Hot new tablesetting color combinations!

The hottest thing happening at wedding receptions isn't just on the dance floor - - - it’s on
the table, the centerpieces, the place setting and even the linens. It's big, bold color.
Years ago brides used color to accent their white wedding day decor, but now they're using
color to cover every inch of the wedding. From brights to neutrals, these four pretty pairings
will liven up your table décor.

1. Lime + Cherry
Layer the dominant color - red was chosen for this table. The plates are by CB2, linens by
Sferra, flatware by Georg Jensen, Vivian goblets by Juliska and white reception chairs from
Party Rental Ltd.



Become aware of color combinations that you like. To help you choose the exact hue for
your wedding details, visit a fabric store or neighborhood paint shop and collect swatches
or chips of colors you might want to use.

2. Raspberry + Aqua
Alternate the colors in your linens and place settings, and top off with a lush floral
arrangement. Plates by Royal Doulton, napkins by John Derian, flatware by Towle,
wineglasses by Kenzo and water goblets by Anthropologie.



Where and how you use color really depends on the mood you are trying to create. The
best way to get started is to figure out what emotions you want your celebration to evoke.
A stylish eco-friendly fete?

3. White + Wood
Set an eco-friendly table. Handmade glass bottles, ABC Home; small wood bowls made
from sustainably forested acacia wood, Pacific Merchants Trading Co.; farm table and chairs,
place settings, glassware, and napkins rented (and reused) from Party Rental Ltd.



No matter what color you've chosen, chances are you will be able to find flowers in that
shade -- but that, of course, does not mean the blooms will be available or affordable. If
your dream flowers aren't an option, use neutral white flowers with centerpiece containers
or other decor elements in your color.

4. Pistachio + Gold
Muted greens and metallics soften up a formal wedding. The centerpiece has a lush,
luxe feel. Vintage hobnail vase filled with safari roses, hydrangeas, yellow ranunculuses,
gloriosa lilies and narcissus. Place setting by Party Rental Ltd.



A well-executed theme can create a wedding to remember -- but a poorly thought-out one
may be even more unforgettable. Don't overdo it with theme or color. Yes, it should appear
to guests that you've thought of everything, and theme should be incorporated into all
elements from place card paper to dessert plates. But knowing when to say when is key.

Source: The Knot

All dressed up at DIFFA's Dining by Design

Visually stunning, breathtaking table designs transformed the Skylight. The dazzling display
of dishes, features tabletop designs by fashion designers, architects, artists and retailers that
would make even Martha Stewart pause in admiration.

Last Sunday I stopped by the annual traveling event, when it kicked off in New York City.
From simple and elegant to fun and festive to creative and outrageous, tables designed by
the likes of Ralph Lauren Home, Nautica, William Stubbs, David Starks, Ankasa and Crate
& Barrel were not only inviting but inspirational. Below I share with you more of my
photos from this event and I hope you find them to be inspirational as well.



Following DINING BY DESIGN New York, the installations will travel across the country
to various cities including Kansas City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, Chicago
and Boston.

Dressing for dinner, table linen is back - and this fashionable Ankasa table is wearing it

Just as clothes make the man, cloths make the table. You may have crafted an intricate
centerpiece and pulled together place-settings of fabulous dishes, but for each of these
stars to truly shine, they need to be shown off on the right backdrop.



The hallmark of the Ankasa look is its dramatic embroidery and they applied this look
on their table at DIFFA’s Dining by Design with its innovative couture-inspired table linens.



Ankasa’s background was in fashion, designing embroidered textiles for some of the top
design houses like Vera Wang and Oscar de la Renta. With this table, they bring that same
fashion sensibility to the linen. What's unique about the embroidery is that the threadwork
is three-dimensional. It pops right off the textiles!



Table linens, like chargers, are the glue that pulls together a finely set table. To take your
table from so-so to sensational, first create the right backdrop by using beautiful linens.

Hues You Can Use: Benjamin Moore partners with David Stark

It's great to collect paint chips when planning a room. Paint is available in literally an
infinite array of colors and is the most versatile element of your room decor, the easiest
to change, and the least expensive.



With more than 125 years of experience, Benjamin Moore knows a thing or two about
color. For DIFFA’s Dining by Design, Benjamin Moore put the power of color into the
hands of David Stark. Using paint chips David Stark showcased the latest colors to
transform a birthday table setting.



This table setting shows that David Stark has a strong command of a color vocabulary that
is rich and wide-ranging, and he’s used it to articulate wonderful designs resonating with
creativity and ingenuity! In this table setting, color has not been used for color's sake---
rather, it has been judiciously applied with purpose, uninhibitedly used but with the
proper amount of restraint. His work brings color into the table and inspires all who
see it.



When it comes to decorating, choosing paint color can really be a challenge. While you
may feel that there are so many choices you're bound to find the right one. You may end
up feeling that there are so many choices, how do you choose; but David Stark and Benjamin
Moore gives us a place to start.

Dining by Design 2008: Ralph Lauren Home

Black has always been chic; white is, well, white-hot right now. The cominbation of the two
makes a dramatic statement on the table and offers a sophisticated counterpoint to the
abundance of florals used for the table designed by Ralph Lauren Home.

Black is a key direction and it's very mysterious, yet very elegant. To have an edge,

you may want to soften it with a color combination to incorporate yellow.

One of the most novel ways to add a black accent is with lighting that features black

candles. It creates a very dramatic look like a shadow or a negative space.

With the classic look we've seen in furnishings, where traditional is strong but

it's refined, black and white tableware really seems to make the lines pop and with

the use of the silver trays it also goes well with the mirrored look that's all around.

Dining by Design 2008: William Stubbs, hosted by Architectural Digest

Ralph Lauren Home wasn't the only tabletop purveyor putting black and white front and
center on the table at DIFFA's Dining by Design this year. The interior design firm
of William Stubbs also used the color combination on the table they designed for
Architectural Digest.



Black and white is really everywhere - - - from the more ornate as well as the crossover
styles. From baroque to contemporary, black and white in this tablesetting is used in a clean,
fresh way.



Bold black and white patterns pop up everywhere on this tablesetting, from the Rialto
dinnerware, with its geometric patterns that are similar to those mosaic tiles found in
Spain to Kim Seybert's white linen napkins trimmed in black passementerie.



This contrasting look is very modern and very versatile. You can complete your tablesetting
with a rich, jeweled napkin ring by L'Objet for a formal occasions or accenting with green
broccoli for a more casual feel.

Dining by Design 2008

DIFFA’S Dining by Design is dubbed as the “the Cannes of tabletop”. It unites some of the
world's most talented, intriguing and celebrated designers, all expressing their passion and
creativity on the table. 2008 table host and designers are MacKenzie-Childs, Marc Blackwell,
Nautica, Ralph Lauren, CB2 and many more! From whimsical to elegant, I invite you to
join me this week. I will be sharing some of my pictures so that you can peruse the tables
and gain some fabulous entertaining ideas.