Tablescapes | Von Gern Home

Beat the Winter Blues with a Colorful Table Setting

Feb 16, 2022 | Tablescapes

The winter lull can often leave us drained and uninspired. Compound that with snowy days, chilly temperatures, and slushy sidewalks – who wouldn’t be feeling bogged down in the mundane? This year, conquer those feelings with a few of our tabletop favorites and invite color, pattern, and texture to your table! Allow your tablescape to transport you to your favorite destinations around the globe and bring warmth and color into your home!

Stripes and solids lacquer placemat white turquoise

Escape to the Mediterranean

Evoke the essence of the French Riviera with the new lacquer Antibes Placemat and Coaster. Inspired by Aperol Spritzes, terracotta roof tiles, and sunsets over the gleaming waters of the Mediterranean, this bold injection of cream and orange will have you forgetting about the chilly temperatures and transported to summers on the water.

Complete your table setting with a fun napkin ring. Our Pearl Cluster Napkin Rings introduce a classic, textural element to the table. Horn Napkin Rings incorporate the timeless chic of horn, updated in an elegant and modern way with a bold pop of lacquer. The orange colorway is the perfect match for the Antibes Placemat, and the juxtaposition of natural horn and lacquer is sure to catch the attention of everyone at your table.

Play with Texture

Incorporate texture into your tablescape with our wide range of beaded placemats and coordinating beaded coasters.

Elevate the everyday with a bold exotic placemat that provides a visual escape from the traditional tabletop elements. As intricate as the process used to make them, the Madagascar Placemats and Maasai Placemats combine graphic geometric patterning with vibrant color combinations inspired by African beaded jewelry. Create contrast, utilizing these coloful beaded placemats with a solid tablecloth, or add visual intrigue by layering the placemats against a patterned tablecloth.

Looking to add even more interest to your table setting? Our Beaded Napkin Rings perfectly coordinate with our African-inspired beaded placemats, with three interlocking beaded rings in vivid colors and bold stripes.

Plum Perfection

Lift moods and elevate spirits with an injection of vibrant color.

Drawn to the modern, curvilinear stripes of the Lacquer Stripe Placemats? Consider the deep warmth and visual interest of the Lacquer Stripe Placemats in plum and white. A striking addition to the table, the high gloss lacquer brings a reflective quality to the tabletop, playing against candlelight or overhead mood lighting.

Immerse your tablescape in the plum hue with a coordinating Lacquer Tray, in three convenient sizes, and the Lacquer Stripe Coasters. Available in the matching plum and white, these lacquer coasters, with their half-oval shape, add an unexpectedly modern element to the table.

Set the Perfect Table for Valentine’s Day Celebration at Home

Jan 26, 2022 | Tablescapes

This year, bring love into your Home with our selection of placemats, tableware and accessories.

Valentine’s Day looks a little different for everyone, but the one consistent element is love. Whether that be love for your children, closest friends, spouse, partner or even budding relationship, show them just how much you care with a thoughtfully-laid Valentine’s Day table, sure to set the mood for a festive time! This year, celebrate in the warmth, comfort and convenience of your home!

Play With Patent

Show your children just how much you love them with a cheerful and fun meal together. Incorporate whimsy and color while keeping in mind that meals with children, like finger foods and Valentine’s Day chocolates can be a bit messy.

When planning a child-friendly meal, consider utilizing our Patent Reversible Placemats, adding bright color and festive elegance, convenient for easy clean-up. The Patent Reversible Placemats easily wipe off with a damp cloth. Add fun and whimsical touches to your child-friendly celebration and share the love with your children.

Fun With Friends

Celebrating Valentine’s Day with your closest friends? Incorporate fresh, festive metallics through the Trio Reversible Placemats, with an eye-catching geometric mix of fuchsia, pink, and silver hues all boldly set off through graphic color blocking.

Mix in our angular Capri Lacquer Coasters and Ombre Napkin Rings for an unexpectedly-layered pink color scheme. Allow the tablescape to transport you back to fun nights out on the town, shared laughter and past celebrations together.

Lovely Lacquer

Setting the table for your spouse, partner or new flame? Why not pull out all the stops and utilize color and pattern boldly with our Circus Placemats or Lacquer Stripe Placemats. Bring the allure of geometry to the table and highlight the juxtaposition of red and white! High gloss lacquer adds an unexpected textural element to the table, and plays quite nicely with flickering candlelight.

