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Monica Forrestall Tabletop Styling

Spring Shades of Green & Gray inspire a Southwest Setting

Spring is all about color. Bring some to your table with Savona. 

Fabulously Fun Neo-Victorian & Steampunk style of WINSLET

The elegant clock face-style of Winslet inspired a fabulously modern nod to another era.

A moveable bar setup is a boon for apartment living. The beautiful hammered metal tray helps transport drinks to any room. I found fun vintage skeleton key-shaped cocktail stirrers online.

Full table setting, seen from above, allows you see all the wonderful black-and-white magic
 created with this artful pattern.

Watches make creative napkin rings!

Found these skeleton key place card holders online.  Perfect Neo-Victorian touch!

                                 

The Romantic Appeal of the Vintage-Inspired VALENCIA pattern

photos: copyright Lifetime Brands

A SPRING FLING with flower-patterned Cadence tableware

Have a SPRING FLING with a fabulously fun, flower-patterned table.

This mix-and-match pattern inspired pulling in other, complimentary patterns. Here an aqua trellis fabric was custom made into a placemat, and a miniature metal 

garden bench becomes a whimsical place card holder. The reversible aqua polka-dot napkin  has a pretty fold and is tied at the top with a stitch-edged ribbon and faux silk roses. 

Detail of the charming wrought iron garden bench which I'm using here as a place card holder. 

Using miniatures is a signature styling thing of mine. 

The same trellis-patterned fabric was used here as a tablecloth. The accent dish is trellis patterned, resting atop of a teal dinner plate.  Here, the place card holder is an aged" wheel barrel and the napkin is accented with a miniature flower pot of pink geraniums. 

Photos copyright: Lifetime Brands and (Bottom) Monica Forrestall

Shine On! With Trendy Metallic-look Tableware

Good as Gold!

Fashion details, such as grommet embellished napkins, a DIY "riveted" gold-painted placemat and a hand-hammered cuff-like napkin ring gives a punch of high fashion to your table setting.

A textured vase, such as basket-weave patterned Palazzo Vase, is the ideal vessel 

for a creative arrangement of exotic, unusual plant stems.

copyright photography: Lifetime Brands

Love the Classics!

CLASSIC STYLE December 2013 issue focused on the WESTON pattern, a modern version of a Greek Key pattern mixed with chain patterns. I wanted to make a library reference, but in a more conceptual, modern way. I loved this image of an open book, with other books on shelves behind it, and used it as our background. I luckily had been in contact with Chef Maria Loi, a Greek Culinary authority and cookbook author. She offered a healthy--yet so delicious---baklava dessert. And made a tray of it for our photoshoot, so we would have her version to shoot in Boston.
http://www.ClassicStylewestonstoryonmikasa.com/

DIY Parchment paper placemat. 

DIY Easy to make, hardware chain-link napkin rings. 

http://www.mikasa.com/brand-comfortablyclassic.html

photos copyright Lifetime Brands