the '70's. There is my prized Empire State Building light. No monetary value to speak of....I just love it. There is my tramp art box, and the tops my father played with as a kid....and a couple of antlers thrown in. All of it sits on top of a glass table top left over from a client's project and two IKEA trestle table legs cut down to fit. It is an ever-changing grouping of things I like...sort of like life. Changing it up every once and awhile makes it more interesting.

Which brings me to the question: I have done a little juggling around with the blog layout . Do you like the wider format with larger pictures? (The plan is to enlarge the banner to fit as well.) Or is it easier for you to read in a more compact format? I would love to hear your thoughts. After all...you all are why I am here. Thank you all for reading and commenting. It really does make my day.

And I promise...the next installment of the San Francisco Decorator Showcase House is on it's way!

Fall Dinner Party

Last Sunday, we had some friends over for dinner to celebrate the Fall Season. It gave me the push I needed to add a little Fall decor to my house. I rearranged the front table in my Living Room adding a piece of art done by my sister-in-law for a wedding gift, some pumpkins from the Farmer's Market, and a beautiful arrangement of corn stalks, seed pods and wild grasses put together by a wonderful vendor also from the Farmer's Market. I wish I could take credit, but when you have it right in front of you, why pass it up?! (Plus, for only $4, what a steal!!!!).

I put the Fall foliage in an ironstone master jar, and added two ironstone footed bowls, the small from H&Co, the large from Thomas Hughes. I think I will fill them with walnuts.

At the Dining table, I started with a table cloth I made from inexpensive natural burlap. I find that if I use this as a base, I can put all different sizes of smaller cloths on top. The white one here is a vintage cotton cloth with fringe on each end. I used a pair of antique mercury glass candlestick holders in which I put some brown fun faux bois candles I found at Target. More pumpkins from the Farmer's Market and leaves from the yard make a very easy center piece. I added a few votive candles among the leaves.

I used simple large white plates, and my silver, hand blown glass water glasses from Anthropology, simple wine glasses that are always available at Cost Plus or Ikea, and Hotel Napkins from William Sonoma. Easy and very quick to put together!

We had a Fall menu starting with goat cheese filled dates with toasted bread crumbs as the appetizer, and then a French Onion Soup, which was pretty easy and delicious! We made grilled Cornish game hens with a Dijon Mustard and Riesling marinade on a bed of sauteed carrots, turnips and cabbage and an Apple Potato Gallete. There was Schwelmer Hefe Weizen Beer and a Dry German Reisling to choose from. Good food and good company!

(All of the recipes for this dinner can be found in the William Sonoma Entertaining Cook Book)

Thankyou, Thankyou !!!!

Lady luck has been shining on me lately! It just makes my day when I look on my front porch and see a brown package with my name on it, addressed in someone's personal handwriting. I was so happy to receive this:

From these fabulous bloggers:

Design Boner is the blogging team of Porcelain (Katie) and Cardboard (Jessica) who are very talented and creative, especially in the realm of photography. They have weekly photo mosaics that they share with all of us (Lucky us!) and also share their love of designer-y finds. Well, they had a little birthday sweepstakes. They were giving away something "nice and pretty" and something "hahahaha". Lucky me! I won "nice and pretty"! (Although I am very curious about "hahaha", what was it girls?!?!)

Now how did they know I love this color?

I think it looks very "nice and pretty" on my hall table.

It matches my eggs.

I almost lost the rock at the bottom of the box. But I have this habit of searching boxes thoroughly before throwing them away. After the diamond incident, I can't be too careful. Isn't it cute? (It even looks a little like their namesake.)

Thank you so much Jessica and Katie! I love it! I hope you had a fabulous birthday!

But Lady Luck did not stop there! I received this very lovely package from Diana Muse. I think Design bloggers have got to be some of the best gift wrappers around. I love this postcard!

Diana has one of the most lovely and inspirational blogs I have seen. Her images are wonderful and her sidebar is full of very thought provoking quotes.

Diana did a post about Moleskins, those essential little notebooks used by those who want to capture a thought, an idea, a moment on paper. She also had a sweepstakes, and lucky me, I received this:

My very first official Moleskin! I am so pleased and I cannot wait to fill it up with all the wonderful, crazy, silly, serious, happy, sad things that come my way.

Thank you so very much Diana!

And please, if you haven't already, I think it's about time you paid a visit to these very brilliant bloggers, don't you?

Marianna Kennedy: Alchemy in Design

I first caught a glimpse of Londoner's Marianna Kennedy's work in the December 2007 issue of Domino. I have not been able to get her work out of my mind since. It has such a lyrical fairy tale quality, while being modern as well as artful:

There are a variety of resin lamps that she produces in many colors and sizes. Her intent is to use new materials to breath new life into traditional forms.

These convex mirrors have tinted glass in blue and green. Very Alice in the Looking Glass!

The company also is known for their bespoke work like this griffin table which has been given a modern twist with red lacquer. Those are also resin candle stick holders by Marianna.

This example of the artwork that graces the tops of bespoke tables shows the talent and creativity coming out of her studio.

I am always attracted to a mixing of new and old ideas: that alchemy of ingredients that when combined create something altogether new. Her work is brilliant. I urge you to visit her website to see all of the amazing images of many more magical creations.