Pair the placemats with coordinating lacquer coasters and red napkin rings for an elegant, put together feel. Alternatively, add an unstructured element of surprise to the table with red Horn Napkin Rings, Zinc & Leather Napkin Rings or Wood & Stripes Napkin Rings. Use color to hint at an evening of romance in the comfort and convenience of your own home.

Ultimately, no matter who will be at your table this Valentine’s Day, bring the love, the festivity, and the romance home with placemats, coasters and table accessories from Von Gern Home. Celebrate love at home, gathered around a perfectly-set table with those you love the most!

Explore our Valentines Collection

Happy New Year!

Dec 18, 2021 | Tablescapes

Start the year on a high note with these fresh tabletop decor ideas!

Indulge your dramatic side with daring tablescapes as you celebrate friends new and old, the highs of the past year, and excitement for the year to come.

Rely on wintry colors—black counts too!—paired with a little shimmer and a lot of sparkle. For textures and materials, our favorite winter table settings take cues from our favorite party attire. Sleek shell pieces that look like jewelry, metallic wovens, and pebbled leathers will lift your table to new heights as you and your guests ring in the new year.

Cheers to a joyous 2022!

Pearlescent

Craving a decadent New Year’s dinner by the glow of candlelight? Indulge in pearly place settings in cool, silvery hues.

Start with a solid linen tablecloth and layer our dazzling Pearl Placemats in a coordinating hue on top. Give your go-to glassware and cloth napkins a home with coordinating Pearl Coasters and Napkin Rings, opulent when dressed up with fine china or downplayed with simple, white plates.

Leather more your thing? These Split Reversible Placemats shimmer in combinations of pearl and silver or blue and silver—so pick your favorite side or mix both color combinations together for some added visual interest. Pair them with these silver Rope Napkin Rings or Pearl Cluster Napkin Rings to elevate your favorite fringed napkins while adding elegant textures to your table.

To top it all off, polish up your silver service and pile platters high with apples, figs, and olives. Dot the center of your table with simple vases of white dahlias or ranunculus, sprinkle in some pearly baubles leftover from your tree, and your tabletop design is party ready!

Shimmer and Shine

Desiring a more dramatic party? Black feels especially apropos for a winter soiree. Ground your table with this rich color and enliven it with shimmery and sparkly accents. For a crisp foundation, we favor metallic tablecloths and go bold with our dinnerware. Black and gold-rimmed china, smoke glass coupes, and flatware in matte finishes up the ante atop our Sparkle Placemats in black and gold.

Want a truly kaleidoscopic table? Set out these Celestial Placemats and coasters made of iridescent crushed shells. With green, blue, black, and creamy shimmer, these unique pieces look perfect with almost any accent color!

Neatly wrap each napkin in Sparkle Napkin Rings—again, available in black and gold—or our jet black Rope Napkin Rings.
Deep purple foliage and fruits and a carafe of your favorite winter wine make a spectacularly moody centerpiece.

Rosy Future

Looking toward the year ahead with excitement? Bring those positive vibes to your holiday tablescape! Nothing creates a sense of optimism quite like pairings of pink and white, so build your table around this cheery color combination. Start with a tablecloth in a pinkish hue or simple white, and layer our Pearl Placemats (available in both rose and white) on top.

Go monochromatic with your placemats and linens for a chic, traditional look, or mix pink and white elements together for added flair. With these placemats as a colorful base, we love using decadent fine china, edged in gold and silver. For an even bolder look, consider pulling out your favorite geometric or floral china, preferably a pattern with pinks in the mix. Add your favorite flatware, set your glassware atop our Pearl Coasters, and turn your attention to the accessories.

Like jewelry for your table, our Pearl Napkin Rings and Pearl Cuff Napkin Rings add a glamorous finish to each place setting.

Set a practical centerpiece for your New Year’s affair. One of charcuterie staples, simple vases of tiger lilies, and spectacular serving pieces lining the table is sure to stand out!

Explore our new year collection

Deck the Halls

Dec 14, 2021 | Tablescapes

Three color palettes for spreading Christmas cheer to your holiday tabletop design

Haul out the holly and, while trimming the tree and festooning your home, save some chic for a happy, holiday table! A mix of extra ornaments, garland, candy confections, and gingerbread, combined with winter’s best blooms—hello paperwhites and amaryllis—make deliciously chic centerpieces with endless color combinations!

Red and green décor is not the only option for a Christmas dinner! Experiment with table decorations and desserts alike, pulling out your favorite pieces and recipes for a party sure to delight. After all, we always advocate for using exactly what you have and having fun with the mix, and the holidays are no exception.

So, curate your favorite Christmas playlist and relax; we have holiday tabletop ideas for every kind of hostess.

