Mikasa Botanical Bouquet

by Helen Kain | Jul 23, 2021 | Antique glassware, Blue, Green, Home, Recent, Summer Tablescapes

The summer blooms are at their peak, and the hydrangea is just tipping over to the faded papery stage. So it was now or never for this table. Botanical Bouquet by Mikasa features an unusual combination of herbs in improbably vivid shades of cobalt blue; the soft...

Artisan Fish Plates

by Helen Kain | Jul 4, 2021 | Accessories, Antique glassware, Antiques, Blue, Summer Tablescapes, Terracotta

Living by the ocean, it’s impossible to escape crustacean and fish-themed decor, and I have my share of it in tableware.  These Rosalie Nadeau Fish plates were one of our earlier acquisitions from Tree’s Place Gallery in Chatham, MA. Though the gift...

Eau de Nil with Lilacs

by Helen Kain | May 6, 2020 | Antique china, Antique glassware, Blue, Purple, Spring Tablescapes

Hooray for May and Mother’s Day! To celebrate, I thought a dose of soft pastels and fragrant lilacs was in order. Don’t let their lowly name, “common” lilacs, fool you. Their scent is divine.  I paired them with antique Royal Worcester...

A Famille Rose Easter

by Helen Kain | Apr 9, 2020 | Antique china, Antique glassware, Easter, Green, Pink and Red, Spring Tablescapes, Vintage china

It’s a weird kind of Easter this year, as the Easter Bunny observes social distancing. We will need to hop to it and make do with pretty pictures and virtual gatherings. And some non-virtual chocolate. I set this table a few weeks ago, pre-pandemic, in blissful...

Time to Spring Forward with Wedgwood Williamsburg Aviary

by Helen Kain | Mar 4, 2020 | Antique glassware, Brown, Easter, Green, Pink and Red, Spring Tablescapes

Spring is in the air!  Let the nesting begin. For now, we may have to content ourselves with birds and butterflies of a painted nature, but we know they’ll be here in the flesh very soon. As my granddaughter, Juliana is fond of asking, “For...

A Glitzy Gold Penguin Table

by Helen Kain | Jan 2, 2020 | Antique glassware, Christmas, New Year, White, Winter Tablescapes

The glamour of gold and white for a formal table never fails to please.  Add in gold, tuxedo-clad penguins and you’ve got a layer of fun with the formality. I can never resist penguins. They’re such silly birds – far more graceful in the water, of...