Depending on one’s perspective, planning a table setting can be half the fun or half the challenge of hosting a formal dinner party. In his new book, William Yeoward on Entertaining (Cico Books, 2008, $40), the acclaimed British designer -- known for his china, crystal, linens, and accessories -- has a fine time sharing some of his best-laid tables marked by characteristic elegance and creative charm.
For a dinner held at the home of designer Suzanne Rheinstein, Yeoward took inspiration from the setting itself. “The atmosphere is very undemanding but has a formality about it -- very appropriate for a Southern family dinner,” he says. Rheinstein’s luster plates informed the color palette. “When I discovered the luster plates in the house, I started imagining all these ranunculus and sweet peas of the same color,” he says.
Contemporary and antique Champagne flutes serve as vases for the arrangements. “They’re a good height and don’t get in the way of chatting,” says Yeoward. The 19th-century Drabware bread-and-butter plates settle down the color scheme, and mismatched wineglasses are a favorite trick of his. “It becomes something interesting to discuss,” he says.
But Yeoward’s entertaining philosophy is perhaps the most insightful. “When I think of the holidays, I think of lots of people. I don’t experiment,” he says. “Traditions can be very reassuring. I love the fact that things are tried and tested and work."
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