Silver and Gold

For a sophisticated Christmas tabletop setting, try silver and gold décor. Start your table with a shimmering tablecloth in your metallic color of choice and layer our Graphic Sparkle Placemats (available in three styles!) or our Textured Metallic Reversible Placemats on top, for a dash of something dazzling. With these placemats as your base, select your favorite china—styles with metallic rims and motifs look extraordinary in the mix—and faceted glassware for place settings sure to shine. Even white dishes mixed with gleaming flatware pop against this metallic base, so work with what you have!

Napkins look stately cuffed in our Pearl Cluster Napkin Rings or Pearl Cuff Napkin Rings – a modern take on a style staple. Set out your centerpiece ahead of the holiday rush—surrounding vases of peonies and dusty miller, or scattered ranunculus and fir cuttings, with an assortment of your shiniest silver and gold baubles. Fill flutes with your favorite champagne and raise a toast to your loved ones.

Warm and Wonderful

There’s no place like home for the holidays. Relaxed evenings with a crackling fire, mulled wine, and cozy conversations around the Christmas tree are distinct joys of the season. To up your party’s homey appeal—with elegance enough to satisfy—incorporate rich red and brown tones and ample texture all around your table.

Lay out a crisp, white tablecloth for a bright foundation. Pull out our Splatter Placemats in shades of bronze or Splatter Placemats in vibrant red, and top these with classic, white lettuce ware or decorative china for welcome texture. With a classic base set, use floral and embroidered napkins freely. Create charming centerpieces with lots of texture, using fir branches and colorful ornaments or red-hued floral arrangements of peonies, Japanese maple cuttings, and plumosa. The overall effect is equally cozy and polished.

Holly and Ivy

Red and green never disappoint for a Christmas party. Nothing says Christmas quite like bunches of china berries, stems of holly, and sweetly cascading ivy adorning stoops, begging guests come calling.

Start your fresh take on this classic color pairing with a gleaming mahogany tabletop or floral tablecloth as your base. Add shimmer to your table with Reversible Metallic Placemats or a dose of sumptuous, red lacquer with these Ombre Placemats for a perfectly modern look. With a base of complementary colors set, get creative with your china. Classic patterns adorned with fancy florals and sleek, chromatic dishes work seamlessly here. Your favorite glassware will stand out atop these Ombre Lacquer Coasters. (Bonus: they make great Christmas gifts!)

Tie cloth napkins with red Sparkle Napkin Rings or red Horn Napkin Rings and turn your attention to the centerpiece. Continue your color scheme, placing potted amaryllis and bright, brass candlesticks down the table for an easy, festive finish.

Happy holidays to you and yours!

Explore our Christmas Collection

Thanksgiving Entertaining Made Easy

Nov 17, 2021 | Tablescapes

Gather your guests and let us take care of the rest!

With a delicious menu of starters, mouth-watering sides, and everyone’s favorite turkey teed up, we gather our friends and families to celebrate gratitude and the tremendous blessings of the season. It is a time of traditions, resurrecting old family favorites and forming new ones with your guests as you enjoy a meal together around the table.

Whether you are aiming for a glamourous, elegant, or casual celebration, make sure to elevate your table with pizazz and charm. The many layers of your table will make your celebration more uniquely you. And, after all, your unique placemats, tapered candles, florals, and special centerpieces will remain on the table hours after the turkey has been polished off.

Read our favorite tips below and have fun scheming up your dream holiday dinner party. Happy Thanksgiving!

Glow Getter

The heart of your Thanksgiving celebration – your table, should be warm and welcoming. To achieve that inviting glow, start with a neutral tablecloth—a simple linen spread does the trick—and top it with these beaded Splatter Placemats at each place setting. We love fringed napkins rolled up inside these gold Rope Napkin Rings. Coupled with gilt flatware and simple glassware, your place settings will really shine.

Tasty snacks on golden platters, piles of Baldwin brass candlesticks fitted with slender, tapered candles, and a few vases of vibrant foliage add an extra dose of sophistication to your tabletop.

Harvest Flair

Minimalism more your thing? Keep this year’s table clean and chromatic.

Lay down a solid tablecloth in your neutral of choice, and top it with these circular Reversible Placemats in shocking shades of orange and taupe. Switch sides as you move down the table to help each place setting feel fresh. For a double dose of orange, marry your placemats with sets of our Horn Napkin Rings. The lacquer and horn finish add another touch of modernism to your tablescape. For a metallic punch, try our Zinc and Leather Napkin Rings in taupe instead.

