All in a day's work

11 arrangements, 4 hours, 1 tired back. Floral props for product shots and photographs for the new webpage in development. Keep a look out!

Tabletop and the Single Guy

A single guy looking to entertain... Sure, he knows how to have his buddies over and watch TV, and no one is expecting the annual Super Bowl party to turn into high tea at Buckingham Palace, but sometimes he may want a bit more. Maybe for someone special, or maybe because he's just tired of beer and delivered pizzas whenever his friends come over.

I've had several friends ask about what the single guy is supposed to do. They want to have their friends over and entertain at home, and they'd like it to be a bit more than a college keg party. But they also don't want it to be fussy. They've checked online and that's what they've found: fussy.  Dinner party do's and don'ts from party planners supposedly aiming at these guys with menu planning and three day prep-schedules. But this isn't realistic, and it would probably be a bit of a disaster if undertaken.

If cooking isn't your thing, than try cocktails. Having people over after work for some drinks is a great way to entertain. It's casual, there are no great food expectations, and the rules are pretty open-ended.  There are tons of resources online for mixing drinks, but the best (and most fun) thing to do is to hang out at the best bar in town and watch. Bars can get pretty busy, but sit at the bar. A good mixologist usually is happy to talk cocktails with their customers. Ask questions, watch and learn. Not that you want to become a bartender, but it will help you understand how to mix a drink. If you end up finding a cocktail that you really like, zero in on that and watch how they make it. For a great time with friends, all you need is one really good mixed drink to serve, and it might as well be one that you like!

Now, some tips:

1. The one thing that I have learned is top-shelf liquor really does make a difference. Use what the bar uses in the drink you want to serve- after all copying is the sincerest form of flattery. Sometimes, there is more than one ingredient with alcohol, and yes they are equally important. You may not think it matters about Cointreau or St. Germain (liqueurs that are trending now in many drinks), but it does. The subtle flavors in the drink that you like didn't come from a generic bottles of hooch.

2. Anther key is fresh juices as mixers and the proper garnish, whether herb, fruit, or both. You can perfect a great margarita, but if you use a bottled sweet-and-sour mix, you're going to kill that expensive tequila. That is one thing that you can do a few nights before- buy a bag of produce and juice it. If you don't have an electric juicer, you can always get a wooden reamer or just use a fork. Room temperature fruit juices better than cold fruit, and you'll want to roll the fruit with your palm on the counter to start releasing the juices before cutting it in half (remember, you'll also want to strain off the pulp). Keep a couple of clean glass bottles around to store the juice in in the refrigerator. If the bartender you've been watching slaps a sprig of mint for your favorite drink in his hand before putting it in your glass, it is to release the oils that hit your nose first, and then flavors your drink. If it's in the drink you're serving, have a bunch of the herb in a glass with water ready to go.

3. And speaking of sweet: simple syrup is probably the easiest thing to make yourself, and it's key ingredient in a lot of cocktails. Google how to do it. Of course, you can always buy it in the liquor section of some markets, but ounce for ounce, it is more expensive than the gas you put in your car, and after all, it's just sugar and water. If you have a plastic squirt bottle, it keeps it handy in the fridge.

4. If the cocktail you love can be made in advance, make it in a quantity. I tend to favor this. If there is something that may go flat in the drink, like a mixer, I'll leave that out and have it handy for people top-off their own.  Of course it is hospitable to hand a guest at least their first drink and then let them loose on their own. I use a large glass covered jar I found at Target which was meant for storing flour, but with a ladle, it makes an inexpensive punch bowl. It holds a lot more than a pitcher or cocktail shaker, and only cost me about $8.00! Or, you could set up a serve-yourself bar with all the ingredients handy and a large card telling how to make the drink. There is something cool about the interactive aspect of this. And what can happen is guests start experimenting with the ingredients and making new discoveries. They key is having it all laid out. Either the jar/punchbowl or bottles with the mixer(s) and garnish(es) in bowls or cups, glasses, and a quantity of ice handy nearby (a cooler works if you don't have an ice bucket, but if you don't have an ice bucket- go to the hardware store and buy a galvanized pail. Clean it out and tie a bar towel around it. These also make great, inexpensive wine coolers, too! Or clean out your sink and use that!). I also have a small scoop, but you can use a small cup, as well, for scooping the ice- and if you have something handy, people will use it.

5. If you can, use real glassware- this doesn't have to be expensive, but it can separate the men from the boys... If there is a crowd and you'll never need 50 glasses again, they are easy and inexpensive to rent. Also, along with glasses, have small paper cocktail napkins. They are at every market, and again, will help raise the bar for you. If color or pattern choices are overwhelming, choose white- you'll never be wrong!

For food, all you need are some bowls of nuts- think what they had at the bar you were at. Some bowls of good chips also work, and there are a ton of interesting chips on market! But remember, you're not feeding the masses! This should be the easiest part of the gathering for you, so don't sweat this. Try doing this with some friends before you head out to dinner or the movies. Frequent test runs will help you with your game.

Cheers!

