Spring and Passover Dinner Party Place Settings

Design2Share was excited to host Elizabeth Kurtz of Gourmet Kosher Cooking in the Manhattan apartment of interior designer Irwin Weiner. Elizabeth found some teriffic placemats, napkins, napkin rings, cutlery, dinnerware, and silver seder accessories; Irwin rounded out the place settings with wine and water glasses and other tabletop items. Irwin styled three different Passover table settings. It's not too early to plan your table settings in time for Passover; this year [2010] it's from Tuesday, March 30 to Monday, April 5. [In 2011, it's from April 18 to the 26.]

But we also love these table settings for any occasion, even dressier family dinners, so there's some takeaways here for every family, Jewish or not.

This is the first table setting we shot - a stunning black and silver theme. Elizabeth walks us through some of the beautiful elements of the table and where different items came from (including a great wine recommendation) in the following video. 

Irwin used his lovely 400-year-old Jacobean table for the shoot. The table is normally used as a compact library table, but two wings slide out to turn the table into dining length. Our first black-and-silver scheme plays off the rich wood grain of the table for a rich effect.

Stunning Silver

Product Sourcing and Concepts: Elizabeth Kurtzman of Gourmet Kosher Cooking

Table design by Irwin Weiner ASID

Photographed by Simon Scheiner at The Perfect Portrait

1. Fiore Kiddush cup by Sharon Geller-Metal, available at Gotham Judaica $420 – $590

2. Stunning Silver plates by Two Lumps of Sugar, available in the Gourmet Kosher Cooking shop, pictured large black, large paisley, medium black, small silver border, $6 – $18 per plate.
Placemats, sterling round metal bead by Kim Seybert available at Lagoon Linens $42.50
Rosette napkins by Kim Seybert, available at www.kimseybert.com $32
Silver/crystal dome napkin ring, available at Lagoon Linens $21
Black Jewel Acrylic Stainless Steel Cutlery (set of 16 pieces), available in the GCK shop, $20

3. Flowers by flowers by Debbie, available at www.debbieflowersonline.com

4. Wave Seder Plate by Sharon Geller-Metal, available at Gotham Judaica Worth the splurge! $1700 – $3000

 

Look at how beautifully our Passover and Spring Dinner Party table scheme changes when we add color! Lots of soft greens, some pinks and reds, and orange lines in the glass plates punch up the place setting and turn our thoughts to the coming season.

Our second place setting scheme covers the table with a beautiful linen cloth, with eyelets allowing the rich grain of the wood table to show through. The entire setting focuses on the celebration of Spring, fitting for Passover.

Spring Is Here

Product Sourcing and Concepts: Elizabeth Kurtzman of Gourmet Kosher Cooking

Table design by Irwin Weiner ASID

Photographed by Simon Scheiner at The Perfect Portrait

1. Carmel Private Collection, Cabernet Sauvignon, available at www.onlinekosherwine.com, $17

2. Spiral Stem wine glass, Yurana glass, available in the Gourmet Kosher Cooking shop, $12

3. Tuscany Pattern large plate, made by Two Lumps of Sugar, available in the GCK shop, $12
Medium green tempered glass plate, made by Two Lumps of Sugar, available in the GCK shop, $9
Small tuscany plate, made by Two Lumps of Sugar, available in the GKC shop, $6
Green jewel Acrylic Stainless Steel Cutlery (Set of 16 pieces), available in the GCK shop, $20
White/Green Crochet Edge Napkin, available in assorted edge colors, available at www.lagoonlinens.com or www.kimseybert.com $18
Green Sequin Dragonfly Napkin ring, available at www.lagoonlinens.com, $21
Plastic green flatware, by Two Lumps of Sugar, available in the GKC shop

4. Streit’s Matza, available at supermarkets nationwide

5. Frog plate, made by Yurana glass, available in the GCK shop $21

6. Wave Seder Plate by Sharon Geller-Metal, available at Gotham Judaica Worth the splurge! $1700 – $3000
Fiore Candlesticks, by Sharon Geller-Metal, available at Gotham Judaica, small and large, $1000-$1800
Wine drop Kiddush Set, made by Sharon Geller-Metal, available at Gotham Judaica, $410 – $600

Irwin's third place setting focuses on a rich, warm combination of black and gold tones. The dramatic, deep hues of the flowers on the table go perfectly with this dressy, yet clean styling.

This final place setting scheme covers the table with a linen cloth and uses a clever gold/tan runner down the center of the table to help tie in all the rich gold in the seder accessories and plates. Elizabeth Kurtz highly recommends all the inexpensive plates we used for the shoot, available from their Gourmet Kosher Cooking shop on OpenSky. It's a great idea to spend very little money for festive glass plates that you can use for Passover or any family or party dining occasion. And Design2Share would like to thank both Elizabeth Kurtz of Gourmet Kosher Cooking and Simon Scheiner Photography, Brooklyn (ThePerfectPortrait).