Next time you are at the market, take color and texture cues from nature (while supporting your local farmers), and snap up bouquets of foliage and flowers. Arrange these bouquets and clusters of plums, pomegranates, and citrus around the table for a chic and sustainable centerpiece. Even better, you will have plenty of produce to enjoy after the party’s end. Christmas orange garland, anyone?

Gilt to the Hilt

Elevate your dinner table with the glow of pearl and flashes of gold.
Let our rosy Pearl Placemats add iridescent shine to your tabletop and create your holiday color scheme. A pink-tinted tablecloth is the perfect backdrop for these elegant placemats topped with gold-rimmed china and gilt flatware. For delightful continuity, add an extra special sparkle with coordinating napkin rings. Use our Pearl Napkin Rings in rose or, for an added dose of flair, try our Pearl Cuff Napkin Rings in pearl and gold to tie up marbled napkins.

Make custom place cards for each guest with rosy accents to keep your color scheme consistent. For the centerpiece, we scattered vases of Tiger Lily and platters of charcuterie down the table for a look that is equal parts smart and chic.

Color Wonder

For the color-inclined, we recommend a table that pops with fresh takes on traditional Thanksgiving hues. A brilliantly-colored linen tablecloth and coordinating napkins look stylish paired with our Lacquer Striped Placemats in stunning shades of orange and red. These oval beauties look simply stunning matched with our Horn Napkin Rings in a zingy orange.

Reference the brilliant colors of your place settings with your favorite floral china and bouquets of similarly hued dahlias and foliage.
Top off your table with another palatable layer—deliciously plated desserts and sliced blood oranges will have your table smelling divine when guests arrive.

Holiday Hosting 101: Three Cheery Friendsgiving Fêtes

Nov 9, 2021 | Tablescapes

Gather your friends and pop the champagne, the friendliest of feasts is fast-approaching!

Friendsgiving is a time to celebrate our best friends—those who ensure our lives are joy-filled and make even the mundane magical. To honor our best buds and their sense of fun, we celebrate with serendipity! For our holiday tablescapes, we are all about using unexpected colors and pattern pairings.

No matter if you set a casual or formal holiday table, keep your tabletop functional and exciting. Remember that you are here to have a good time, not impress your mother-in-law. Reversible pieces and color palettes that work throughout the year make entertaining easy and effortless, while infusing your Friendsgiving celebration with a formidable dose of style.

We at Von Gern Home are here to inspire and encourage you to create gorgeous tabletop designs to delight your guests. After all, this is the season of giving, so dig in for our favorite Friendsgiving tabletop tips!

Think Pink

With Friendsgiving such a new celebration—the word didn’t appear in print until 2007—we take every liberty with our decorations. Dialing up the drama at a funky Friendsgiving gathering is easy with metallic accents and a hearty helping of pink.

Shimmery Trio Reversible Placemats create a dynamic tablescape as we rotate them down the table. Colorful glassware finds a home atop our Capri Lacquer Coasters and our Nice Lacquer Coasters mixed together for a splash of sophisticated serendipity! Ombre Napkin Rings in pink complement the fun color scheme.

Throwing more than one bash? Transform your table by flipping over your placemats (they are reversible!) and bathe your table in a silvery glow. Light candles to elevate the shimmery pink and silver light—guaranteed to flatter and enchant your guests!

Floral Fancy

For florals with a perennial punch (no wilting blooms here!), we selected an allover pansy patterned tablecloth for that super sweet vibe. Sophisticated pops of silvery-gray and orange are woven throughout the scheme with flowers and tablewares to match. Our Split Reversible Placemats create a chic holiday setting in shades of silver and pearl. White Sparkle Napkin Rings tie up fringed napkins in a festive swath of beaded texture.

Leave your woodland china in the cupboard and stick to elegantly easy china atop your bed of flowers. Style a vase of dahlias and chrysanthemums and your table will really come to life.

Raspberry Riot

They say that fortune favors the bold, and this chromatic tablescape is sure to make a statement. We opted for a raspberry red tablecloth adorned with surrealist vegetation and layered our favorite Reversible Placemats in vibrant color combinations (we mixed yellow and gray for added fall flair). And with five color combinations available, we have options for all your entertaining needs.

To balance this technicolor tabletop, we selected simple, white china and bamboo-handled cutlery—staples that work throughout the year.
Dishes of sweet potato souffle, bowls of green veggies, and deliscious desserts will pop against this daring and delightful tablescape.

With every detail attended to, we think a toast is in order. Here’s to you, the friends who make us happy!

