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 . . .

Kitchen Renovation - Part II

With the gutted kitchen a blank slate, it was time to make decisions about fixtures, colors, and materials. The layout of the room had been decided - the wall between the kitchen and living room was opened up and functional plans for the placement of cabinets, appliances, and a new island were set. 


The kitchen's hardwood floors would be replaced and stained to match that of the other rooms for continuity and a seamless transition between the first floor spaces. For the walls, I chose Benjamin Moore's Grey Owl - a cool, soothing neutral to compliment the grays, navies, apple greens, and fuschias in the adjoining rooms. For the cabinets, I chose Benjamin Moore's White Wisp. 

White Wisp

Grey Owl

Instead of a traditional stone countertop, I chose a beautiful white glass material. Like granite, it is stain-proof and heatproof and is an excellent workspace. And it is more beautiful and unique than many stone options. The backsplash is also glass. It's colors pick up the grey of the walls and cabinets. 

Backsplash

The light fixture that used to hang above the kitchen table was moved so that pendant lights could be installed above the new island. For this purpose I chose two delicate Juliska glass pendants.

Island Pendant

The hardware for the cabinets was an important choice. I chose something modern to contrast the more traditional cabinets in a shiny polished nickel finish. The latches are more interesting than a more traditional knob or pull and add further interest in the kitchen. 

Ice Box Latch

Finally, having given up my kitchen table and chairs to rely on my formal dining room more regularly for large family dinners, counter stools at the island were a must. I chose a wire net basket stool for this job, with a durable faux leather seat cushion. 

Basket Stool

Next up: photos from the finished room! 

Kitchen Renovation - Part I

Despite a busy client schedule, I am always inspired to update my own home with the latest designs. This fall, we undertook a major renovation of my kitchen. Although it was always cozy and comfortable, the kitchen was small with inadequate counter space and a tiny oven. As an avid baker, the kitchen's limited space did not afford me the space to really enjoy my time there. And as the heart of the home, with family often gathered around, the kitchen was too small for entertaining. 

The kitchen's seating area, before

The project was long and extensive, but the results are beautiful. Here I'll begin to detail the process of the renovation, from start to finish, with photos to document the process. 

A lucite table helped to create the illusion of more space in the kitchen, which was separated from the living areas by walls and doors

The gut renovation begins - the cabinets without appliances before they too disappear

Stay tuned for Part II and all the thoughts behind the design!

Lighting

Happy New Year from Patti Johnston Designs! Even though the days in the northeast are slowly getting longer, I always appreciate—during the midwinter months—the importance of great lighting. Light fixtures are an integral part of every room’s design, and most lighting showrooms don’t offer pieces special enough to really shine. The best lighting sources are available to designers only. Here I’ll share some of my favorite overhead fixtures available only to the trade.

Juliska

Currey and Company

Currey and Company

Ikat

Ikat is a near universal weaving style common to many world cultures and possibly one of the oldest forms of textile decoration. This age-old dying technique used to pattern textiles is at once traditional and modern due to its long history but its continual rebirth in new lines of fabric. Here are some of my favorite new ikat prints!

Luce, from Madeline Weinrib's New Fabric Line

From Robert Allen

From Scalamandre

Showhouse!

After a busy summer, the latest Patti Johnston Designs fall undertaking was the 2011 Mansions and Millionaires Design Showcase 2011. Patti Johnston Designs took a second-floor foyer and closet and turned it into a sparkling “Boudoir” - an intimate, elegant dressing room combining classic and modern elements.  

The Space, Before

Boudoir is a space that combines the elegance of classical furniture with modern color and details—preserving the old world feel while bringing the room into the 21st century for today’s woman and man. I chose a color pallet of gray and white, infused with pops of bright turquoise. The closet doors were painted gunmetal grey to ground the room in tradition and are labeled “his,” “her’s,” and “ours.” 

The Space, After

I discovered the ornate vintage picture frames in the attic of a "frame hoarder.” After determining the ideal layout of the frames for the wall, I had them lacquered a glossy white.

The Frames, Arranged, Before

I wallpapered the ceiling with a modern botanical. The ferns are reminiscent of the home’s beautiful grounds, and introduce an organic motif in the space, which is complemented by the spectacular installation on the wall. The Sculpt du Fleur is a custom floral element created by Nina Helms, incorporating both European influence and contemporary shapes. 

The turn-of-the century vanity and the pier mirror were finds I discovered during an antiques shopping trip in France. They have been restored and rejuvenated with fresh paint and metallic leaf detail. The black lacquered legs of the stools are reminiscent of French design as well. 

Vintage Jewelry Displayed on the Vanity

In keeping with the room’s true purpose, I “dressed” the window treatment in filmy white fabric trimmed with gorgeous turquoise satin, fabric reminiscent of a beautiful ball gown.

Window Treatment Detail