READ IT: The holidays are not that far off, and thoughts of hostesses and hosts turn to creating stunning tabletops that will set the stage for upcoming family get-togethers.
A new book “Perfect Tables: Tabletop Secrets, Settings and Centerpieces for Delicious Dining,” by William Yeoward (CICO, $29.95, 160 pages) shows how to throw the old and tired conventions for tablesetting out the door and elevate it to an art form that makes any event memorable.
Yeoward is a major force in international design, renowned for his designs of classic tableware. His crystal is distributed through major stores in the U.S., including Neiman Marcus. He lectures widely and has gained a reputation for putting together table elements in unusual and refreshing combinations. In this book he showcases 26 different tables that cover a variety of occasions: from a lavish anniversary dinner for 30 to a fireside tete-a-tete, from a Thanksgiving table rich with autumn colors to an opulent and ethereal white and gold Christmas feast.
He also includes tips on table etiquette, ideas for laying flatware, china and glassware with precision, tying napkins and choosing flowers. Perfection is all in the details and Yeoward shows you how to achieve it.
— Mary Daniels
SURF IT: Speaking of perfect tables, if you’re as obsessed with dishware as we are, head on over to etabletop.com, a virtual (shoppable) encyclopedia of all things tabletop. Find dinnerware, glassware, flatware, table linens and more in the e-commerce portion of the site. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Etabletop promises it can special order any item still in production. But that’s not all: There are tips on food presentation (click on “dishing” in the nav bar) and linen care (also under “dishing”) as well as gift ideas and a registry. And don’t miss the blog (under “community”) for the occasional tabletop ponderings: Are saucer champagne glasses making a comeback?
–Tran Ha
BUY IT: It’s harvest time for gourds. Here’s one we were happy to take home: a winsome owl ornament from The Morton Arboretum in Lisle to hang on the Halloween tree.
Craftspeople in Peru carve 2 1/2- to 3-inch-tall gourds and burn in the details, including huge dark eyes and a detailed pattern of feathers. The ornaments are $6.50; larger gourd owl boxes are $12 and $22. Find them at the gift shop of the arboretum, on Illinois Highway 53 just north of Interstate Highway 88, Lisle; call 630-719-2454.
— Beth Botts
BENEFIT IT: Carpet One Floor & Home is putting out nine colorful welcome mats for those who would like to keep the leaves and mud outside their door and benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. A simple pink ribbon sits in one corner surrounded by snowmen or fallen leaves, stained glass, snowflakes or paw prints. Our favorite mat from the collection, though, is the Antique Blossom with its deep red blooms floating along with the iconic pink ribbon. The mats ($21.45, including tax) are sold at Yonan Carpet One, 730 Ogden Ave., Downers Grove, 630-963-2000, or 7040 W. North Ave., 773-889-7500. Twenty-five percent of the sale goes to the research foundation.
— Elaine Matsushita