at home with white this holiday

happy thanksgiving!

the fall outdoor table

on these crisp fall days, we love to have simple mugs of hot soup and cider outside in the fresh air...
a warming firepit on the table and a few wool throws keep everyone comfortable!

fall palette

fall flavors and colors: fig, nutmeg, brown sugar...photo by marili forastieri

comfort zone entertaining

         simple buffet style in natural colors and materials... linen napkins, brown crystal goblets,
         straw mats, big plates, family style serving bowls...photos by marili forastieri

shades of white

I always set the table with seasonal objects I love:
white stones from a beach walk,  a single white peony blossom
 in a low glass, a porcelain rose, bell jars, china  in
 different styles and shades of white, and shells to use for
everything from napkin holders, place cards and salt dishes...
photo by marili forastieri

favorite things...

                                            photograph by marili forastieri

summer style

my favorite new things for summer tablesettings from the new general store...
www.thenewgeneralstore.com

celebrate earth day outdoors!

photograph by marili forastieri

glass cloches

photograph by marili forastieri

happy easter !

simple single color flowers are always just right... such an old fashioned flower, but masses of just blossoms look at home in a modern setting...a cream bowl of pale blue hydrangeas are my favorite for  easter...photo by jeff mcnamara

rainy afternoon in hampshire...

a rainy afternoon in a georgian country house in hampshire, from "At Home with Wedgwood" by tricia foley,  photograph by jeff mcnamara

irish breakfast

in my favorite house in ireland, the kettle is always on, the aga is warm, and soda bread is baking...
photograph by jeff mcnamara

sunday lunch

love using shades of brown and black with crisp white plates and linens on a formal mahogany table...a friend brought a white ranunculus in a white pot, which was the perfect thing for the table...dark brown leather placemats, vintage brown stemmed glasses mixed with brown tumblers from ikea,  serving pieces and plates from jasper conran for wedgwood look good with the polished silver forks and vintage wood handled knives... a frittata, herb roasted potatoes, arugula salad and carafes of red wine, and it's  ready for friends to settle in for a relaxed afternoon !

white lunch in the studio

white dinnerware, white quince, white cheeses, white wine...

happy valentine's day!

white buffet

photo by jeff mcnamara

pizza night

having friends over tonight for pizzas... love making a few different ones and sharing them...
caramelized red onion/goat cheese/black olive/thyme  is my new favorite...all white cheeses( ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan) with herbs and a bit of lemon zest is another...pesto with ricotta + mozzarella and a classic margarita are on the menu, too, with a big arugula salad (slivers of parmesan, toasted pine nuts with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon)... 
I have a stack of old bread boards that I use  and sprinkle a bit of cornmeal on them to assemble and then use to cut and serve on...a few little dishes of red pepper flakes, oregano, toasted pine nuts are ready for toppings ...simple and delicious!
photo by jeff mcnamara

washing glasses

on these rainy days at home, its a good time to wash a shelf at a time of my glass collection!
i love to have a "wardrobe" of glasses, from fine crystal to flea market finds  to artisanal hand blown glass to pull from in setting the table ...

simple holiday tablesetting