ENTERTAINING TABLETOP

Make your own perfect formal dinnerware

Formal dinner table by Micheal C. Fina  Christofle Jean-Louis Coquet

When you invest that much money in formal dinnerware, you want to make sure you get a look of your own. The best way to do that is to mix and match plates and bowls.

Brands and retailers make it easy for you. Several dinnerware collections are built around coordinating color palettes or pattern details within a brand. But you should not stop there.

You can explore the possibilities of mixing and matching different brand. The key is that they must share the same fine porcelain qualities. For example, only select Limoges porcelain.

How to formulate the basis of your own formal tabletop?

The inspiration shot was taken from the Web site of the high-end retailer Michael C. Fina. You see here a fresh yet traditional take on formal dining.

The stylist at Michael C. Fina composed a place setting by mixing two patterns by Christofle, Foam which is one of their own creations and Hemisphere Matte Platinum by Jean-Louis Coquet.

On Christofle Web site you can read that Metropolis shares the same outer stripe than Fleur d’Argent. Fleur d’Argent weds the traditionalism of a Japanese floral motif and the modernism of platinum effects.

The gray Metropolis pattern works the best with the Fleur d’Argent motif, especially if you introduce metal serving pieces on your table.

You can mix old and new, low and high when you set a formal dinner table. These expensive dinnerware pieces were mixed with the affordable modern style Nambe Kissing Salt and Pepper set designed by Karim Rashid. Nambe costs only $79 USD.

Sourcing:
Learn more: Tableware and Entertaining at Michael C. Fina
Learn more: Web site of Christofle

  • Sarah Dennis
    August 10, 2007 at 21:17

    Hey Kim, excellent post!
    Did you see the article from the New York Times entitled “Breaking the Pattern”? (I’ve included the link below). It’s all about mix & matching and creating a table that is, without exception, all your own. I couldn’t agree more!

    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/fashion/weddings/22REGISTRY.html?ex=1186891200&en=653e6211e357af50&ei=5070

  • At Home with kim vallee
    August 10, 2007 at 22:43

    I was not aware of the NY Times article because I would have mention it. Very apropos. I like the vibrant colors they showed us. Thank you, Sarah for pointing that out.