Deck the Halls // Festive Ideas for Entertaining

Branching Out Floral + Event Design. Photo credit: John Cain Photography

Once you learn the basics of setting the table (Haven't done that yet? See our POSH 101 series on setting the table for the holidays), the best part of entertaining becomes breaking all the rules. Start your own traditions - set out the fine china, use every heirloom piece your family has to offer, or, go super modern and rent entire place settings, linens, and chairs. Stack china high with the layered look we love so much, or simply change up the patterns with each place setting with vintage pieces and assorted stemware. During the holidays, personal traditions really do trump any rules you've learned, so get festive and just go for it. Guests will appreciate a nostalgic setting with a whimsical approach to making merry, especially with a truly luxe take on your tabletop. POSH PICK: An Exotic Bird by Charles Sadek china pattern or Mahogany Rose by Noritake with traditional damasks in holiday hues.

Rattan Chargers, Elise Cut Crystal Stemware, Exotic Bird, Sevres, Barcelona Gold China Collections from POSH. Branching Out floral arrangements. Photo credit: John Cain Photography

Our favorite tablescapes incorporate natural elements that reflect seasonal landscapes, like the pine cones above. Branching Out designed a beautiful tabletop with floral arrangements fit for a wintery scene. They are a simple yet ingenious way to add a personal touch for the seating guests. POSH PICK: If you don't have a natural element to use, create caligraphy place cards tied to faux fur napkin rings or around bundled Floral Elegance Stemware for a more relaxed take on your place setting. 
 

Image: Source Unknown

Set the mood for the evening with a subtle and gracious glow. Lighting should be soft and reflective, not harsh or direct. We love a mixtures of votive candles and dimmed chandeliers. POSH PICK: Jan Barboglio Copper Candle Holder and Mercury and Silver Vintage Candelabras make for impressive lighting. 
 

Call it the Great Gatsby effect, but Art Deco is back and we're not complaining. There is something terribly romantic and fresh about going back to old school cordials and crystal coups for serving drinks, especially into the New Year celebrations. Mix and match for a unique and authentic style for toasting friends and family. POSH PICK: Our vintage collection has an impressive range of crystal and glass goblets, coups, and cordials for every style of service. 
 

TRADITIONS // FOUNDING FARMERS HOLIDAY

As Southerners, one of our favorite things about the holidays is definitely the food. We love the Founding Farmers Cookbook, (read more about it on yesterdays post). Their Holiday on the Ranch section is packed full of mouth-watering recipes sure to win over a hungry family. Their tried-and-true recipes don't really mess with tradition; rather, they are just perfected versions of holiday favorites. We've shared two below, but you'll have to get the Founding Farmers Cookbook for the rest! 

Serve your Roasted Chestnut-Corn Bread Stuffing on Noritake's Mahogany Rose China and the Cranberry Relish on the Mottahedeh Tree China, available at POSH.

 

5 Things // November Favorites

Five things that are packing a punch this November also happen to be our Fall favorites. 
1. Arte Italica Cream Charger - Refined Italian elegance for just the right amount of ornateness with a neutral color to compliment any tabletop. 
2. Mahogany Rose and Mottahedeh Tree China Collections - Fall calls for deep hues, patterns that reflect the natural autumnal landscape, and of course, style that upholds family traditions. Feast the eyes while your feasting on everything from turkey to dumplings. 
3. Birch Hall Flatware - Add an Art Deco element so the first thing picked up at the table holds enough weight to not easily be forgotten.
4. Stella Goblets - Make a statement with the best color duo of all time - black and white. Our newest addition to the goblet family - the Stella - is a more mature version of our Chloe with a slim, elegant stem and substantial cup for the perfect pour. 
5. Crossback Chair - Inspired by the Parisian cafe chair, these crossback chairs go well with everything from farmhouse tables to family seating. 
Book your today to ensure these beauties make an appearance at your next soiree.

1 Pattern / Three Ways / Mahogany Rose

Image 1 + 2 design and image by POSH / Image 3 design by Marin Fiske-Rankin for SMU, photography by Tamytha Cameron

One of our favorite patterns for autumnal entertaining has to be Noritake Mahogany Rose. This complex place setting - a mixture of geometric print and floral rose overlay patterns - can be personalized in literally hundreds of ways. The contrasting dark and light hues can edge up a modern tabletop while the rose imprint brings an elegant touch that would otherwise be lost. Geometric prints and 80's throwback floral are big this Fall, both of which take center-stage with Mahogany Rose, and we couldn't love it more.

PLACE SETTINGS

1. We love our layers: Rattan Square Charger / Jan Barboglio Hammered Copper Charger / Gold Rimmed Glass Charger / Gold Leaf Dinner Plate / Mahogany Rose Salad Plate / Mottahedeh Tree B&B, teacup, saucer / Dynasty 24K Gold Flatware / Amber Goblet / White Chloe Goblet / Silhouette Water Goblet / Natural Metallic Weave Linen by Resource One, exclusively at POSH

2. Vintage goes glam: Hand Cut Crystal Charger / Barcelona Silver Dinner Plate / Mahogany Rose Salad Plate / Vintage white and floral B&Bs / Vintage Silver Footed Compote / Birch Hall Flatware / Vintage Blue and Smoke Goblets / Silver Goblet / Metallic Weave Runner by Resource One, exclusively at POSH

3. Glamorous Gold: Jan Barboglio Hammered Copper Charger / Barcelona Gold Charger / Mahogany Rose Dinner Plate, Salad, Plate, B&B / Gold Floral Lace "Hot Toddy" Demitasse, Water Glass, Wine Goblet, Champagne Flute / Silverbead Flatware / Jute Linen

 

Tabletop Tuesday: A Perfect Mix

Fruitwood Chiavari with Tufted Cushions, Bronze Metallic Jute Linens

A perfect mix of masculine and feminine means equal parts distinct texture and shimmering cuts. Translated to tabletop, an ideal example is the place setting designed for the Meadows Museum. With a Jan Barboglio Hammered Copper Charger, the geometric and rose imprint of the Mahogany Rose China, and the sophisticated glistening of Gold Leaf Glassware, this could be one of our favorite layered looks. Beautiful to the eye and interesting to the touch, this is both ornate and cultivated - ideal for an elegant evening. For those planning ahead for Fall events, keep your eye on this P.O.S.H. place setting.