Explore our Friendsgiving collection

Oh My Gourd! It’s Halloween!

Oct 19, 2021 | Tablescapes

Tricks and treats for tables so chic it’s spooky

Though hard to believe, the holiday season is upon us again, christened by the advent of that fabled height of haunts, Halloween. As shadows lengthen and the air turns crisp, our entertaining fervor is reaching fever pitch!

A supernatural, chic affair is in order; one that’s ghoulish, graphic, and glamorous. Leave behind the usual suspects—skulls and bones be gone! —and make these tablescapes colorful, a little wild, and a lot lavish with centerpieces of colorful candy, dazzling confections, and nature’s bounty aplenty (hello pumpkins).

The best part? We let our favorite, year-round dining essentials do all the heavy lifting. With just a few festive tweaks, each piece is transformed into something spooky, chic, and impossible to forget!

Sweet Treats

Candy is king for a Halloween bash! One can never go wrong with mountains of sweets and savories, pumpkins, and confection-inspired hues scattered down the table for a happy, Halloween feast.

An off-white tablecloth creates a pleasing background for our brilliantly colored Sprinkles Placemats, with technicolor specks reminiscent of your favorite childhood candies. Atop this cheery foundation, we like to pack a punch with carbon-colored cutlery and white dishes topped with the most whimsical of pastries—sugar skull cookie, anyone?

Cluster Jack-o-Lanterns and pumpkins with a healthy helping of candy corn interspersed, and you’ve got yourself a happy holiday table!

Holiday Harvest

Let Mother Nature’s bounty grace your next soiree.
We updated our favorite summer tablescape just in time for a harvest celebration. A light orange tablecloth zested up by our Woven Fringe Placemats and Coasters in shocking shades of orange and white, white porcelain plates, and our go-to glassware and bamboo cutlery look elegant and easy in the warm fall light.

For a centerscape that is sure to wow, select little pumpkins in shades of white and orange—variegated squashes are a cheery bonus—and weave them around simple vases of dahlias in the same hues.
The result is equal parts chic and cozy!

Pattern Punch

Want to host a party that is graphic without the gore? Opt for the most saturated hues of this season’s colors—orange, black, and white.

Lay down a richly colored tablecloth—we prefer this punchy orange number—and mark each place with our beaded Geo Placemats as your foundation. Matte black plates and cutlery add a touch of haunting drama. Tie dark-colored napkins with our Beaded Napkin Rings and set out smoked drinking glasses for spiked ciders or bourbon beverages. Pumpkins and gourds in happy shades of green and yellow top off this festive setting.

With your entertaining bones at the ready, let loose your spooky sensibilities and have fun creating spellbinding tables that are sure to keep your guests talking!

Explore our Halloween collection

Ask the Expert: Entertaining at Home with Christopher Spitzmiller

Sep 3, 2021 | Ask the Expert, Tablescapes

Christopher’s iconic ceramic lamp designs draw inspiration from classical forms and traditional gem like glazes. He began his career in 1996 in Washington, D.C. then moving to New York City in 1999, where he now creates his one of-a-kind lamps with his crew of skilled artisans. The lamps are of timeless appeal and luxurious quality. Christopher has expanded his designs to tableware and other ceramic accessories.

Christopher’s work is often featured in celebrated publications such as Architectural Digest, Town and Country, Elle Décor, Veranda, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. He has had the honor of making lamps for the Oval Office, the past four White House Administrations, as well as the Blair House and other distinguished American homes.

When not in the Studio, Christopher can be found at his farm in Millbrook, NY gardening, bee keeping, making jam, cooking for friends, or tending to his flock of heritage breed chickens.

We asked Christopher to discuss his aesthetic vision with us and share his tips for entertaining at home.

Von Gern Home: How are you planning to celebrate Labor Day?
Christopher Spitzmiller: We’re at home for Labor Day. A friend from Rochester is visiting. Hoping for a quiet weekend…The following weekend is my 50th Birthday so we’ll be getting ready for that.

VGH: Your book, A Year At Clove Brook Farm, brings the reader through a full year of entertaining at your beautiful Millbrook farm. As an artist and ceramicist, what is the most inspiring thing about the summer months?
CS: The succession of flowers: snow drops, tulips, camassia, peonies, roses, sweet peas, lilies, and lastly dahlias. The garden inspires me all year long!

VGH: How does your artistic process change with the season?
CS: I spend more time in the garden in the summer, so I am less prolific in the studio during these months. The fall and winter are when I make the most. Thankfully the studio operates at full speed at all times of year.

