Napkin Art for Setting the Perfect Holiday Dinner Table

Janet Ramin - A sign of the well-dressed table setting is the use of napery or table linens. Yes, it’s that time of year to take out those cloth napkins from the recesses of your cupboard drawer and practice the age-old art of folding napkins. 

Napery may seem antique, so nineteenth century, but every formal dinner table still shows off its crisp napkins. We’re displaying here some of the popular styles of folded napkins, including some holiday versions. 

Our first napkin fold on top is the fleur-de-lys napkin, after the French lily. Below is a video on how to create the fleur-de-lys napkin. 

For the everyday table, there's the standard pocket or envelope napkin. A half fold creates a pocket to place your flatware or a few decorative touches like flowers or evergreen (see photo above).

We also have a more elaborate napkin, the rose napkin, also called the basket napkin. Its folds create petals but the napkin could also hold decorations in its center like a basket (see photo above, and see link below to Design2Share's first post on napkin folding and Irwin's video demonstration of folding the rose or basket napkin). 

For the holiday table, we have a tree napkin from Better Homes and Gardens. Its folds stand up to resemble an evergreen tree. Place a small tree topper on the napkin and voila - a Christmas tree!

(Tree napkin, courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens)

DESIGN2SHARE RESOURCES: Read our Napkin Folding Resources column and watch Irwin fold the Rose or Basket Napkin. 

Thanks to the Sheffield School in NYC for permission to reprint this article. Are you interested in learning more about decorating and accessories?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you'll learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories. 

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Our Eight Hanukkah Favorites

Irwin Weiner ASID - I come from South Africa, as our D2S readers know, and grew up in the small Jewish community in Cape Town. Hanukkah (or Chanukah) was never a big occasion, being a relatively minor religious holiday, but here in the States, it's become an alternative to Christmas festivities - a No Child Left Behind program for the holiday season. I wanted to salute Hanukkah in our daily blog, and you'll find Hanukkah features all over the site - but our editors have found eight fun and insightful ways to celebrate the season this year. Click on each photo or video below to check out their favorite online treasures, including recipes, projects and crafts, holiday information and quizzes, a special event, and Hanukkah decor. 

Hanukkah gift baskets galore from The Sweet Shoppe

There are over 840 pages of Hanukkah decor and crafts on Etsy

How to make a Do-It-Yourself Eco-Friendly Hanukkah Candle

Maurice Sendak picks 33 favorite menorahs for this year's NYC Jewish Museum display 

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Irwin's Kitchen Remodeling: The Work Begins

Irwin Weiner ASID - It's not fair that homeowners have to remodel, refresh, and update their interiors periodically. Wouldn't it be grand, for instance, if your kitchen was always the empitome of cutting-edge kitchens and you'd never have to spend another dime on new appliances, cabinets, backsplashes, countertops, lighting, windows ... well, dream on! Jay and I are going through a complete kitchen and back entryway renovation. We just cleared out the kitchen this weekend - a complete haul of every last item, from utensils to cookware - after meeting with our NJ contractor Charles Lee here in Bucks County. We should be closing on our home refinancing on December 23, with demolition starting shortly thereafter. It should take six weeks to complete, so we'll be sealing off rooms for awhile as the work commences. Tonight we're mourning the passing of our original kitchen, which we've termed a "retro" kitchen. I love diners and Fifties dinette furniture, and we recreated a look for this kitchen. The yellow and red color scheme, venetian blinds, seafoam green Formica countertops, and gray linoleum floor were funky. The old appliances (except for a new dishwasher) were decided drawbacks in bad need of renovation. So we're making way for a new transition, and I'm closely identifying with my patient and perseverent clients whose homes are being constantly upended to make way for the latest design face lift. The following video shows me with Italian food expert and celebrity chef Maria Liberati, in the old days of our retro kitchen. Stay tuned for a weekly "Irwin's Kitchen Remodeling" update, complete with pictures and video. We'll show you our progress, and you can laugh and cry along with us!

CLICK HERE to see Design2Share's Favorite Holiday Decorating Trends for this year.

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What Goes Into a Feng Shui Room Staging?

Jay Johnson - There are several schools of Feng Shui, but they all come down to a mystical and a practical side of approaching how objects in your home and life are positioned to maximize health and harmony.

A whole home or a single room can be staged using existing furnishings and accessories so that it flows better, reflects the residents' intentions better, and feels more inviting and beneficial.

Have you ever walked into someone's home and felt trapped or oppressed? Contrast that with walking into someone else's space and feeling a sense of welcome, peace, and wonder. The latter is what feng shui can help achieve.

We picked this video from Denver feng shui practitioner and stager Nicolette Vajtay. As part of her Inspired Living Feng Shui practice, she interviewed a young couple and captured before and after scenes of their living room to emphasize the practical aspects of furniture and accessory placement in feng shui.

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