On Entertaining

When outfitting a beautifully designed room for a meal or a gathering, it’s so important to decorate the table, too. Choice of dishes, centerpieces, linens, and lighting will all set the mood for the event and should complement the design of the room. I like to make selections that fit with the occasion, the setting, and the time of year.

This weekend, my husband and I took part in a “progressive dinner.” A large group of us started out at one home, for drinks and appetizers. We hosted the entrée portion of the meal at our home, before all the diners headed on for dessert at another.

Since my kitchen renovation, my dining room has become more widely used for both formal and informal meals. To make it appropriate for both, I replaced the formal silk window treatments with informal large-scale cotton panels. The room has neutral bones but is colorful in its accents – including the wool rug and bright modern paintings - which provides lots of flexibility in setting the table using a variety of colors, textures, and objects.

Dining Room

For this dinner, which took place on a warm March Long Island evening, I chose to capitalize on the feeling of spring!

Fresh yellow tulips at the local store were so inviting; I used cobalt juice glasses to arrange a colorful row of them down the mahogany table.

Tulips in Cobalt Glasses 

To anchor the table, I filled a large blue and white bowl full of fresh lemons – some sliced to add texture and fragrance.

Fresh Lemon Centerpiece 

Instead of a tablecloth, I placed dried boxwood placemats – a recent addition to my collection of accessories – at each setting, which further incorporated the fresh “earth” at the table.

Boxwood Placemat, Detail

As in my interiors, I always try to achieve a balance when setting the table. One way I achieve this is by juxtaposing modern and traditional elements. My sterling silver “dresses up” the table but still works with the modern napkin design and the funky Jonathan Adler salt and pepper shakers.

Traditional Silver

Jonathan Adler Salt and Pepper

I also juxtapose neutrals and bold, saturated colors. I paired my white Wedgewood china with colorful salad plates, tying together the fresh greens, cobalt blues, and lemon yellows of the color scheme. This room can handle a lot of color!

Place Setting

Apple candles and tea lights at each place setting provide just enough ambiance for a casual, yet special, dinner with friends.

Set Table

Kitchen Renovation - Part III

Finally, the long-awaited final photos of the gut renovation to my kitchen and the final results of the many months of design decisions and construction . . .Ta da! 

The new kitchen is both open and airy. The kitchen table was removed to create an open floor plan between the kitchen and the living room. The colors of the living room are glimpsed through the wide opening between the rooms, and the cool, soothing neutrals of the kitchen provide a contrast to the bold ceiling of the living room.

The kitchen is now as functional as it is beautiful. Workspaces abound, and appliances are placed to create a flow that makes it possible for several “cooks to be in the kitchen” at once! The white glass countertops sparkle, and yet are durable for prep and easy to clean. Cabinets extend to the ceiling, and drawers utilize every square inch of space so that the beautiful countertops needn’t be cluttered with tools. 

The creation of specific areas for specific tasks in the kitchen is essential. 

Here a coffee station houses things we use every morning: the coffee maker, mugs, fresh fruit, and my monthly calendar – one of my favorite things! 

The pendant fixtures above the island cast a warm pattern of light on the ceilings and walls. I installed an applied ceiling trim for added interest above the island as a frame for the light fixtures. It subtly repeats the pattern on the window treatments in the adjoining room.

The stainless stools are very modern and make the island into a seating area as well as a preparation station. The island was designed to feel like a piece of furniture. 

The inclusion of more traditional accessories warms the room and gives it a sense of gravitas – the antique silver tray behind the stove; inviting candles on a cake stand, the lace napkins.

A pop of green is visible in the addition of “earth” in the room – here the collection of boxwoods and a platter of fresh green grapes bring some life to the space. 

Cooking and entertaining is a pleasure in the new and improved Patti Johnston Designs kitchen! But stay tuned, because the renovation of the kitchen spilled over into my den, and soon I’ll document that transformation as well . . .