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Robert George
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a jaguar-themed place setting
John Fletcher, a set stylist and owner of John Fletcher Design, was inspired by the immediate: the watch on his wrist. The espresso watchband and platinum face gave rise to a "gentleman's supper" theme, complete with platinum dishware, Starck's Kartell Louis Ghost Chair, striped men's neckties as napkins, and touches that Fletcher says "appealed to all the senses" --cigars, tobacco, orchids, espresso beans, crystal decanters. Typical of a guy who sets scenes for a living, the table was finished off with a coat thrown over the chair and a pair of men's slippers askew on the floor.
Tracy Katz, senior interior designer at The Lawrence Group, prefers organic design with an artistic approach. She opted for materials that were "unique and different." She wrapped branches with shredded bedsheets that had been dyed with tea. She spent hours carefully and meticulously attaching rhinestones and semiprecious gems to the fabric and inserting orchids into the moss centerpiece. Napkin rings were studded with sewn-on amethyst and labradorite, all glittering in the glow of candlelight.
Tim Rohan, owner of T. Rohan Interiors, began with Versace china in both flat and shiny gold. "That started the neo-classical theme of the table, chairs and floral arrangement," Rohan says. He wanted a clean, simple and "quietly elegant" effect, so he stuck with a palette of ecru, cream and gold, which gave his centerpiece ("a plume of flowers and feathers" made from 48 cream-colored roses, ivory orchids and ring-necked pheasant feathers, arranged in a 5-foot stand) maximum visual impact.
Susan Block, owner of The Designing Block, wanted her tabletop to exude the feel of fall. Using a large number of jewel-studded pieces created by Jay Strongwater, she started with the mirror in the center of the table and went over the top from there. "We set the places off-center, and the mirror cockeyed, so [guests] didn't have to sit directly across from each other...just to show that you don't always have to do things by the book."
Cindy Saladin, of Diane Breckenridge Interiors, paired turquoise and amber china and used sparkly sequined butterfly napkin rings. Rather than cover the farmhouse table, she left it bare and added a simple arrangement of fresh flowers. Two different types of placemats gave weight to the plates and pulled everything together. "The uniqueness of the table brought out the color of the plates," she says.
Don Pisoni, of Don Pisoni Inc., used a jaguar theme and earthy colors for an inviting, warm look. "Jaguars are not what most people think of in fine china," he says. "They have a lot of personality and individuality." The vases and centerpiece are Daum French crystal; "they have an earthy elegance," Pisoni says. The flower centerpiece is a bunch of sunflowers--"they make it look like the sun is shining."
David Suttle's concept, "a winter garden picnic supper," was executed with the addition of branches and stone. Suttle, a partner in Suttle Mindlin, created spaces dedicated to each guest. Each setting included a silver tray and a napkin folded around the silverware. "I was interested in using an eclectic mix of casual and formal table setting pieces," he says, "to create a very strong setting that draws interest to the actual food" as well as the dishes and the terrain.
The crew at Fibercations (including Dana Romeis, Emily Paino-Brenneman and Nicole Tosi) went for a "twist on the fall color scheme," with deep burgundy, fiery orange and chartreuse. "We wanted it to feel more ethnic [than holiday]," says Paino-Brenneman. The centerpiece, created by Hereford Andrew Design, is a mix of succulents, orchids, mosses and cockscomb; settings, including glassware, were mixed and matched, with an emphasis on unusual shapes and colors, and napkins were entwined with twigs and Baccarat crystal butterflies in various colors.
