Preparing for a dinner party for some Indian friends, Colin Cowie demonstrates how he turns his dining room's decor from contemporary colonial to ethnic with only a few changes.
- Since there will be five people present, he balances the table by placing a large ethnic bust at one end.
- Each place is set with a different silver, but the look is unified by using matching crystal and dinnerware (fruit-print plates on chargers) throughout.
- The place settings are pulled together by green-leaf place mats: Cowie cut paper to size, using a place mat as a template, then attached galax leaves to the paper with spray adhesive. The leaves will last for 10 days, aging from bright green to soft tones during that time.
- The centerpiece consists of a bowl of rattan balls, fresh oranges, lemons and limes, yellow and orange marigolds and a halo of galax leaves.
- There are several common denominators throughout: white linen napkins; good china , silver and candles; and bread and butter plates.
Cowie leaves us with this reminder: In entertaining, it's not what we spend but how we put it together.
Resources Effortless Elegance
by Colin Cowie (ISBN: 0062701525)
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Guests Colin Cowie
Designer, Colin Cowie Lifestyles
Website:
www.colincowie.com
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