Last month, I was thrilled to be asked by McGuire to design a table for a celebration of their Fall 2016 Introductions, which includes pieces by the talented designer Steven Volpe, an AD100 recipient, and McGuire’s first lighting collection in over a decade, designed by Jonathan Browning.
The dinner was held at the McGuire showroom here in San Francisco and a group of talented designers and publishers came to celebrate the launch of the collection. The task at hand was to design a table that complemented McGuire’s newest introductions and the more modern look and feel embodied by the current showroom. The table was set under Jonathan Browning’s stunning Muir Chandelier for McGuire, and we then used various McGuire styles for chairs. Although they represented seasons past and present by a mix of McGuire’s master designers including Steven Volpe, Barbara Barry, Orlando Diaz-Azcuy, and Laura Kirar, the chairs were all a soft grey hue McGuire calls Matte Smoke. The result was a beautifully cohesive table that had far more interest than having all the same chairs, and they served as great conversation starters.
McGuire has always been a favorite showroom for me and they are well-known for their quality, use of natural materials and fine craftsmanship. Since some of the conversation got sidelined by recent current events, we learned that McGuire has been in almost every White House since JFK – now that is something!
In my plans for the table, I wanted to create a warm and inviting atmosphere with gray tablecloths in velvet, ivory and gold plates, wooden carved chargers, and brass flatware. Flowers were made to look as if they had just been picked in a country meadow and they were placed in wooden vessels. I also used two dozen brass candlesticks and mercury glass votives to help the table glow in the evening light.
This is always a favorite time of year for me to think about entertaining and how to put together a perfect table. I hope you’re also having fun with the tabletop design as you have friends and family over at this time of year!
Photos of tabletop by Andrea Posadas for Sacramento Street
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