Featured in Vogue Holiday Gift Guide: Georg Jensen Sky Ice Cubes

Seeing our Georg Jensen Sky Ice Cubes in Vogue’s Holiday Gift Guide certainly made us feel a lot more stylish today:

Vogue Holiday Gift Guide
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Easy Does It: Chic Entertaining with Paper Plates and Napkins

We all have our favorite linen napkins and hand painted dinnerware.  But sometimes you have a lot of guests or a crowd shows up for a last-minute pool party (hey, we live in L.A.), and it’s gracious to never fuss when you entertain. 

Those are perfect times to use paper napkins and acrylic.  The good news is that you can still do it stylishly. We love making our friends feel special, so here are a few of our tried-and-true tips for entertaining with paper:

  1. Mix and match your table settings. If your plates have an intricate motif, pick up the colors in your napkins or glassware. Or, if you are using plain dinnerware, choose a festive napkin to commemorate a special occasion.
  2. Layer your settings. Whether you lay simple placemats, or chargers, or a tablecloth underneath, layers help bring color and dimension to your table.
  3. Don’t skimp on table decorations. Try greenery from your garden or fruit from the market or a few candles sprinkled throughout … it all helps.
  4. Use paper napkins effectively. Place them near your beverage and hors d’oeuvre stations, but also use them to line any clear bowls you might have. For example, parfaits served in coupe bowls can be beautifully presented on top of cocktail napkins.
  5. The grand finale: make sure your plates complement your dessert. We all look forward to indulging a little at the end, so think about what you’re serving and dress it up accordingly.

Keeps things simple, and get to work on that new drink you are dying to try out. Let’s get the party started.

Rattan round dark natural placemats, Tortoise flatware, Chinese Ceramic paper plates, and Acrylic cobalt wine goblets
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The Details: Everything You Need for a Seaside Escape at Home

We hear you … it takes effort to cook meal after meal while quarantining, so why not take the whole family outdoors and do a seaside escape?

Kim Seybert’s Seaside Escape
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Bordallo Pinheiro: Why this 19th Century Portuguese Artist is More Relevant Than Ever Today

In our entire time at Gracious Style, we’ve never really come across a line that resonated quite like the one we’re about to share with you.  On the surface, this Portuguese company produces charming pieces reminiscent of a simpler time, but wait until you hear how it all started, and you’ll see why it’s more relevant now than ever before.

Rafael Bordallo Pinheiro was a Portuguese cartoonist in the 19th century.  He created a character called “Ze Povinho,” who personified the average Portuguese man: a rustic farm laborer who was kind to his friends and utterly disrespectful of the rich and powerful who took advantage of him.  Pinheiro was also an artist who widely drew inspiration from nature.

Bordallo Pinheiro’s Ze Povinho (Wikipedia)

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As Seen in Southern Lady: Good as Gold” Table Setting

We love the “Good as Gold” feature put together by Mary Beth Jones in the Dec 2019 issue of Southern Lady.  Whether you decide to go modern or traditional, gold is a great way to bring warmth to the table. And during the holidays, mixed with red and persimmon, it’s a look you can enjoy from Thanksgiving through Christmas.

 

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