Tabled

Pretty + simple table setting products, tips, to do's.

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- Blanche Gelfant

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Placemat as mousepad. Ready for work + office snacking. #likeaboss

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3 Tips to Perfecting your Dining Room Hutch

Hutches, for most of my life, seemed completely useless. Then I turned 25 and had a total rehaul re: all things hutches. A simple search of "hutch" on pinterest will blow your mind. Also, like 3/4 of Real Simple covers feature drool worthy color popping hutch displays of dishes, decor, books.

Bottom line: it's natural (if not trendy) to want one. Here's some tips on making your hutch so glam-worthy that it will soon become the centerpiece of your eating room.

1. Thrift It.

I bought my hutch at a GoodWill store for $9.99. It's one of my favorite stories - my boyfriend can attest to how many times I've told someone I bought this giant piece of furniture for under $10.00. So, even if you're not the DIY type, thrifting can still get you a good bargain and even better yet, a great story to tell your guests. I turned my previously hideous hutch into a mom & daughter project. We painted and refinished this together (bonus for family time spent bonding).

2. Pick a Theme.

The key to almost every beautiful hutch is making the right grouping. Decide first off if you've got the goods to line your shelves with straight up kitchen and serve ware or decide on something else. Books. Your vase collection. Pictures. I prefer displays that say something about you and your tastes and already leverages a lot of things you have in your house. Buying stuff to fill your hutch will be unfulfilling. Make it personal. I love old dishes, so mine is filled with place settings from estate sales, thrift stores and my grandma's basement.

3. Go Big or Go Home.

I tend to believe that there is no actual limit to the amount of things you display on your hutch. I always prefer one of three looks:

1. The piled high haphazard collection. You know, the "how the heck did they collect that much stuff and manage to fit it on the shelf and still make it look gorgeous?"

2. The organized, yet full, curio. This one has got the goods, but they are well organized - stemware grouped in the top corner, white bowls in the center, cute mugs on the bottom left shelf. 

via littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com

3. The artful minimalist. This display doesn't require an uber collection, but it does require some stand out pieces. The shelves are by no means full (in fact, they're usually not even half full) but the groupings pull you in because they are big, special, or unique (or all three). 

via myoldcountryhouse.blogspot.com

Get a hutch. Find your story. Make it personal. And line the shelves with pretty things. It's that easy, really. 

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#HumpDay party table setting. All items pulled from my cupboards and shelves. Minus #traderjoes flowers. $5.99 arrangements are just too hard to resist.

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Emma Goldman knows my heart "I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck" #quoteable

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Officially starting the campaign #BringBackSwizzleSticks. If I were a collector of anything, I'd choose this over stamps any day.

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Making kitchen art literal. Love this "Splendiferous Array" of culinary tools as art from Pop Chart Lab. 

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Designing Products 1,618 Miles Apart

"This is the part where we try to describe pictures in our mind with words.  Always a hard thing to do." 

I'm in the process of designing some products for a hope-to-be-business someday. During the process, I hired a product designer that lives 1,618 miles away in Oregon. We've only really "met" through Skype, but we have a mutual understanding of expectations. Technology makes working together easier, but sometimes the above really just sums things up perfectly. 

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Doily Decor DIY: 5 Darling Tabletop Projects

Doilies have definitely made a comeback in the decor world. From paper place mats to dishes and throw pillows, doilies are the hottest new accessory. It's hard to believe they ever had a place protecting the back of grandma's armchair or nestled under lamps. Odds are you can probably find one at your mom's house, or at the very least a Goodwill on the cheap. Which is the prime reason that now, more than ever, you need to try one of these dapper doily projects. 

Doily Tablerunner

A creative spread of doilies stitched together. Heck, you can probably hot glue if you want to. via bowtiesandbliss.com 

Centerpiece Display

Wrapped with twine on a mason jar filled with seasonal florals. via inspireddesigncreate

Party Streamer

Set off the perfect hors d'oeuvres with a doily streamer. via theglitterguide 

Charger

As a personalized charger under a plate. via marthastewartweddings.com

Cookie Tins

These cookie tins are so chic they can easily double as a centerpiece! via marthastewart.com

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Adventures in Entrepreneurship: Design Duos

Just over a month ago I had my first meeting with my product designer, Brian, over Skype. Having *poorly* mocked up my vision for Tabled in Photoshop using skills I acquired as a freshman ad major, Brian is bringing my designs to life. While he's traditionally an engineer, our partnership could be more perfect. He provides the technical expertise, skill set and forward-thinking that comes with understanding how products are made, function and overall work. And I focus on aesthetics, thinking from a consumer's perspective of "would I buy that?" and "will that be on trend next spring?"

