One of the best parts of the holidays is sharing memorable meals with close friends and family. A table arranged with care and creativity can set the mood. Washington Spaces invited experts from showrooms in The Washington Design Center to suggest festive settings for some of the season’s celebrations.
An Urbane New Year’s Eve Bash
Forget about braving Times Square, we want to dine at Eleanor Niermann’s soigné table on New Year’s Eve. Niermann, vice president of merchandising of Niermann Weeks, borrowed pieces from her family’s collection to create a sophisticated spread. The 48-inch round dining table, a Venetian silver leaf table with an antiqued mirror top, used to be in the New York apartment of her father Joe Niermann, who founded Niermann Weeks with his wife Eleanor McKay. Renwick & Clark pink and gold bone china, clear glass salad plates rimmed in gold and mismatched silver with different monograms are also courtesy of her folks.
Eleanor Niermann mixed vintage glassware, specifically heirloom water glasses with traces of gold leaf, elegant champagne flutes and wine glasses rimmed in gold. Her father arranged velvety wine-colored cockscomb and small pale green roses in a low glass vase of water to create a gorgeous centerpiece.
Russian Major chairs with a subtle wreath effect, faux shagreen wall covering by Studio E, an Ashanti mirror, three Tang Dynasty (7th century AD) horses with riders, a chinoiserie Tulipiere, and decanters from Eleanor Niermann’s private collection all provide a luscious background for this drop-dead elegant scene. The new Lille chandelier with glass tubes that glisten like icicles and look as delicate as ostrich feathers crowns the alluring vignette.
Traditional Swedish Christmas Supper
Some designers are beating a path to Sweden these days in search of Gustavian style inspiration. We couldn’t do that, so we did the next best thing. We headed to the Country Swedish showroom, where manager Ann Palithorp set a charming traditional Swedish Christmas table complete with tiny forest trolls for us.
“Little trolls have been part of Swedish tradition forever,” says Cecilia Hirshorn, president of Country Swedish. “Every dinner around Christmas, you always decorate your table with trolls.”
Munka pewter chargers, Rorstrand Ostindia blue and white china and Reijmyre Glas glassware grace the 47-inch round Krageholm dining table.
An Elegant Hanukkah Feast
Amy Liniado, showroom manager of Clive Christian Furniture, and her associate Meghann Sullivan created an extraordinary setting to celebrate Hanukkah using the exquisite Clive Christian Royal Worcester Empire Flame collection, which Liniado personalized with pieces including her grandmother’s bread cover, a dreidel, gelt (gold-covered chocolate coins) and a menorah.
Could latkes possibly taste better than when served on cream-colored Royal Worcester china with its burnished gold leaf flames, laurel leaves, medallions and torches? This majestic china, including the open and covered vegetable dishes shown here, are hand-finished using the same techniques that were used 200 years ago.
Liniado and Sullivan enhanced their luxurious setting with striking Empire Flame cutlery from the Arthur Price for Clive Christian collection. This stainless steel set features 24-carat gold plated flame handles for a handsome finish. Stroheim & Romann, Inc. provided the blue silk tablecloth. “Blue is the color of the Israeli flag and white is the color of peace,” Liniado says.
