36A U G U S T S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

A Feast for the EyesIf youre dining blindfolded, a porterhouse steak dinner might taste the same whether served on a paper plate or a family heirloom. But since we !rst eat with our eyes before we lift a single forkful of food, the care put into a !nely laid table adds immeasurably to our dining pleasure.

Cost is not an obstacle to a beautiful table. You can spend decades collecting linens and one-of-a-kind pieces of silver and dinnerware and many people enjoy that hunt or you can buy fun and colorful things online, at arts and crafts fairs and in local re-sale shops. Whatever the source, these tablescapes, as were calling them, add a splash of joy to any occasion worth cele-brating. It says to guests, Youre worth it!

For this story, we asked four local tastemakers to each create a dining tableau using their own dishes, silver, glassware and serving pieces. "ey are all well-known Houston collectors. Each set up a demo table for us and gave us the backstory on their methods and materials used. We think you will be as inspired by their style as we were.

37A U G U S T S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

WHO Julie Shuford, marketing manager & Barbara Kinas, lead stylist

BUSINESS Berings Hardware

COMMENTS (Julie) After discuss-ing vignettes for the shoot with Barb, the Garden Party theme was quickly agreed to because my family spends so much time in our backyard. !e children cant get enough outdoor playtime, and, as you might guess from the songbirds on the salad plates, I love watching the beautiful birds. !e adult table features Baccarat "utes, a William Yeoward ice bucket, a Simon Pearce carafe, Reed & Bartons covered casserole dish, a Michael Aram pitcher and William Yeowards footed cake plate and dome. !e "atware is Gorham Chantilly, and the hand-etched goblets are by William Yeoward. !e place settings feature Herends Silk Ribbon Corn"ower pattern charger, Herends Rothschild Garden dinner plate and Herends Songbird Pattern salad plate. My husband and I registered at Berings for Herends #ne china when we married, as its a family favorite.

Garden Party

PHO

TOS

BY B

ECC

A W

RIG

HT

38A U G U S T S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

WHO David Lackey and Russell Prince

BUSINESS David Lackey Antiques & Art

COMMENTS (Russell) Most of the items we chose are estate !nds. "e tablecloth is by Le Jacquard Franais, which we purchased at Kuhl-Linscomb. "e dishes featured are Copeland Spode circa 1960. We paired the dishes with a muted teal-colored napkin, which was an estate !nd. Sitting atop the napkin is sterling silver Gorham in the Grecian pattern circa 1860. "e wine goblet is American pressed glass circa 1880, and the water glass is American green glass circa 1950. We accented the table setting with a small pitcher of #owers the #owers obtained in a mad dash to Trader Joes. "e pitcher is English stoneware circa 1850. "e bottle of Chteau Marseau 2005 (purchased from Divino Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar) is sitting in an English silver wine coaster circa 1800. Lastly, the placecard holder is English granite circa 1900 welcoming our guest of honor, Eric Cartman.

Guest of Honor

PHOTOS BY BECCA WRIGHT

39A U G U S T S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

WHO Jackson Hicks

BUSINESS Jackson and Company Catering & Events

COMMENTS Recalling the ele-gant at-home teas established in early 19th-century Britain, I wanted to create a welcome oasis from the frenzy of our busy urban lives. Perfect afternoon tea is part ceremony, part miniature works of culinary art and part engaging conver-sation. Shown here is an antique silver service, double hemstitched linen tea napkins and family heirloom teacups from my grandmothers and mother. !e "owers are by Rebekah Johnson of Bergner & Johnson.

Afternoon Tea

PHO

TOS

BY P

RISC

ILLA

DIC

KSO

N

40A U G U S T S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

WHO Donna Jahn

BUSINESS Party Cloths

COMMENTS !e China is Barbi-zon by Mikasa, purchased for my hope chest in 1964. Its been never used. !e sterling silverware is King Edward 1936 sterling a family heirloom borrowed from a friend. Ive chosen to use Riedels Sommelier line of mouth-blown Aus-trian lead crystal. Each glass is designed to enhance the aroma and "avor of the wine for which it was speci#cally made. !e "oral centerpiece was made by Gilda at Central Market to coordinate with the chinas gray and blue hues. !e tablecloth and napkins are from Party Cloths inventory. Both are light silver to match the dishes, made of #nest quality bridal satin, and the napkins are lined with cotton.

Wine Dinner

PHOTOS BY BECCA WRIGHT

41A U G U S T S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

WHO Teresa Byrne-Dodge and Taylor Byrne Dodge

BUSINESS My Table magazine

COMMENTS (Taylor) Just like my mother, Teresa, Ive been collecting antique stemware and vintage serving pieces. Teresa has amassed an impressive collection of vintage etched wine glasses, Arts & Crafts accent pieces and mixed sterling silver over the last 25 years. But we decided to dig into a genre that was entirely new to us for this assignment: platters and plates that are gilded and creamy; pedestals that showcase the Hollywood Regency look of the 1950s and 1960s; Palm Springs panache with a punch of color. All of these pieces, both new and vintage, were relatively inexpensive ($10 to $30): the small dessert plates are from the Lilly Pulitzer for Target collection, the gold-and-glass cocktail set is a classic Culver design that mom found at !e Guild Shop. Everything else came from eBay, Etsy and the Blue Bird Circle re-sale shop. !e runner is just some fun fabric that we folded to "t down the middle of this outdoor table. !is is a nod to Mid-Century Modern, but the pieces could also be a sexy theme for a birthday party, a retirement celebration or even a bridal luncheon.

Sweet Celebration

PHOTOS BY BECCA WRIGHT