This week we’ll revisit black and white with neutrals like brown (maybe in a dark brown floor for example). Above are feathers from the local flower store. These are a great quick decorating detail for Thanksgiving. Pop a few clusters in a small bowl or glass vase and tuck in between your pumpkins and gourds or just alone on your bar or desk for a fall accent.
This table setting caught my eye. As I noted yesterday golds are still making a showing for tabletop items, from candles to candle sticks to flatware. It’s slowly been folded into the trend market for the past 5 years and it’s still holding tight. But let’s talk about summer vegetables for centerpieces, votives and even salt cellars. How creative this is to use lettuce as individual salt and pepper cellars- and a radish hollowed out for a votive holder. These are clever ideas and using vegetables as your centerpiece in late summer certainly can be elegant and seasonal. Using a … Read more
I love these black compotes and bowls that I have on my online store, little blue dish. (They are made by an Italian glass company called Nason Moretti.) I like to fill vessels with candy for quick and easy centerpieces and also fill the felt favors you see tied with black polka dot ribbon with candy as well for guests to take home. This color palette could really work for any season and any occasion- and for more formal gatherings add a calligraphed place card for each guest within the palette. I alternated black cards with cream calligraphy and … Read more
This was my first post back on April 9th, 2012 and since it was, there weren’t too many readers. It’s one of my favorite color combinations though, so I thought I’d re-post it for those of you who have now joined my blog. Thank you for your weekly support and I hope you keep coming back! – Lynn Butler Beling I love this color palette. I keep coming back to this color combination because I think it’s both masculine and feminine. Chanel included this palette in their spring 2012 runway show. (see below) The flower in the photograph above is … Read more
Walking into photographer Philippe Cheng‘s airy house in the Hamptons that he shares with wife (and talented artist) Bastienne Schmidt and their two sons, immediately makes you feel welcome and that this is a family home. Double doors that are usually kept open in the warmer months lead right into a two story family and dining room. As you come in you also have a view straight through to the other side of the house with glass doors showing off the views of the serene setting surrounding their idyllic home. As you turn to their private spaces though you … Read more
Pull out your favorite things from your cabinets….maybe even your grandmother’s china that’s been boxed in the attic to create an eclectic mix of old and new. Look around your house too, maybe you have a collection of small boxes, a gold leaf plate on your nightstand that holds your earrings- pull it all together to group on your table or sideboard. That little dish could now hold candy or sugar cubes, boxes could hold tea bags.. and so on. Black and white are so classic that the color palette is a great cohesive glue to allow you to combine … Read more
The classic “Cape Cod” cocktail is 2 oz. vodka over ice with 3 oz of cranberry juice as a mixer and garnish with lime. I made a slightly smaller Cape Cod in my Japanese etched 3 oz stem glass (that you can find at my store along with other larger glasses) and garnished with sugared cranberries on a pick. This is a perfect little cocktail for the holiday season. A twist for Halloween would be to use black vodka and cranberry juice to make a “Black Widow” and don’t stir- you will get a layered appearance in your glass. … Read more
These items all have a beautiful color palette….eggplants, deep plums, black olives, red wine and garlic with a bit of purple striations. Using food as your centerpiece is always pretty and very easy to pick up at the grocery store while you are selecting your food for your menu. By putting these items in black bowls and grounding them with black linens, dishes and glasses, it makes a sophisticated, yet approachable table setting. Black linens and plates might seem a bit dark to some people, but coming from my stylist point of view- it makes food look fantastic! … Read more
I love calligraphy. I use calligraphed cards for dinners and parties whenever I can. I usually call on one of the best in the country to do my calligraphy… Gail Brill of Gail Brill Design. Gail has beautiful scripts and handwriting and most importantly Gail is very consistent with her lettering. I would always use Gail if I needed calligraphy on a photo shoot because I knew it would be perfect and all her letters would be consistent. Consistency is so important when you are lining calligraphed seating cards together in alphabetical order for a wedding or a party. … Read more
Our eggplant inspired color palette this week lends itself perfectly to many different varieties of flowers. These gorgeous arrangements are all by Michael George, one of the premiere florists and event planners in New York City. Clockwise: Purple and Pastel Mix, including black callas and ilex berries mixed with soft pastel rambling rose (in a black glass cube), Purple Fringe Tulips, Monochromatic Purple Mix, with hydrangea, roses, tulips and novelties, Black Miniature Calla Lilies, Dark Purple Composition, with dark stock, iris, anemones, rununculus and mini callas, and Chocolate Cosmos in mint julep cup. If you’d like to order any … Read more
