I love a celebration! On one birthday Marla accused me of celebrating for the whole year! Lately, I find even the tiniest weekend dinners for two deserve a little special design treatment at the dining table. Marla is the chef de cuisine in the kitchen so my job is to dress up the table. I used some metallic fabric to add some pizzazz above.

Flowers really make a table…but you can always improvise.

This was a special birthday celebration for Marla. I even “cooked”,…which is code for picking up something.

This was a Christmas dinner Marla created. She even used “Nutcracker” napkin holders next to the Christmas crackers.

And now for a change of view. I set this up on a cocktail table in the living room. The COVID lockdown spurred on the need for something different and fun!

A competitive situation: The salad is stealing the show from the table decoration!

Our Grandsons are enjoying a dinner on the decorated table. I love tulips, but orchids are my favorite.

We love a fancy dinner set up on the breakfast table.

Dinner on the deck. The battery operated candles actually flicker. A Burmese dancer looks over the quartet of placemats.

A table for six ready for a beautiful evening.

When in doubt…innovate! I had just received some outdoor lighting and decided to turn them upside down for this dinner. Quirky but effective.

Marla’s birthday party celebration. She is looking magnificent!

Valentine’s Day celebration.

We’ve collected individual wineglasses over the years. The stemware on the front left is millefiori from Murano found at a flea market in Villefranche-sur-Mer. The Saint Louis Champagne glass on the right is from France.

A decorated table ready for the first course.

I’ll borrow an expression from Grandson Paxton, “Papa, I like TOO MUCH!” I am guilty of not knowing when to stop with the centerpiece!

Designing the dinner table truly makes me happy and of course I hope it does the same for others as well.

A photo of Marla years ago. We have two highchairs setup so you know the twins were visiting. I hope the Girls didn’t mind plastic plates!

Years ago I was always on the hunt for vintage Venetian stemware. I found these over the years at antiques stores in Dallas and Raleigh. The vintage Waterford water glasses and the Venetian glass centerpieces were found at an antique store in Denver.

Even the bronze statue seems pleased with how the table turned out!

I’ve posted this image before but I really like how it turned out. I set this up at our Denver Design District showroom using many of our metallic fabrics. I would love to have a romantic dinner there tonight!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.