However, most design duos aren't born so easily. Having worked in the startup world and going through the process of finding "talent" on many levels, I do have some humble advice to share on finding the starsky to your hutch.

Go Back to School

Did your alma mater have a renowned design program? Chances are someone in your alumni network knows or can find out. Do some research on top design schools for your industry and reach out to professors or career offices. Chances are there is someone in that department in charge of linking students or recent grads with opportunities such as yours. At the very least, they likely have a listserv they can send your JD to and someone will turn up.

Freelancers, Agencies

I did consider using a freelance site or niche design agency/studio to help me at least get my ideas in a place I could share with potential clients and investors. And while I know lots of people have success using this route, I just didn't feel comfortable sharing my ideas with someone who would just be temporary. You need to decide if your design partner is someone you need for the short-term, or if investing in someone who can help you out 3-5 years from now is worth more of your time and money.

Networking

Sometimes people underestimate the power of simply asking friends and family. While your personal rolodex might not have any stellar design candidates, they probably have friends or colleagues who are. Letting people know you're on the hunt will open up opportunities that neither you or your friends probably considered. After all, I found my designer through a very unlikely source for those who know me: Facebook. The one and only comment I received on my post ended up being the right one!

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Last-Minute Table Decor: Napkin Art

We're zeroing in on turkey time, but there's still time to get a little creative. Try two of my favorite napkin folds and add a little last-minute style to the table.

The Bow

With the napkin face down, fold the top edge and bottom edge into the middle

Repeat! (fold the top and bottom edges to the middle again - will look like a skinny rectangle)

Fold left edge into the middle; fold the right edge into the middle overlapping on top of the left (should look like a neatly folded square now)

Turn the napkin over and cinch the middle with string, twist ties, ribbon. Fluff and pull as needed to get the desired bow shape.

The Pocket

With the napkin face up, fold the bottom edge all the way up to align with the top edge

Fold that top edge (that you just folded up) back down to align with the middle fold

Flip the entire napkin over (without undoing your folds)

Fold the left and right edges to meet in the middle

Repeat! (fold in the left and right edges again)

Turn the napkin over, and voila! Pocket.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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4 Foolproof Table Setting Tips

Apartment Therapy and Design*Sponge are among a few of my favorite sites featuring Thanksgiving place settings this week that leaves me wishing my family's feast would be as near as glamorous, whimsical or festive. But, being the 26-year-old baby of the family, the matriarchs are far from giving up hostess reigns.  

While I may not be creating a Martha Stewart masterpiece this holiday season, my years of Friendsgivings, family-style potlucks and apartment parties have taught me a thing or two about creating a functional and fashionable table.

Bring Your Table to Life

Taking a piece of the outdoors to the table is a great way to bringing freshness and texture to the table while giving a simple nod to where your food actually comes from (hopefully not a can. Try something as simple as bud vases with fresh flowers or create a cornucopia of gourds and glittered limbs.

Linens & Things

Personally, I like a layered table of linens - tablecloth, placemats, runners, napkins. But pared down, a single patterned napkin or doily on a rustic table can be as beautiful. 

The Highs and Lows of it

Experiment with different heights and levels when creating your display. Serve the turkey on a thick chopping block or serve the salad in an oblong dish instead of a pedestal dish. 

Be Eclectic

While I do appreciate a buttoned up table for formal eating situations, don't underestimate the power of decorating with different glasses, plates, ceramics and centerpieces you have lying around your home. Try mixing it up - you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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A New Adventure in Tableware

Vintage and modern, fashion forward and traditional - my life sometimes seems stuck in paradox between the past and present. And in graduating from college, to my early twenties to crawling closer to 30, living a transient life has inspired me to start a company, share my passion and start an adventure in an unexpected yet totally "me" kind of market: tableware.

I've always felt at home in the kitchen, and after a decade of thrift store shopping, estate sale hunting and pilfering from the family china hutch, I now have a display of serving platters and tea cups all my own. But for all my collecting I have very few pieces I use to set the table everyday. And that's how my business idea was born. A desire to create as beautiful as my grandmother's depression glass and as useful as a sippy cup. I think there's a perfect marriage of vintage style and 21st century functionality yet to be realized in a variety of industries, but I want to start with tableware.

In the months to come I invite you to take a seat at my table, share in my passion and entrepreneurial journey and above all, to become inspired (and inspire me in return).

Cheers to dreaming big, starting small and having a full cupboard!

Warmly, Mel