Effortless Elegance

Come on, with a magazine cover with title like that? If I can be elegant with little or no effort, I'm in! Well, that's the job of magazine editors- to persuade you to buy their magazines. And that is what Dara Caponigro, Editor-in-Chief of Veranda did. Don't get me wrong, the May/June issue is great, but there is a heck of a lot of effort happening on these pages. The cover photograph is beautifully styled- the hot pink geraniums tucked in a green pagoda centerpiece matching the color of the font in an otherwise colorless room is pretty great! But when you read the editorial (yes, I read the articles!) you learn that the 19th century house was sawn down the middle and moved about 65 miles to its present location in Georgia. Effortless? I think not. So I looked very closely at what may be the effortless take-aways, and was surprised at what I found. As my focus is the table, they are mostly regarding the table with some extras thrown in for good measure!

1. Branches. You can't open a shelter magazine without seeing them. They can provide sculpture and architectural interest to any room. Now the owner of the home on the cover, Furlow Gatewood, is part of John Rosselli's team and helps supply the New York "design baron" with antiques scouted from every local show in the South. And as such, he uses great antique blue and white Chinese vessels for his branches, but a simple cylinder can have an equally elegant look- or try hunting for large chemistry flasks on line. These can add even a bit more interest than a plain cylinder. Flowering, or not, branches can bring life into a room and keep your trees outside looking neat and trim, too.

2.Fruit bowls. Or should I say, giant clam shell as fruit bowl? It may take some effort to locate, especially if you're looking for a faux shell, and they aren't cheap, but once you have one, all it takes is a trip to the market and a bunch of bananas and grapes and there you go! Gatewood has his on a fabric draped table surrounded by old wicker chairs, but even without this flourish, these vessels can up the ante of "fruit bowl". In a different editorial, the fruit bowl returns in a more sophisticated way. This time it is a large porcelain bowl, but the material of the bowl is secondary to the fact that whoever filled it left some of the stems and leaves on the fruit! That simple touch of green makes the whole thing pop! Even if the lemons or oranges didn't come from your tree, tuck a few stems of leaves from one of your own trees (preferably some that "look" like they could be from the tree that grew the fruit) in your bowl along with your fruit. It will instantly elevate the statement.


3. And speaking of fruit... India Hicks, the daughter of legendary interior designer David Hicks, and one of Diana, Princess of Wales' bridesmaids, in a spread about her family home in the Bahamas, places whole pineapples on porcelain plates, crowns up,  down her table. Add some candlelight, and you have a very elegant, effortless table setting!

4. A single hydrangea stem in a narrow bud vase. I talked about these, before... I love them, but they can be tricky especially in dry climates (um yeah, "hydra"refers to water!). But they can also look beautiful, even one bloom at a time. Of course, in the editorial, these come from Gatewood's allee of hydrangeas in great terra-cotta pots that line the drive to his house, but if you don't have access to home-grown flowers, they can easily be picked up single stems at the grocery store. It may take a few times to get the height of the stem just right, which is a bit of effort, I know. Just try not to go higher than twice the height of the vase, or it gets a bit tippy. Oh, and leave a few leaves on near the neck of the vase, too! The stem in vase looks great on a chest of drawers, side table, or bed side table.


5. More stems are more. In another editorial, on a dining table is a grouping of small cups and vases filled with a few stems of garden flowers. These are then corralled on a silver tray. Presto! A centerpiece that didn't take great effort to pull off! Of course, you need the collection of vases or cups and if you don't have a silver tray, a lacquered tray or box would do the trick. Again, once you have the equipment, all it takes is a trip to the market and a few bunches of flowers that you deconstruct and place in the smaller containers and then group on a tray and you're done!

It may take a closer look, but there are tips to be had everywhere!

Deep breath...

I try not to be surprised anymore by what I see, especially on television, but something has been stuck in my craw for awhile now, and I simply have to get it off my chest. It involves The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills- yes, those wack-a-doo creatures who collectively represent the 90210 (although I DO have a little thing for Lisa VanderPump, who is fabulous!).

I know, I know- just don't watch, but like the proverbial train wreck, I just have to look. I was in the middle of one of my slack-jaw marathons, and all of a sudden, Adrienne Maloof (and by the way, what IS she selling on her website?) is being maternal- out of the blue! She is busy making a PBJ for one of her children while bickering with her husband (I love the multi-tasking of these ladies!). Clearly, she isn't too versed in the "how to" of this process, but at least she IS doing it herself. After destroying the poor bread (yes, people actually still buy WonderBread!?) slathering on the sweetened, processed peanut butter (and apparently, people are still buying this, too!) and hacking it in half, she tosses it on a paper plate... A PAPER PLATE! Now, when I was a kid, paper plates meant picnics at the beach, but Adrienne and her husband weren't at the beach, they were in their kitchen in the midst of their 12,000+ square foot home on a perch high in the hills of Beverly Park- the uber-exclusive community of of uber-large mansions.

Now, I get lots of things, and convenience and practicality are two of them, but really. What is the message being sent via the vehicle for this sandwich? That it's not really worth being on a plate? That the person receiving the sandwich isn't worth using a plate? That they might not be responsible using "breakable things"? Even if this sandwich were to be eaten outside, there are many other choices that could have been made- and not because she has the resources to make a different choice, because I honestly believe it has nothing to do with the cost of what goes on the table.

