Search Results for: black handled flatware

January 21st, 2014 No Comments

creating a beautiful place setting with black tableware and paper whites

So many of my clients are afraid of using black, including at their table. I’m a huge fan of black tableware, so much so I have a lot of black items from tumblers to linens to plates for sale on my shop.  Foods look so beautiful against black. Picture grilled corn, roasted tomatoes and a grilled fish against black- gorgeous. So when setting your table consider using black instead of basic white. Simply by using a black napkin with a simple cut paper white stem on top is a classic and beautiful place setting as you can see above. Below, … Read more

July 23rd, 2013 No Comments

create a dramatic table setting with black, peach and pale pink

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

January 15th, 2013 No Comments

tabletop: mix old & new, metallics with black & white to create a very personalized setting

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

July 31st, 2012 No Comments

tuesday’s tabletop: gail brill calligraphs a classic black and white place card

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

August 14th, 2012 1 Comment

tuesday’s tabletop: succulent centerpieces

I was asked to design a table for Hampton Cottages and Gardens for the Hampton Classic (an equestrian competition). It was very last minute and the event was outside in very hot, humid temperatures. Traditional flowers might not hold up in the heat- so I chose to use different varieties of succulents, so I was sure it would look crisp and clean. I used different sized Jars bowls and Mud Australia bowls (available from my store) to plant the succulents in and topped off the dirt with small white seashells to finish the centerpieces. The tables were all … Read more

September 30th, 2013 No Comments

this week’s color palette: a fall harvest palette

The leaves are starting to change here in New York and pumpkin fields are full. This time of year I love bringing out my Black Clay Pottery, black tumblers, flatware and decorative owls. Also setting the table with Terra Cotta Hurricanes and votives on our outside patio brings that garden feeling to the tabletop and act as a centerpiece.  I like selecting muted color pumpkins for the table instead of the bright orange (which I usually save for pumpkin carving). Natural color linen table runners keep the table soft against the dark plates … Read more

November 13th, 2012 No Comments

simple thanksgiving decor -burlap & votives

A lot of people stress out about setting a table for Thanksgiving and I get a lot of questions about how to set a unique table without breaking the bank. BURLAP. I love taking burlap from the local garden supply store (about $1 per yard) and using it as a textural and inexpensive tablecloth. It’s simple and unexpected, but it will be welcomed by friends and family as a refreshing change from the usual cloth. My ‘stylist’ secret to making a burlap cloth work is to mix in high and low tableware. Here I’ve mixed in simple wood salt … Read more