Exotic Entertaining

Grounded by neutral colors and natural fibers, bold coral and turquoise are allowed to shine. "Dinnerware is like jewelry," says designer Jaime Rummerfield of Woodson and Rummerfield's House of Design. "Summer is the time to go big with striking patterns."


For a Look Like This:

Design Your Own Plates
$15
Available at Freddy & Ma
Water Hyacinth Pillows
$29 to $99
Available at West Elm

"It's great to have a signature style as a hostess, but I always add a surprise or twist. In this case, I added a punch of color. Yellow is a popular color to mix with blue, and it adds warmth."


Peggy Sewell, Contributing Editor, Southern Accents


Classic Menu: A Homey Brunch

For a Look Like This:

Bergamote Blue Tablecloth
$180
Available at DeVries & Dornbos
Rutherford Circle Plates by Kate Spade for Lenox
$17 to $26
Available at Dillard's

Natural fibers and textures -- from the wicker chairs to the woven placemats -- lend a cozy feel to this cottage dining area. The iron lantern overhead is a rustic substitute for the standard chandelier.


For a Look Like This:

Lloyd/Flanders Three-Season Vintage Armchair
$499
Available at L.L. Bean
Round Rattan Placemats
$39.50
Available at Sur La Table

Just because a get-together is laidback doesn't mean it can't be beautiful. Seasonal herbs and flowers, quaint table linens, and soft candlelight set the scene for an intimate gathering.



For a Look Like This:

Tate Lemon Placemats and Napkins
$4.95 (placemat), $3.95 (napkin)
Available at Crate & Barrel
Enchanted Forest Chandelier
$129
Available at Illuminations

Make a large dining room feel more intimate with a warm and inviting tablescape. Rich colors mixed with sterling silver pieces give the setting an aged patina.


Elegant Couples' Party


For a Look Like This:

Ivy Garland Dinner Plates by Anna Weatherly
$359
Available at Neiman Marcus
Fluted Cachepot
$105
Available at Charlotte Moss

This elegant mirrored table sets off the pinks, greens, and golds of the setting. New glassware and placemats are mixed with traditional china and silver for a glamorous vintage feel.


Glamorous Hearty Hors d'Oeuvres Affair

For a Look Like This:

"Indents" Glassware
$65 to $98
Available at Horchow
Crystal Beaded Napkin Rings
$2.99
Available at Linens N Things

via

Falling from Summer

B&B Italia refines the patio chair with their Crinoline Collection by designer Patricia Urquiloa

-via

Now is a great time to purchase outdoor furniture on sale. The Santa Monica collection from Restoration Hardware is up to 50% off per piece and just in time since the outdoor is coming to a close. This is a quality product made from Indonesian teak designed to last many seasons. The product is well built using "mortise and tenon joinery" which is the original technique when furniture was put together by grooves and carving as opposed to easy approaches like glue. Santa Monica outdoor furniture comes in twelve color options. See the collection at Restoration hardware here.


An Italian family migrated to Peru to make what is now known as Beltempo Outdoor Furniture. Making furniture in Peru was a choice to select fine woods from the rain forest while ensuring its continuation through smart harvesting. By providing jobs and a use for Amazon trees, perhaps they can slow the rate at which the rain forest is cut down. Their philosophy is that if you build a product to last 50 years, natural resources are depleted at a much slower rate. Cumary is a tree that matures in 30-40 years and offers a lifetime of weather resilience due to its Amazon forest roots. Beltemp is a member of the "Global Forest Trade Network" of the WWF which traces the source of any lumber.

Royal Botania offers a sensual and relaxing place to suspend your self above the earth and relax away from the rest of the world. The "Kokoon" shelters you from the surrounding hectic distractions to be alone or with someone special for some really valuable time. Royal Botania has a simply awesome collection of outdoor and patio furniture fit for the most luxurious resorts or right next to your own swimming pool. See more of he Kokoon hammock lounge and find a Royal Botania dealer here.