Buy some plates- plain glass from an import store, some old stoneware from a consignment shop- heck even plastic has come a long way- but it shows that you are going to be around for a minute, as my mom would say, "stay awhile!" It also shows that whoever you are serving is worth using something that won't be thrown away. If it's about washing, then teach your kids how to load a dishwasher or wash a dish by hand- it's actually good for them.

So, here's to "The Real Plates of Every Home in Every City"- and our landfills say, "Thank you!"

Spring has sprung!

It's a quick, but beautiful season here- marked by the heady scent of white citrus blossoms. Trees and lawns are re-greening, but it is all the fruit trees blooming that grabs your attention! How perfect that the first shipment from France arrives! These linens are spectacular- master fabric from the great European linen houses combined with true artistry in the embroidery. In this pattern is a full complement of pieces: place mats, cocktail napkins, dinner napkins, runners, and of course, table cloths in various sizes. also available are custom sizes for those hard to fit tables! Fresh and inviting- perfect for spring and summer entertaining! For more information regarding these, feel free to drop me a line, and please stay tuned for the launch of my website foryourtabletop.com

Shopping with GMT

Burt Bacharach wrote: "A chair is still a chair..." and, since picking out a dining table is only half the battle,  now there are chairs to consider! Not an easy task, but through the proliferation of catalogs and online resources, it doesn't have to be a chore. One of my favorite starting points for looking for anything is 1stdibs.com, the premiere online resource for vintage and not-so-vintage furniture, art, and accessories from dealers around the country and in Europe.  The important thing about a dining chair is the quality of the "sit", but after parking it in too many chairs to count, my eyes can now tell what is comfortable, at least for me. After a quick browse, these sets rose to the surface. Oh, and never worry about "matching" your existing or newly purchased table. If that ever was a trend, it is long gone!

These four elegant French fruitwood chairs from the 1920's have an upholstered cushion in a rich, dark chocolate brown leather and hand-caned backs. According to the dealer, these chairs are extremely comfortable to sit on and even more so to look at with their clean and simple lines. They would also work perfectly at a card or game table. I love the traditional, yet clean, very contemporary style these antique chairs offer. They would mix beautifully with a pair of upholstered arm chairs for a complete set. The price for the four runs $1890.00, but could easily last a lifetime!

 

This set of four Swedish chairs from the 1940's is another great find. In excellent condition, these chairs are completely restored with golden elm exposed legs, hardwood inner frames, and eight-way hand-tied seat springs. They are newly upholstered in new chocolate brown diamond-quilted velvet and trimmed with hand-placed antique brass finish nail head tacks, which I think is such a great touch. These are in another bracket at $2850.00, but because they are restored, they are ready to go around a well-deserved table!

And now for something completely different! These four very fresh and striking Mies Brno chairs are upholstered in a moss green velvet. The bright shiny one piece cantilevered tubular chrome steel artfully forms the base, legs, arms and back with the upholstered seat and back seemingly afloat. A 1929-30 design by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for the Tugendhat home in Brno, Czechoslovakia, the chair is a modern icon. These four were produced by Thonet in the 1970's, and are just stunning... at $2950.00 for the set, they should be, but again the quality and integrity of the chair is truly timeless. This would definitely be the "10% cool" in your dining room!

In the mood for a little Loius?? I'm a fan of the XVI, myself- straighter lines, yet still very French. These four are not from the Ancien Regime, but are in the "style of" and stamped Jansen, the venerable French furniture house, and are from the 1940's. I love the fine reeded legs which support the leather seat, the solid cane back rest, and the wonderfully worn pickle finish. The price per chair is $800.00. While I'd love to see the Mies chairs, above, around a more traditional table, these would look smashing around a modern or contemporary design. I loves me a mix of styles!

There is nothing better than a good "window shop"!
Till next time,
GMT

The soul of the home...

Everyone says that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and that may be, but the soul of the home has got to be the dining table. This piece of furniture is the stage for your celebrations, holidays, and gatherings of family and friends. It also stands witness to the toasting of accomplishments achieved, promises to come, and the coming together at the end of the day to share a meal. The dining table can be the keystone for a family and can last a lifetime and beyond (now that's green!).


One of the last essays by Dominique Browning, the last editor-in-chief of the late, great House and Garden, was about just this: buying quality. Quality lasts. It never goes out of style, and furniture of high quality bought today will become your family heirlooms of tomorrow. Thomas Pheasant's 'Classic Oval Dining Table' for Baker Furniture is just that.

What a great foundation for a family, however you define that for yourself. Shown in a rich sable finish, this table can tread the fine line between traditional and contemporary. I love the shape of legs ending in the brass caps, the apron that runs the perimeter and the fact that it comes with three extensions to accommodate almost any size gathering. This table perfectly fits with designer David Netto's winning formula of 90% classical/10% cool, which is probably one of the most simple and yet comprehensive mantras to remember when furnishing a home.