Glamorous Gold

Product Sourcing and Concepts: Elizabeth Kurtzman of Gourmet Kosher Cooking

Table design by Irwin Weiner ASID

Photographed by Simon Scheiner at The Perfect Portrait

1. Flowers by Flowers by Debbie, available at www.debbieflowersonline.com

2. Glamorous gold charger, by Two Lumps of Sugar, available in the Gourmet Kosher Cooking shop, $18
Large tempered glass black plate, by Two Lumps of Sugar, available in the GCK shop, $12
Medium paisley gold and clear plate, by Two Lumps of Sugar, available in the GCK shop, $10
Small black and gold rimmed plates, by Two Lumps of Sugar, available in the GCK shop, $6
Black Jewel Acrylic Stainless Steel Cutlery (set of 16 pieces), available in the GCK shop, $20
Organza napkin by Kim Seybert, available at www.kimseybert.com $28
Tablecloth by Mona, available at www.lagoonlinens.com $324

3. Streit’s matza, available at supermarkets nationwide

4. Seder Plate, by Esther Shahaf, available in the GCK shop, $224

5. Segal Cabernet Sauvignon, available at www.onlinekosherwine.com $18

6. Beaded Kiddush cup, by Esther Shahaf, available in the GCK shop, $110

Valentine's Day Tip: Add Red to Your Rooms

Even the White House has a Red Room.

Americans generally are timid about using bold color when decorating their homes and apartments. We fear we were all born with an automatic default setting for "white" or "beige."

But then along comes Valentine's Day, and the world suddenly turns a bright red. We're saturated with reds, pinks, and dusky oxbloods and we frankly find it refreshing to add a little heat to our normally glum and proper color environments.

Here's a decorating assignment: freshen up one room in your house or apartment this weekend by bringing in a few punches of red. You can add red in accent pillows, book jackets, artwork and frames, a colorful fabric throw draped over the back of a chair or sofa, or a hot accent rug. Go a bit mad and turn up the heat with a bit of red, pink, or related shades. It shouldn't cost much either; you can go out to Home Goods and pick up some of their red and pink accessories for very little cash. The end result will be a fresher and livelier room.

Here are a few of our Favorite Red Rooms.

 

Actress Angelica Huston has a smashingly red gah-gah look going for her in this dining room at her Central Valley, CA ranch. Not afraid of bright color, she's blended punchy reds with greens and blues and warm wood tones in the flooring and dining chairs to get a great look. This room suggests two great ways to get red in a hurry: red paint will get you a quick hit of color in your room and a fab red tablecloth will add an inexpensive and sharp burst of color to your room while dressing up your dining.

 

The woman who does a fantastic job blogging on her Soul Pretty website complained that she can't relax in a room with red walls, and that's after painting her cool living room a hot red color and adding some pink and other colorful bursts. The point is well taken that red is a lively, vibrant, and often VIBRATING color. A little of it can go a long way. But unless it's your bedroom, we think red walls are fair game and can jazz up any living space. And we love her colorful seat cushions and neutral pillows, adding great comfort to the room while taking not a drop of attention away from the bold red walls, mod art, and classic marble lines of the fireplace.

Look at the punch that red gives this 2008 Kips Bay Decorator Show House library designed by Geoffrey Bradfield. The red upholstered chairs, walls, and artwork form a strong composition that is toned down a bit by the calm of white and lucite accents.

We could learn a thing or two from master interior designer Carleton Varney. In the living room of his Upstate New York farm (above), he's toned down bright red walls and red popping up in upholstered chairs and in fabric patterns with contrasting cool blues and soft, buttery browns from his wood furniture and area rug. Beautifully done, and he's staved off boredom by fearlessly using bold color!

 

We love the simplicity of this Country Living decorating idea. Use a large clear jar to collect pincushions and display fabric tomatoes just as you would real tomatoes. Red collectibles would look beautiful on a breakfront, etagere, display case, or grouped together as a tablescape, too. Look for red plates, bowls, glass paperweights, marbles, salt and pepper shakers, and other items to display with color-punchy pride.

The Heart Truth: And speaking of red . . . The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI) hosts an ongoing campaign called The Heart Truth that focuses on raising heart disease awareness. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, so it is important to spread the word not only about heart disease, but also about the risk factors associated and how all women can take action to reduce their risk of heart disease.

Become a part of The Heart Truth Healthy Action Community by pledging to take action to reduce your risk of heart disease and encourage others to join you. Post your Healthy Action badge and share with others while taking action to lead a healthier lifestyle. Choose from any of the following: Quit Smoking, Aim for a Healthy Weight, Get Moving: Exercise Regularly, Eat for Your Heart Health and Know Your Numbers. You can download the badges from NHBLI's exclusive preview page.

Also, join and encourage your friends to join the The Heart Truth fan page on Facebook. Learn of new events in your area, get first hand updates on the 2010 Red Dress Fashion Show, and share your stories with others. This is another way to add RED to help energize your life, and let's face it -- good health is the best design for your home and family.