TABLETOP

I knew I liked quirky DC store TableTop when I first stumbled across their subterranean walk-down in Dupont Circle several years ago. The size of your average basement apartment, the space was chock full of wares, but felt rather spare and uncluttered, mostly due to the selection of sleekly designed pieces for sale.

The Dupont area has plenty of shopping, but little of it is for the home, so I popped into Tabletop for various little "needs" over the years - coasters, glasses, books on interesting subjects about which I hadn't  time to read...  The store founders decided to create the store over a bowl of onion soup and the realization that the area desperately needed some home wares that didn't hail from the dusty aisles of the local Safeway. 

The table top designs in stock include Dwell Studio, Josh Jakus, Jonathan Adler, Joseph Joseph, Perch!, Sukie, and Modern Twist - creators of the quirky and fun pieces below.

Salt and Pepper - how may I count the ways? Building blocks and chicken legs...

Plenty of fun:  from yellow submarine shower curtains to lights.

Store images, Apartment Therapy. All product images, Tabletop.com.

SHOP YOUR (CHINA) CLOSET

China, silver, and the like are much collected and prized in the South, and being from a family that was Southern before it was American (you know, when that whole revolution thing happened) we have been collecting this stuff for a looooooong time. I've never purchased a single plate of china, but I possessed five full sets of it before I had a degree. And being both a historian and a sentimental fool (highly complimentary traits) I'll be darned if I'm going to part with a single bread plate or teaspoon. The question of course, is what to do with all of it. So I was intrigued by the winter issue of online magazine Nesting Newbies, which ran a brief article on mixing vintage pieces in with modern designs for a table setting that doesn't take you straight back to Twelve Oaks.

There are two good ideas I took away from this story, the first, obvious tip being to mix old and new. But another way to freshen things up is to mix patterns - both ideas are happening in this picture, as interior designer Jennifer Rowland Clapp puts finishing touches to her table.

Another great idea Clapp incorporates is using linens sparingly - an absence of fine threads makes the setting more casual. The touches of fabric she does use bring her floral chintzes down-to-earth with more serious, subdued colors. I particularly like the mix above with a slate grey bordering on brown.

Another shot of her simple-does-it table. Lining up food, condiments, and decoration on felt rounds in the center replaces the traditional table runner and keeps things from becoming too formal. Kate Spade offers some chic, modern pieces that would mix well with vintage items (left hand) and old standby Crate and Barrel has a variety of linens in sooty shades (right hand). If you want to more closely imitate Clapp's style, just pull the felt rounds out from between your stored china and line them up on the table. Modern AND free!

Finally, if you have a lot of modern pieces, and would like to try this in reverse by adding in some vintage feel, hit up Etsy, your local flea market, or just saunter over to the queen of new-old stuff: Anthropologie (all items above).

All images, companies and magazine as attributed above.

EDIBLE LILLY PULITZER

I don't know what your local drugstore is like, but mine looks like some kind of summer product bomb went off in the foyer, and there are SPF 80 bottles, dusty beach balls, and tacky plastic fans everywhere. So naturally, when I wandered up the food aisle and saw cracker boxes festooned with sprightly animals in Lilly Pulitzer togs, I thought the sunscreen fumes were causing hallucinations. But no, the princess of prints really is decorating boxes of cookies:

 

So there you go. Do you want some designer cookies? Frankly, I'd be a lot more excited if they had pastel frosting...

SUN AND SEA AT ANTHROPOLOGIE

J'adore Anthropologie - it isn't just their lovely looks and sublime styles; they create designs with wit. This summer, open your doors and drawers with porcelain urchins or bronzed crab. Dine off of scenes from the deep, as medieval monsters toss hapless ships. Or salute the sea with psychedelic coral, salt 'n pepper minnows, and a couch that will suck you in (to the arms of an octopus). Whether you're holiday-bound or settling in for a "staycation," these treasures will bring the ocean home.