VGH: How does your entertaining style change with the season? What is the most exciting thing about entertaining in the summer?
CS: Eating outside as much as possible. We have a roaming table, moving it from garden to garden. Two weeks ago we ate by the lilies. It was just like the John Singer Sargent painting Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose.

VGH: What’s on your table this season?
CS: Woven Fringe Placemats are fun with my blue and white marble plates. We use a lot of my Peony, Sweet Pea and Dahlia plates in the summer. I favor tall photophore hurricanes and tea lights to light the table at night. There’s nothing worse than eating in the dark.

VGH: When you set your table, where do you start in your tablescape design?
CS: I usually start with a tablecloth that reflects the mood of the table I’m setting and then work in the plates and whatever flowers are in season. I try to keep the flowers low so I can see my guests.

VGH: Tell us a little bit about your ideal dinner party. What’s the perfect setting, your signature cocktail, and what’s on your party playlist?
CS: Pretty much what I have described above. My fiancée, Anthony, is our bartender. He offers wine—red and rosé—and an Aperol Spritz. We play jazz or some other non-intrusive music.

VGH: What is on your dinner menu?
CS: I grill steaks, roast chicken and often serve lobster in the summer. Fresh tomatoes and burrata. Corn when it’s in season. Anthony is the baker and makes most of our desserts. He does a great Rhubarb tart and a fall-over key lime pie.

VGH: What’s your go-to host/hostess gift?
CS: I give homemade jams, eggs from the farm or flowers from the garden depending on what’s in bloom.

VGH: You’re an artist as well as an expert at entertaining. How is designing a ceramics collection different from and similar to curating a beautiful home?
CS: I want my pieces to be used. I like to say each day is all we have. I want my plates to be able to go from your Thanksgiving table to dinner for two to your Tuesday night dinner with family!

VGH: And you’re also a beekeeper, cook, and farmer! How do you think your sustainable lifestyle at Clove Brook Farm has influenced your artistic practice?
CS: We photograph my favorite flowers and have transfers made from them. They fire into the plate and become part of the glaze. My rule is that the flower must be grown here at Clove Brook Farm to make it on the plate.

VGH: Describe your artistic aesthetic in five words or less.
CS: Clean, classic, timeless.

VGH: What sets artistically designed tableware apart?
CS: We make everything by hand and that shows. Traces of the hand are present in every single piece we make. No two marble plates are the same.

VGH: What projects are you currently working on?
CS: We’re always making new lamp shapes. There are new faux bois dinner plates I’m working on and a few other collaborations that will be coming out soon.

VGH: And finally, who would you invite to your dream dinner party – dead or alive?
CS: My friends—Martha Stewart, Bunny Williams, John Rosselli and Carolyne Roehm. No party here is complete without dear Ashley Whittaker and her family!

Images courtesy of Christopher Spitzmiller Visit https://christopherspitzmiller.com/ to learn more about Christopher’s work.

Woven & Wonderful

Jul 30, 2021 | Tablescapes

Get your summer table popping with color and texture to boot!

With so many hours of evening summer sun, we are taking advantage of the day’s last rays and moving our dinners outside. Lit by candles and bistro bulbs alike, these backyard fêtes are colorful affairs grounded by tablescapes as cheerful and colorful as the company.

Taking our color cues from far-flung color destinations like Amalfi, Mexico City, and Santorini, we are spicing up our summer soirees with beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and pink. So, get inspired and set a date. You have a party to plan!

Richly Romantic

If a trip to Positano is not on your roster this summer, bring the colorful magic of its bougainvillea bursting with pink buds atop walls of rich ochre to your home with a decadent summer dinner full of colors that delight.

Lay down a colorful tablecloth in a fun hue or cheery pattern—we’re loving Josef Hoffman prints for their playfulness and bold colors. Taking notes from the the hues on display, layer our Woven Fringe Placemats on top for a sustainable, statement-making base (Fun fact: These pieces are handmade of sustainably sourced recycled twine).

Top your placemats with delicate dishes in shades of blue and white (Royal Copenhagen anyone?) for an unexpected change in scale and color. Simple flatware set atop linen napkins with hems in a shocking pink keep things playful and make room for simple drinking glasses.

For a gorgeous, sustainable centerpiece, pile this season’s citrus and other ripe fruits in the center of the table and place a piece on every plate for a pop of color and a tasty after dinner treat.

Fiesta Fantastic

Needing a tablescape that feels fresh and fun day to night? Look no further than Mexico City for color and pattern inspiration a-plenty. Our high-impact setting works perfectly for a weekend brunch, al fresco luncheon, or sizzling evening soiree. Whip up a pitcher of sangria or margaritas, dishes of homemade salsa and guacamole, and let us show you the rest!

