Entertaining Ideas

Top designers create festive holiday tablesettings exclusively for Design NJ readers.

Hosting a get-together for family and friends this season? Check out the newest tabletop collections from three premier brands — Jonathan Adler, Kim Seybert and Vietri — and take in some of the tastemakers’ top tabletop tips. However you choose to decorate your table this season, whether with a modern edge or a nod to tradition, we hope it’s filled with plenty of good cheer and memorable moments.

Divine Dining

Graphic geometric patterns in this chic blue and lavender scheme leap off a clean white backdrop by Jonathan Adler (pictured). Break away from convention and set the table with an unexpected mix of patterns and colorways such as in this example by Jonathan Adler.

Jonathan’s Tips:
• Think beyond red and green. Play with unexpected color combos such as purple and green. Your guests will think you’re adventurous (even if your idea of adventure is staying up past 10 p.m.).
• Fill bowls with candy and put them on the table for people to grab. Dessert is the best part of any meal. Why wait?
• Use party favors as décor. They’ll look great on the table, provide something to talk about if conversation lags and give people a memory of the evening to take home. Anyone who says they don’t like a gift is lying.

SOURCES Newport dessert and dinner plates; Mykenos placemat, napkin and glassware; Ostrich Petite Serving Bowl and Elephant Petite Serving Bowl, jonathanadler.com.

Taste of Tradition

Vietri extends its Lastra dinnerware line with a new festive pattern, Lastra Holiday, which Mollie Baker (pictured) used to create this cheerful yet sophisticated setting. The contemporary pattern features handpainted fir trees and bright cardinals, which drift across a fresh white canvas. Handmade of Italian stoneware in Tuscany, Italy, pieces are dishwasher-, microwave-, freezer- and oven-safe. Mollie Baker, senior graphic designer with Vietri, a top importer of handcrafted Italian tableware and home décor products.

Mollie’s Tips
• Start with simple designs and mix and match with prints and pops of color.
• Add subtle touches of holiday cheer with décor and candles.
• Don’t overthink the look — have fun and enjoy the festivities with loved ones.

SOURCES Lastra white dinner plates and holiday plates, Lastra Optical Gold Drinkware, Martellato Flatware, Whipstitch Linens and Lastra Red Pitcher, vietri.com.

Winter Wonderland

Kim Seybert’s Frozen Collection sparkles in a cool frost and icy scheme that “just says winter,” Seybert says. Silver and glass beading and mirrored details on this placemat and flatware mimic crystal while glittery accents on the double runner and napkins add a bit of shimmer. Platinum-edged glassware and a silver geometric napkin ring complement the look. “I love setting a table like this at holiday time,” Seybert says. “It really is one of the stars of my collections this season.” / Kim Seybert, luxury lifestyle and home accessories designer and founder of Kim Seybert, with Sophie, her bichon fries.

Kim’s Tips
• Think outside the box to create a memorable table. Don’t be afraid to mix and match patterns or try something totally off your radar.
• A printed tablecloth adds so much more texture when entertaining during the holidays.
• A metallic table is perfect for a Christmas or New Year’s party. Go bold or go home!
• Votive candles are a mainstay this time of year. Place them on the table and all around the house where they’ll alter the mood and add instant elegance.
• Mix it up when you are creating a centerpiece for your holiday table. Try silver branches in a crystal vase, faux snow down the table, or white- and silver-colored candies in different-sized glass vases to transform your affair into a winter wonderland.