ISIS CERAMICS' CHINOISERIE CHINA

Years ago, when I was studying at Oxford University, I loved poking around in the charming old shops in town center. If you avoided the tourist-tchotchkes-key-chain-selling establishments, there were wonderful treasures to be found. One of those great finds for me was Isis Ceramics. A bespoke English delftware company named for the nearby Thames (known locally as the Isis), Isis Ceramics was founded in 1988 by Deborah Sears. A phenomenally talented painter, Sears created a series of china patterns - all hand painted by herself and local artistans - in the chinoiserie style. Each piece is a unique artwork, as beautiful as it is unusual. They are gasp-worthy in person, and I treasure my own Isis Ceramics!

These patterns also put me in mind of some of Southern designer Phoebe Howard's work. Wouldn't Isis pieces look stunning in these dining rooms? The wall murals and the china coordinate beautifully. I wish I knew who Howard had used to paint/paper these spaces.

P.S. Isis Ceramics also creates exquisitely beautiful custom china for weddings. Brides and grooms can choose a unique design that reflects scenes and symbols special to them. Isis Ceramics also provides a bridal registry, where guests' names are painted onto the back of their gifts to the couple.

Images, www.oushop.com/acatalog/Isis_Ceramics.html, artstheanswer.blogspot.com/, www.bbchomesandantiques.com/feature/pots-personality. Rooms, Phoebe Howard.

Christmas Linens

If you don't come from one of those fanatical "7 china sets" families (like mine) but you still want to have a pretty holiday table sans holly painted plates, linens are the way to go. A few choice cloths require little storage space, and can be mixed and matched during other seasons of the year.

Linens are also a wonderful heirloom to hand down to daughters and granddaughters. I still have some of my grandmother's pieces, and everytime I unfold them, I think of her. A few months ago I threw a large baby shower with a friend who had so many family linens that we were able to do the entire event with antique pieces from her linen closet: tables, runners, and napkins, all finely crafted. They made the event rich in decor and memories.

Here, a few ideas to get you started - some are selected with the grandkids in mind (Sferra, Yves Delorme), while others are just pretty choices (Macys, Anthropolgie). Enjoy!

The Table Runner: Red and gold Margarite runner, by Fino Limo. Available at One King's Lane. Small, $99. Perfect for use on tables too lovely to hide. An arrangement of candles, greenery, and gold holiday balls in the center would be beautiful.

The Neutral Cloth: Acanthus pattern, from Sferra. Available in garnet, light green, gold, and white. Small, $239.

The Colonial Christmas: Anthropologie Flora and Fauna tablecloth. Small, $58. Not your traditional Christmas style, but it reminds me very much of the Noah's Ark designs popular in colonial days, and the frequent pairing of bright fruits and blue grays in their decor. Match it with burgundy and gold accents and some evergreen.

Non-Traditional Colors: I'm dreaming of an aqua Christmas. Lenox Chirp double placemats at Macys, $6.99.

Red Plus One: Mix other shades in with red for a festive spirit. From Yves Delorme, bright Recevior table linens.

Classic Christmas: This nutcracker plate pattern and plaid linens from Williams Sonoma are wonderfully festive - and a step away from the typical holly. Tartan tablecloth 70 x 90 $69.95.

I can't say enough about collecting antique linens as well. A few visits to your local antique shops and outdoor markets will quickly make you realize that quality linens are incredibly affordable. I had the chance to shop with Eddie Ross last summer, and he loves to collect linen pieces like that. He said that they don't have to be matched sets - the napkins can all be different, or just different from the table cloth. Already monogrammed? Eddie suggested finding single monograms that fit your own first or last name.

Antique linens at Scott's Antique Market in Atlanta.

Caring for linens shouldn't be daunting - just pay a little attention and follow the rules. I haven't ruined one yet! One of my favorite home care writers is Cheryl Mendelson, author of the home care bible EVERYONE should own, Home Comforts. But she's also come out with a special edition just for that ever tricky subject: Laundry. Buy both books for yourself (and your home) for Christmas - available at Amazon.

All tablecloth images, brands as listed. Antique linens, my own.

Linen cabinet, http://tracyporter.com/blog/2009/01. Wreath, history.org. Sketch from the book Occasions, by Kate Spade, at Amazon. Aqua room, Traditional Home. All other room images, Country Home.

