Using What You Have

Setting a dining table is an activity I find quite enjoyable and let a bit of resourcefulness & creativity be the driving force. I also know from talking to many, many customers it is a task that can bring on much apprehension and a tiny bit of fear to many. My biggest piece of advice when thinking about setting a table is, have fun with it. There really are no set in stone rules. Use what you have and let your creative spirit soar. Our very first dinner with guests last week in New York is a bit of an example. We are just starting to set up house, so not all our usual things were right at hand. Also, being in the country, things are a bit more spread out, so running around to get this and that becomes much more of a chore. I decided to use what we had around the house to set the table.

I always start with flowers. I just think it is a good starting point for getting the table rolling. In this case, flowers were not easily accessible, so I walked around outside and cut just the prettiest hydrangea leaf grouping I could find. It would take center stage on the table in a green Little Shirley vase we had brought with us this trip.

We had picked up a squash the day before when we were grocery shopping for a meal later in the week. It would be called into action. The darker green complimenting the lighter green in the hydrangea leaves.

A few green glassybaby vessels set about for more pops of color and a little flickering light at the table. It was the first time we used the hand-painted glasses by artist Margot Larsen. The little ‘H’ in green on the glasses tying it all together. Simple vintage white plates and bowls we had found in Hudson on the prior visit, with vintage bamboo handled silverware set atop a green napkin and we were good to go. All stuff we had around the house. No sweat. A memorable meal by Mister Sive followed. A great memory for our first dinner with guests.