Jan Barboglio Hammered Copper Charger, Barcelona Gold Charger, Mahogany Rose Dinner, Salad, and B&B Plates, Gold Leaf Demitasse, Dynasty 24K Flatware

Gold Leaf Tom Collins, Wine Goblet, and Champagne Flute.

Design + Concept, Marin Fiske-Rankin | Floral, The Garden Gate | Rentals, P.O.S.H. | Photography, Tamytha Cameron Photography | Venue, The Meadows Museum at SMU
 

The Harvest Table: Seated Elegance

With Thanksgiving just weeks away, we're spotlighting this Harvest Table series to show you how to add festive touches to your holiday tabletop. After all, you want to make sure the place settings do justice for grandma's famous recipes. Our latest addition to the showroom, the Mahogany Rose by Noritake, turns the classic place setting into a striking arrangement with its rich color and and modern twist on the traditional rose pattern. We like to mix in the Exotic Bird or Gold Leaf (shown below) for even more autumnal opulence. Another way to instantly up the glamour at a seated dinner is by adding impressive accent goblets. A favorite is the complete Gold Lace glassware collection, now with an au courant demitasse cup - perfect for those after dinner drinks or espressos. Your harvest table should beget the same oohs and ahhs as a great gastronomical spread. Set up an appointment today to make sure you have the right ingredients to spice up your tabletop. 

Tabletop: A staple for Fall place settings is the classic Maple Leaf Charger, a perfect foundation for layering the Mahogany Rose with the Gold Leaf china. Add a luxury linen, like the Mahogany Swirl Velvet linen by Resource One. 
1. New Mahogany Rose by Noritake, the perfect compliment to your holiday tabletop.
2. Add elegance with Gold Lace Glassware, including the new Gold Lace Demitasse.
3. Mix in classic china, like the Gold Leaf China Collection.
4. Only the finest flatware should make it to a holiday tabletop, which is why we offer the couture Christofle Flatware.
(All rentals: POSH Couture Rentals. Linens: Resource One, exclusively at POSH.)
 

Entertain: Holiday Specials

The crispness in the air, the smell of mom’s home cooking, a beautifully arranged place setting...We’re setting the table for the holidays and making it easier for you. Our Fall Holiday Specials officially begin today. On events from now until the New Year, receive special pricing* on two of our favorite festive chargers – the rustically elegant Jan Barboglio Hammered Charger and the classic Maple Leaf Charger. These two chargers set a perfect foundation for layering the Exotic Bird China Collection and our newest addition to the family – Mahogany Rose Collection by Noritake. Check back every day this week to see how to style these collections for your next soiree. 

Love the leaves? They are Bark linens from Resource One, exclusively at POSH Couture Rentals. From left: Jan Barboglio Hammered Charger, Maple Leaf Charger - all POSH Couture Rentals.

THE FALL HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS. From left: Amber Goblet, Gold Floral Lace Glassware Collection (featuring the new Hot Toddy!), Maple Leaf Charger, Barcelona Gold Dinner Plate, Exotic Bird China Collection, Jan Barboglio Hammered Charger, Mahogany Rose by Noritake (new collection!), Gold Pebbled Charger, Chocolate Metallic Charger, Mottahedeh Tree China Collection, Royal Gold Glassware.

And just because we know last minute orders can come up, we're offering FREE DELIVERY on new orders occurring between today and Wednesday, October 31, 2012. (Dallas deliveries only.) 

*Fall Holiday Special: (10/29/12 – 12/31/12) The following prices are valid for events held by 2013: The Jan Barboglio Hammered Charger for $9; Maple Leaf Charger for $5.

Entertain: The Layered Look

The layered look isn't just for fashion. Adding layers to your place setting not only adds a luxurious element to your tabletop, it's also great for highlighting signature dishes. Depending on the event and the courses, you can add anywhere from two to ten layers on your place setting. From the foundation of a charger (or two), followed by dinner plates, salad plates, bread & butter plates (all with their own chargers) - you literally can go as layered or light as you wish. This may seem daunting but it's actually great for showing off great catering or your mother's famous dishes. One of the reasons we have so many collections - from couture china to the everyday catering china - is that we understand our clients don't want a generic look for an event or dinner that they have spent weeks or months planning. Your tabletop should be a reflection of you or your guest of honor. This is why we have collections that allow your to mix and match couture, chic, and catering pieces that create a signature tabletop that fits your budget while still allowing for creativity and customization. Go big with a layered look of full couture pieces, add in a few chic pieces along with the catering collection, or just pick one or two couture pieces to compliment your personal collection. Any way you choose, we will make sure your tabletop is a direct reflection of you. 

GOLD: Gold Florentine Charger, Arte Italica Plate, Noritake Salad and B&B Plate, Gold Bead B&B Charger.
SILVER: Clear Hand Cut Glass Charger, Barcelona Silver Dinner, Salad, and B&B Plate, Silver Bead B&B Charger, Champagne Nu Silk napkin with rhinestone napkin holder.