Putting it together Part 2

Part 2

Napkin ring: the perfect accent to hold your napkin, add an element of design, material or texture and give you an instant fold that always works.  Napkin rings are jewelry for the table so have fun with them. Look for a variety of materials to bring interest to your settings.

Flatware:  flatware is very important since it is what people feel with their hand and put in their mouth. Since feel is first look for scale that feels good to you and your sense of balance.  Note fork tines and spoon bowls and consider how these will fit with your mouth as well as picking up and holding the foods you like to serve.  Extensions, like fish knives and forks, iced tea spoons, lemon forks, butter knives and cream soup spoons are only important if they are important to you.  Know what you like and how you like to serve it and go with it.  You’re the host and guests are to take the lead from you so if you’re comfortable than take the lead and proceed.  If you’re not comfortable using a shrimp fork than either will your guests.  However, if you are a master at the utensil and it heightens the enjoyment of serving and eating your magnificent shrimp cocktail, then by all means, polish them up and start slicing the lemons.

Two details I’d like to mention:

Knife rests: they are wonderful if you have them and can save a textile from the ruin of a careless guest, especially if you happen to serve something with a saucy, gooey or drippy addition.  Most mannered guests should just rest the knife on the plate and clods will think nothing of adding marks to your linens. Final take: you’re the host and you have to know your crowd: don’t use your best with guests who may not bring their best or research a great spot remover. You don’t want to add stress or uptightness to the event.  Instead, take a clue from your food served and keep casual foods with casual presentations.  If the presentation demands a dressier look, such as at holidays, then prepare for accidents that may happen. 

Sterling silver vs. stainless steel:  Sterling is gorgeous and if you’re lucky enough to have it then use it as much as possible.  At .925 purity, sterling silver has the alloy attributes of both a bacterial resistant metal as well as not having any flavor nuances. The polish, workmanship and brightness that it brings to a tabletop are nothing less than an elegant splendor that’s timeless in attraction.   The patina that comes with use over time is highly desirable and lessens the need for polishing.  I have put mine in the dishwasher for almost 20 years (don’t use lemon detergent or let touch stainless) and it’s just fine.  If you have the time to wash, polish, place and store after each use all the better, but it’s like cleaning your car after each drive, it would be nice but don’t let it stop you from enjoying the ride.

Stemware/glassware:  The sparkling gems in the platinum setting.  Glass is the most alluring of elements in the tabletop; glistening surfaces or sparkling cuts, the shapes provide height and scale as well as tell the guest a little bit of what to expect.  For instance, wine, water, champagne or iced beverage glasses are choices that a stem can silently tell us as soon as we sit down to the table.  If a champagne glass is to the front, it might mean we start off with a toast, if it’s to the back of the wine or goblet (water) then it is to go with a dessert at the end of the meal.

Other glasses like port, brandy, whiskey, specialty cocktail glasses, aperitifs might not be with the place setting but appear at the different times required throughout dinner.  These could be placed off to the side on a tray to serve before or after dinner. Just as you mix your textiles, feel free to mix glassware sizes into a harmonious arrangement that feels good to your eye.  Dinnerware flatware and stemware patterns can each match within the setting but mixing it up sometimes can create an energetic setting.  For instance, why not a blue water glass or a champagne glass that is completely opposite the usual stems at the setting. Altering the heights, bowl shapes or even cuts in the suite of stems makes your setting unique and individualized.   This collected look is very popular as flea markets, garage sales and antique markets become popular ways to add on to collections and find unique items.

Tabletop accents: candlesticks, bowls, hurricanes, vases, etc.

Including a centerpiece or accent lighting pieces to a table setting adds an immediate focus to the viewers and enhances the ambiance of the setting.  A central bowl filled with fruit might be expected on a breakfast table and become part of the serving offering while a bowl of flowers in the center of a dinner table adds a soft elegant touch.  Flowers or leaves almost always work and lend a cheerful atmosphere from nature.  I think it’s always important to have some sort of accent item because it helps set the stage, provide a conversation point of reference or gives the tabletop a focal point that involves the mood or theme of the occasion.  The only rules I have are try to stay away from flowers or candles that have any kind of or too strong a fragrance and never have a centerpiece that blocks guests when seated at a table.  Either elevate arrangements or keep flowers low; for candles, try to keep the flame heights above or below the eye level line to avoid glare. Always dim lights in adjacent rooms if possible once guests are seated in the dining area and if you do have candle light at dinner do dim the dining room light to take advantage of the candles soft glow.

If you must have a tall vase or arrangement on a table, consider pushing it back to create a focal point and put 2 people on one side opposite it and the other two as heads of the table.  This is especially good for settings that are in rooms with little view interests.  You can literally create a view by putting together a thematic still life if you like.  Consider an assortment of vases with flowers or fruit, collectibles or even statuary that would add to your overall interior look.