Plate Perfect: Setting the Table

First things (first): If you've noticed my online presence is a bit sparse this week, you aren't imagining things - it's been a hectic few days. But I promise I'll make it up to you with some GREAT posts planned for next week. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, I'm really enjoying the latest House Beautiful issue on white china. You know how much I love white - if I had my way, my home would look like it was decorated by polar bears in a blizzard eating vanilla snow cones. Anyway, HB asked 15 different "tastemakers" to come up with a fresh way of mixing white china in with other pieces. The results are as varied as the names, and certainly proof that you don't have to go all vanilla, ALL the time (even if you're me).

My very favorite: interior designer Martha Angus does classic chinoiserie paired with an (almost bare) plate. Rather than a highly decorated plate on a blank canvas, Angus twists the look around (and how fabulous is that chair?).

Paula Dean's look. I love (love!) the postage stamp design, and twining leaves (faintly reminiscent of Kate Spade's Primrose Hill pattern). She's kept the setting simple, but richly textured (note the placemat). The mint julep cup and other layered silvers are a perfect compliment.

One guess where this design is from. Palm Beach! Writer Victoria Amory embraces the sunny South and balances a complex pattern with uniform color. The china is anything but boring though - note that the only standard shaped item is the charger plate.

Last (but most assuredly not least) marvelous designer Miles Redd. He deftly uses white as his accent, not his base, to create this eclectic and colorful look. And he's not above a good deal either. The tablecloth? Urban Outfitters.

With all those holidays coming up (oh, so quickly), I hope this inspires you with some new uses for your old china. Don't be afraid to mix up different china patterns, or even combine the good stuff with something fun found at Anthropologie or a tag sale. You'll appreciate your classic pieces in a new way - not to mention impressing the guests. Happy place setting!

All images, housebeautiful.com.

The Patriotic Table

A few inspiring ideas...

Gingham! Everywhere!

Stick to just two colors, in a festive paisley.

A simple statement with carnation balls, a few stars, and sky blue accents make a very feminine Fourth.

Or really think outside the box - Asian inspiration!

Images: 1-3 countryliving.com. 4: http://www.table-settings-with-pictures.com.

VERN - YIPPEE!!

I just had the awesome opportunity to visit the Junior League of Huntsville's Girls' Night Out and meet (Drumroll please!  Cue trumpets!) Vern Yip!!!  Not only is he a Design Star (literally, he judged the HGTV show of the same name), former Trading Spaces guru, and host of Deserving Design - he is also a wonderfully gracious man.  The ladies gathered all had a fabulous time as he shared stories and more than a few great decorating tips.  He also generously paused to talk with Sanity Fair, and I'm delighted to be able to share some of his thoughts with you here.  Look for more to come (plus pics!) tomorrow!  Until then, this stunning table spread by Vern will have to hold you over - and, you can catch his show tomorrow on HGTV at 2 p.m., EST.

More to come! 

xoxo Sanity Fair

Image:
Vern Yip.

Monday's Sunshine

Today's inspiration: designer Eddie Ross. Gorgeous, no?

Image: Eddie Ross. To see more of his great portfolio, select title link above.

Color Story: Aqua

I'm noticing aqua a lot lately - Bunny Williams' new chairs, all those summer vacation ads...   Remember?  Aqua is the bottom of the swimming pool on a hot day, butterfly wings, an antique Ford truck, your aquamarine vintage bracelet, and Palm Beach sitting rooms.  Here's a little bit of ocean blue for your day.

Vogue Index style. The Almidi star table is exquisite! Also featured: 1950's prom dress, Nottinghill Python bag, Michael Miller Fabrics Garden Trellis in aqua, Pacific Connections boxes, Design Within Reach Libre couch. Full details on Polyvore.

Aqua Fever - by Sanity Fair on Polyvore.com

Thanks to lovely blog, All The Best, for featuring PB Teen. Very cute stuff - and a lot of aqua! The bed is fantastic.
































Aqua and pink make fine friends.















Images: Polyvore; PB Teen; Met Home of the Year, Metropolitan Magazine.