by Helen Kain | Jan 11, 2026 | Home, Recent
The Queen Anne Dollhouse — and How We Got Here At long last, the Queen Anne dollhouse is finished — with the sole exception of the weathervane, which is currently somewhere between here and the postal system’s sense of humour. Trim is complete front and back,...
by Helen Kain | Jan 4, 2026 | Blue, Cobalt, Green, Home, Pets, Recent, Winter Tablescapes
January feels like a reset around here — a chance to let colour do the work without fuss. The Christmas decorations come down, the light begins to change (for the better) and I start craving tables that feel calm yet cheerful. That usually means blue and white or...
by Helen Kain | Dec 11, 2025 | Christmas, Recent, Winter Tablescapes
Some Christmas tables are quietly refined elegance. Others are minimalist. This one is neither. This one is a swirl of colour, characters, and festive exuberance — a little bit fairy tale, a little bit pantomime, and entirely exuberant. I think of it as A Children’s...
by Helen Kain | Dec 7, 2025 | Christmas, Green, Pink and Red, Recent, Winter Tablescapes
Every once in a while, it’s good to set aside the serious tablescapes — the layered china, the pedigreed makers, the agonized-over colour palettes — and simply embrace joy. Pure, unfiltered, Snoopy-style joy. As a lifelong Peanuts fan (and a bona fide Boomer), I...
by Helen Kain | Nov 27, 2025 | Afternoon Tea, Christmas, Desserts, Fall Recipes, Pies & Tarts, Thanksgiving, Winter Recipes
Each little Tarte Tatin is a golden jewel: pears glazed in amber caramel, baked beneath a cap of puff pastry. When turned out, they reveal their secret — glossy, tender fruit that melts against the buttery crust, a bite-sized echo of classic French indulgence. ...
by Helen Kain | Nov 27, 2025 | Fall Recipes, Salads, Winter Recipes
Velvety pear slices, gently poached until tender, crown a bed of peppery arugula or other winter greens. Crumbles of sharp gorgonzola lend a savoury counterpoint, while candied nuts glisten like jewels, offering both crunch and sweetness. A whisper of balsamic...
by Helen Kain | Nov 27, 2025 | Afternoon Tea, Fall Tablescapes, Recent
Can we still call the last week of November “late autumn”? I hope so, because I have one more table to slide in. Here in Canada, the air is still quite balmy, albeit damp. Walking with the dogs has been delightful — crunchy leaves underfoot, blue skies...
by Helen Kain | Nov 27, 2025 | Afternoon Tea, Christmas, Cookies & Bars, Desserts, Fall Recipes, Winter Recipes
These buttery shortbreads crumble delicately at first bite, releasing the warm, nutty perfume of pistachios. Their pale green flecks hint at richness within, while a dip in dark chocolate or a scatter of crushed nuts turns each biscuit into a little work of art —...
by Helen Kain | Nov 23, 2025 | Christmas, Winter Tablescapes
Nestled in the Gloucestershire countryside, Highgrove House — the private residence of His Majesty King Charles III — set the stage for a gloriously festive Christmas Tablescapes & Canapé Masterclass. While browsing for seasonal inspiration near Burford, where...
by Helen Kain | Nov 19, 2025 | Antique china, Fall Tablescapes, Recent, Thanksgiving, Vintage glassware
It’s late-November. Just a month from the shortest day of the year, and outside, the final fall clean-up has begun. The Japanese Maple has shed its brilliant red foliage; the oaks are the last to surrender their leaves. Canadian Thanksgiving is long past, American...
by Helen Kain | Nov 19, 2025 | Makers Behind the Magic
In the heart of British pottery lies a story of artistry, craft and quiet transformation. For over two centuries, Royal Doulton has married functional utility with high-style design, shaping not just tableware but culture itself. From the salt-glazed stoneware of...
by Helen Kain | Nov 5, 2025 | Books, Recent
When I began photographing my first book, Entertablement—The Four Seasons, I had no idea it would lead to a second, Entertablement—Much Depends on Dinner, and now, a third volume, Entertablement—Twelve Months at the Table. Each book has reflected an exploration of the...
by Helen Kain | Nov 5, 2025 | Antiques, Fall Tablescapes, Green, Pink and Red, Recent, White
Every November, the poppy reminds us to pause and reflect — a small but powerful emblem of remembrance. This year, I’m marking Remembrance Day through art and tableware. The square poppy plate shown below is one of a set of twelve Royal Doulton Arts...
by Helen Kain | Oct 29, 2025 | Cakes, Desserts, Fall Recipes, Recent
Pears are one of autumn’s loveliest fruits, but they can be tricky customers when it comes to baking. Beneath that silken skin lies a great deal of moisture — wonderful for eating out of hand, but a challenge when folded into batters or layered beneath cake. Left...
by Helen Kain | Oct 29, 2025 | Afternoon Tea, Fall Tablescapes, Recent
It’s getting rather late in the autumn season, but let’s sneak in one more table, and better still, a tea table. Really, autumn is the perfect time for tea, especially when built around the season’s most graceful fruit: the pear. Their honeyed sweetness...
