Anniversaries are occasions to celebrate.  Twenty-five years of marriage is a milestone and should be treated with beauty and glamour.  Silver not only represents a quarter century of wedded bliss, it can turn an ordinary table into a fabulous one.

25th Anniversary Celebration

A successful monochromatic look is difficult to achieve.  The mahogany dining table offers a nice contrast to the tone-on-tone setting.  Everything would have faded away had I use a coordinating table cloth.  Without one, dishes and accessories really sparkle and shine.

Monochromatic place setting

Layering on a table, as in other areas of design adds depth and interest.  Formal white plates with a double row of silver borders and center royal crown are stacked on basic silver chargers.

Mirror napkin rings and simple grey napkins

Get creative with napkins and napkin rings.  You no longer have to fold napkins into neat rectangles and place them to the left or underneath the fork.  There are so many ways to fold them and dozens of different rings available; I rarely fall back on tradition. A simple accordion fold and these great mirror mosaic napkin rings placed on the dinner plate complete the ensemble.  Setting the table is a lot like getting dressed!

Silver rimmed glasses!

You all know I’m a Goodwill shopper.  I love a bargain.  I could have used any crystal I had in my cupboard, but I wanted to stick with the theme. I lucked out when I discovered these silver rimmed glasses.  You never know what you’ll find!

Candle light and silver balls

Tall hurricane candlesticks and silver balls are all this table needs for a centerpiece.  I sacrificed flowers for simplicity and to stay with the white/silver them.  The table setting is beautiful without them.

Coming up with a design scheme is the most fun part of interior design.
When I work on a Showhouse, I can really let the creative juices flow.
Designers love to do them because (generally) the sky is the limit.
For the 2009 Breast Cancer Showhouse in Milwaukee, Susan and
I came up with our own “client”.  A young, hip, twenty-something female artist.

Fabrics for Artist's Retreat

Graphic flower print for the bed

We have just finalized the fabrics for our Artist’s Retreat.
Bright and bold colors are perfect for our “client”.
We fell in love with this orange, purple and fuchsia print by Duralee.
I love the big, bold graphic flower.  You will be seeing more and
more purple in all shades in the coming months. It will make a
great bedspread or coverlet for the day bed.

Colorful pillow fabrics

Every bed needs lots of pillows so we plan to design and make
a variety using faux suede and cotton fabrics in complementary colors.
Can’t wait to get started on those.

Dizzy Circles!

I’m not yet sure where we will use this purple on orange print
with child like scribbled circles, but it coordinates with everything
else and is just plain funky!

This will look great on the windows.

The pattern on this lovely sheer fabric looks like little flying carpets.
It will add color to the windows without blocking the natural light.

Susan and I along with the other interior designers will start painting
and installing our room layouts April 1.  We only have a month to
get the room ready.

Great fun, worthy cause!

A daring splash of lime green served up this out of the ordinary St. Patrick’s Day dinner.   Glittery black felt served as the table cloth (washable, inexpensive and can be cut to fit any size table).  Instead of chargers, I used bright green wood placemats.

Not your usual St. Patrick's Day dinner

Of course flowers and candles are always on my table.  This time I chose potted white  daisies and wrapped with them coordinating tissue paper.  So simple and inexpensive, but no less elegant.  A couple votive candles  nestled in a bed of green glass adds to the ambiance.

Head of the table

White dinner plates are a must for every hostess’s cupboard.  If you purchase only one set of dishes, make them white.  You can create a new look every time you use them.  You’ll never believe it, but I found these oversize soup bowls in bright lime at a dollar store!

Dollar bowls!

I love little butter pat dishes and wonder if they can still be purchased new?  They are readily available at flea markets and antique stores.  No more “please pass the butter”.

Butter pat dishes

This table was a little cozy, not much room for extras so I folded the napkins on the back of the chairs.  They helped brighten up the space when the lights were dimmed.  The place card holders are a clever idea – office paper clips.  I pinched one to each bowl and attached the guest’s name.

Unique place card holders

Every party should have good conversation, great food, and some unexpected touches to wow your guests.

No one said decorating a house was easy.  But it shouldn’t be so difficult you become frozen at the threshold of the furniture or paint store.  I hate you see you agonize over a barrel lamp shade versus a bell shape.  That’s what I’m here for.   Based on your style preferences and family needs, I gather up choices to present to you.  So instead of looking at dozens of similar items, I will narrow it down to 3 or 4 choices.  I coordinate fabrics  so all you have to do is pick a group. It’s my job to seek out the sources and resources for you.  It ’s so simple.

I’ve written a tips booklet titled “The 7 Biggest Design Mistakes” and will send it to you FREE just for signing up to receive my newsletter “Style By Design” .   Click on the box at the upper right corner.  It gets easier all time!

Thanks for the support.

Tell me know about your design dilemmas.