Starting with a colorful, checked tablecloth, set out our Woven Rattan Placemats—we chose pink to complement the tablecloth’s hues—and top them with zesty, glazed plates. Place a carnation or rose on each plate for a bit of drama or tie up colorful napkins with our beaded Floral Napkin Rings for sweet floral touches.

As a final, fun touch, serve ice-cold Topo Chico waters and margaritas atop our Woven Fringe Coasters. Salud!

Thank you @shoptheavenue for creating this beautiful table setting.

Colorfully Complementary

Like Santorini at sunset, this summery tablescape comes alive with fresh hues of orange and blue. It’s a perfect color pairing for breezy brunches and simple suppers. We combined a delicate, floral tablecloth with our orange Woven Rattan Placemats to create an eye-catching base for each place setting.

Topped with vividly colored, floral plates, white linen napkins, and bamboo-stemmed flatware, this tablescape balances petite prints and details with enough bold colors and textures to entertain the eye. Bud vases filled with loose bunches of orange blooms and bowls of fresh peaches continue the color story down the table while keeping things simple and chic.

Explore our woven collection

Ask the Expert: Party Tips with Chris Hessney

Jun 27, 2021 | Tablescapes

Chris is the founder, president, and creative director of Hessney & Co., an international event production and design agency based out of New York City. With a strong background in event management and design as well as a commitment to a personalized approach, Chris has worked with such notable NYC entertainment giants as restaurateur Stephen Starr, Chef Morimoto, and Andrew Balazs, and he was an integral part of the opening team at The Standard Highline. After serving as the Corporate Style director of EMM Group, Chris extended his brand collaborations to include Armani, Goop, Netflix, and Martha Stewart Weddings, and in 2020 he was recognized by Harper’s Bazaar Magazine as one of the top wedding florists in the world. Chris’ impeccable eye for design and attention to detail put him in a class by himself, making Hessney & Co. synonymous with excellence on the event planning stage. Visit https://hessneyandco.com/ for more information about Chris’s work.

Von Gern Home: How are you celebrating July Fourth?
Chris Hessney: My husband, our dog, and I are going up to Vermont to visit my sister and her kids.

VGH: What is your ideal summer dinner party setting?
Chris: Ideally, I would be dining al fresco every night in the Italian countryside surrounded by candlelight.

VGH: What is on your table?
Chris: On my table right now are Paravicini plates, Sabre flatware, Baccarat glasses, Sferra linens, and Von Gern Home placemats.

VGH: What is on your summer dinner menu?
Chris: Summer for me is Italian and all about what’s in season. Heirloom tomatoes, fruits, an array of meats or cheeses. Cook what’s fresh and good.

VGH: Describe your aesthetic in five words or less.
Chris: Priceless and timeless.

VGH: Give us three tips for setting the perfect table.
Chris: Have fun with it, embrace the space you’re working with, and make it make sense.
Extra tip, a good tablescape is all about layering.

VGH: What is on your dinner party playlist ?
Chris: For a bigger dinner party, I prefer a more upbeat vibe. Artists like Balearic Beats or Hôtel Costes are always on my cocktail hour playlist. I’m also really into Lil Nas X right now.

VGH: What tabletop element should one never go without?
Chris: A table can never have too many flowers.

VGH: What is your signature dinner party cocktail?
Chris: My favorite go-to is batching a great margarita with Casa Dragones. Nothing like tequila to get the party started.

VGH: Name three ingredients of a successful party.
Chris: Good lighting, good music, and a tantalizing tablescape.

VGH: Dream dinner party venue?
Chris: Villa Astor on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

VGH: Go-to hostess gift?
Chris: Von Gern Home lacquer tray set with your favorite bottle of alcohol.

VGH: What is one item you would never entertain without?
Chris: Never go without candle light.

VGH: What projects are you currently working on?
Chris: We’re working on some very exciting things but unfortunately we can’t say.

VGH: Who would you invite to your dream dinner – dead or alive?
Chris: Salvador Dali.

Summer in Style

May 19, 2021 | Tablescapes

Tips for setting a memorable summer table

Memorial Day is just around the corner, and with it the start of summer entertaining. For some chic and festive frills, we’re breaking out our favorite new tableware in patriotic hues of red, white, and blue. Use the colors individually for easy, summery evenings, or combine them all for a serious Memorial Day splash. But don’t stop there – this decor will keep your table effortlessly celebratory all the way through Labor Day and beyond. So, fire up the grill, stir up some sangria, and start setting up for a summer of soirees!

