QUICK ADVICE: the unexpected table

My top three tips on creating the good kind of tension at the dinner table

When I design, I’m always drawn to, and trying to draw out, tension.

Like between objects of different decades—when you let different eras speak, the space becomes timeless. Or, between vibes: refined pieces tell a story of elegance, of crafted precision, while the found pieces offer something raw.

It's not a clash but a dialogue—and that's the only way you can make design feel really alive.

And, it's so easy when setting a table. Building a collection of different tableware, serveware, glassware, or linens is simple to store, and effortless to combine and recombine almost endlessly. It’s a fast way to tweak a table to be more or less formal, to be more seasonal, to fit with a menu, or just to feel more uniquely You.

(I also have a drawer of candles, of all sorts — tapered, pillar, scented — it’s great to have them on hand so that when it’s time to entertain, you’re prepared!)

Start collecting. You don’t need to have the “perfect” set of twelve. Start small. Pick up one piece you love …