Merri

March is “Plan-A-Party” month. Who doesn’t want to have a party and celebrate after the long winter we’ve had? It’s time to celebrate warm weather and melting snow. It’s time to come out of hibernation and celebrate with friends over food. It’s time to get out the china and linens and celebrate spring. There’s the rub: get out the china and linens. What if you don’t have a set of good china and a damask table cloth? Don’t panic, the rules have changed. You don’t have to plan a dinner party or brunch the way grandmother did it. Etiquette and manners will never go out of style and knowing where to put the fork, knife and spoon will be important, but the way we “set” a table is different today. As with most things, you need to know the rules but once you do, you can start breaking them.

As I have told you before, the party rule I live by is: “It doesn’t matter what’s on the menu as long as the table setting is gorgeous”. That doesn’t mean you need a five-piece place setting for twelve in a beautiful china pattern. Mixing and matching dishes is much more fun. Start with basic white. White dinner plates, white salad plates and white soup bowls. They don’t even have to match. Then be creative with unusual patterns, textures and colors. Always remember, the most important part of the party is the guests. They won’t have a good time unless the hostess is having fun.

Enjoy!

I’ve yet to meet anyone who hasn’t been touched by breast cancer in some way.  In my family, it’s two aunts who are survivors and their two daughters who were not so lucky.  My cousin Julie lost her battle with breast cancer a couple of years ago.  She was a wife and mother and only 47 years young.  My cousin Rhonda died on January 1, 2008, three weeks short of her 39th birthday.  She also left a husband and 6 year old daughter.

South view

I support breast cancer research by participating in the annual Showhouse For A Cure, the Wisconsin Breast Cancer Showhouse.  This year I’m partnering with my interior designer friend Susan Michalek of Desumi Design.  We will be creating an artist’s atelier in a third floor bedroom.  It’s a charming space with dormer windows and low angled ceilings.

Doorway

The house is open to the public June 6-24.  Dozens of local designers work hard to come up with unique design ideas in every room and space in the house.

East side dormer

We will start our installation in early April.  I will  keep you updated on our little artist retreat.  In the meantime, hug the women in your lives and make an appointment for a mammogram!

Our dinner party was a success Saturday night.   Bringing old or new friends together for no reason other than to catch up with each other is the best excuse for a party.

Table for 10

I used orange as my accent color to go with black and white dinnerware.   It’s not my favorite color, but it looked so fresh and spring-like, I had to have it.  I purchased the table runner and orange dish towels from Crate and Barrel last week.  The towels were big enough for two napkins.  Just cut them in half and hemmed up the raw edges.  $2.00 each!

Indvidual Place settiing

Seating arrangements are important for a sit-down dinner.

• Seating should be boy-girl-boy-girl whenever possible
• Spouses shouldn’t sit next to each other
• If there is a guest of honor, he should be seated next to the hostess and she should be seated next to the host
• Assigning seats allows the hostess to make sure all the talkers are not sitting next to each other while the quiet ones are left on their own

My guests are all long time friends.  Since the napkin rings were numbered, the women drew an even number and the men picked from the odd sticks.  I just made sure husbands and wives were sitting next to someone else.  We had very lively conversations going all night long!

• 10 people is the maximum I would recommend for a sit-down dinner party.  Any more than that, you better have help serving courses or decide to do a buffet

Flowers and candles are always a must.   I love a cut bouquet and have them in my house even when it’s only for me.  Tulips are my favorite and they are in season now.

Tulips in hot pink, purple and yellow/orange

• Avoid scented flowers and candles at the dinner table.  You don’t want competing smells.
• Guests should be able to see each other over the floral arrangement.  If it’s tall and dramatic, just be sure to remove it from the table before sitting.

It doesn’t matter what style of party you have.  Invite friends for cards and appetizers or brunch or a cook-out.  No one cares if you have the right dishes or chairs or if the living room needs painting.   Life is short–entertain!

Tell me about your party style.

Guests are coming in an hour and I’m so ready, I’m on the computer!  The best hostess is a relaxed one. Guests have a much better time when the hosts are having fun.

Secrets for a successful dinner party:

• Plan your menu early.

• Unless you are a gourmet cook, keep food simple.

• Make a couple dishes in your kitchen and fill in with bakery bread and dessert.

• Plan your table setting early too. That way you are sure to have enough of everything.

• Set the table the day before. The only thing left to do is light the candles before company arrives.

• Put on good music, whatever suits the mood of the party.

• Pour the drinks.

• Enjoy.

I’ve been involved with the Milwaukee Breast Cancer Showhouse for a Cure for 10 years. Millions of dollars have been raised to support the Medical College’s Cancer Center research efforts.
Who hasn’t been touched by breast cancer? Four women in my family have had this devastating disease. Two aunts, who are survivors, and their two daughters who weren’t as lucky. My cousin Julie, a wife and mother, died a couple of years ago at 47. Rhonda, also a wife and mother, died January 1, 2008, just 3 weeks before her 39th birthday.
I support these research efforts by designing and creating a room. This year I am teaming up with my friend Susan Michalek of Desumi Design. We are creating an artist’s atelier or retreat. It will be colorful, fun and funky. We will feature lots of design ideas.
I will be posting before, during and after photos as we begin the design process. In the meantime, go to http://www.breastcancershowhouse.org for more details about touring this year’s house.
We need to do everything we can to cure cancer and keep the memory alive for those we loved and miss.