American Dream

For a table that is equal parts peppy and patriotic, start with a neutral tablecloth in an unassuming pattern—think ticking stripe, petite polka dots, or monochromatic embroidery—and layer these beaded Splatter Placemats on top. Alternate between blue and red for added visual interest and top with sleek, white plates.

Napkins with spunky blue and white fringe look their best rolled up inside these gorgeous Wood & Stripes napkin rings. Complement them with bamboo flatware for added texture and finish off the look with simple glassware. Inject a bit of whimsy with these brilliantly lacquered Starfish and Turtles in red, white, and blue, then pop some flowers along the table for a few easy centerpieces.

With a tablescape like this we’re thinking burgers, barbeque, grilled veggies, and raspberry sorbet, topped with fresh berries and a sprig of mint. The overall effect, from setting the table right through to dessert, is festive without a hint of fussiness—just how we like our Memorial Day celebrations!

Classic Combinations

You simply can’t go wrong with blue and white for entertaining in the summer months, but our tableware offers a few surprises to update and enliven this classic combo.

Set each place with a blue and white Splatter Placemat and round, white dinner plates. For a nautical twist, anchor your napkin in an elegantly knotted Rope Napkin Ring a little off the center of the plate. Add clear or blue glasses and use a handy white Lacquer Tray on one corner to hold drinks and table extras.

Create a layered centerpiece of flowers and decorative objects for a unifying focal point. Some bright Starfish accessories and a few blooms in coordinating colors, like these stunning Anemones we chose, finish off this tablescape with fun and flair.

Explore our memorial day collection

Four Swanky Spring Place Settings

Apr 13, 2021 | Tablescapes

Warning: these four swanky Spring place settings may outshine your entree!

Put your parkas away—Spring is here! Buds, blooms, and bright, sunny days—the undeniable signs of the new season—beckon us to throw open the windows and begin dining al fresco. Here, we have compiled our favorite Spring dinner table ideas to help you elevate your entertaining game and enchant your guests. Think: unconventional color palettes, eye-catching place settings, and swoon-worthy centerpieces.

Citrus Club

To add zest to your tabletop, forgo flowers in favor of a citrus centerpiece. Sumatra oranges, clementines, and cantaloupe melons look elegant bunched together atop a striped linen tablecloth, lending color and texture aplenty to your table.

Carry that texture to your place setting with these zesty, woven fringe placemats and coordinating coasters. Topped with simple, striped plates (cut citrus, anyone?), colorful cutlery, and everyday glassware, the overall effect is fruity and fresh.

Pastel Punch

Nothing signals the start of Spring quite like the cheery, yellow face of a daffodil. So why not set a table inspired by the bountiful blooms?

For a classic, upbeat base, lay a pastel-colored tablecloth in an unexpected pattern—we love pink marbled linen. Next, enliven your table with these yellow, reversible patent placemats (you can choose sunny yellow or crisp white). Simple, pastel plates and clear glassware echo the modern feel of placemats while adding a refreshing contrast.

Tie your setting together with matching marbled napkins cinched with our beaded, floral napkin rings. With a color scheme this brilliant, your guests won’t miss a centerpiece, though we will never say no to a vase of floppy daffodils.
The only challenge now? Making sure your menu is just as avant-garde!

Linear Luncheon

Maximalism not your thing? Forgo flowery linens and indulge in stripes instead.

Begin with a graphic tablecloth (we used purple and white stripes to add interest). Next, add these striped lacquer placemats and coordinating coasters. Their curvilinear form adds unexpected interest to the table.
Simple, striped plates and napkins complete the geometric layers. Finish off your place setting with tortoiseshell cutlery and colored glassware for chic visual interest.

In lieu of a large flower arrangement, scatter bud vases down the table with blooms in coordinating hues. Top it all off with a platter of palette-cleansing citrus.

Garden Variety

For a decadent dinner with friends, save the drama for the table.

Create a bold scene with a festive, floral tablecloth and take your color cues from it. Next, set out these patent reversible placemats in punchy shades of pink and fuchsia. For a generous portion of visual interest, opt for black plates, cutlery, and napkins tied together with pink ombre napkin rings. For extra feminine flair, consider these floral napkin rings instead.

Bunches of loose blooms and bowls of peppy pink candy make for an easy finish. Typically reserved for autumnal tables, groupings of red flowers look right in this springy tablescape and lend a lovely contrast to the pink-hued place settings.

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