Napoli tableware from La DoubleJ.
Photo: Barbara Franzò
See All the Ways to Refresh Your Tabletop This Spring
A new Rizzoli book by designer Stephanie Stokes provides a bounty of inspiration for seasonal tablescapes
The World at Your Table: Inspiring Tabletop Designs by Stephanie Stones with Judith Nasatir. Photo: Courtesy of Rizzoli
Out with the old, in with the new—it’s in that spirit of refreshing that most people undertake a major spring cleaning or closet overhaul this time of year. Venerable hosts also use the shifting seasons to reimagine their tablescapes, packing away the winter china for plates and glassware in lighter, brighter hues and patterns evocative of the flowers blooming in the garden.
“Put away the dark soup bowls and the red napkins (until the Fourth of July) and the dark velvet tablecloths—this is the time to bring out the blue and white organdy cloth and the pale pink ones,” says New York interior designer Stephanie Stokes. “Gather together all your blue and white china and mix it up. Spring is time for the bamboo cutlery from Juliska. I own a set of small silver wheelbarrows from Two’s Company, which I load with white flowers—that says spring.”
A Palm Beach table set with linens from Mary Mahoney, Pinto dinnerware is by Alberto Pinto; Theresienthal stemware, Willam Yeoward’s tumblers, and Moser votives. Photo: Mark Roskams
In her new book, The World at Your Table (Rizzoli), Stokes revisits some of the most beautiful tables she’s witnessed around the globe, detailing how to take that international flavor and reinterpret the aesthetic for a transportive table at home. Among the many locations featured—from Bali to Budapest, Salzburg to Sicily—there’s numerous tablescapes that capture the beauty of spring. “French patterns often have branches of florals strewn across the plate, usually in limited colors,” Stokes tells Galerie. “English wedgwood peony pattern is used as an overall packed design. Hand-painted floral dishes from Mitsukoshi in Japan have just the rims painted with lovely blooms. Lastly, think of the tulip plates from the Ottoman era found in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.”
Hungarian plates in Stephanie Stokes' personal collection. Photo: Stephanie Stokes
Stokes’ collection also includes these glasses from Murano and cactus plates from Puglia. Photo: Stephanie Stokes
While the jubilant place settings featured in The World at Your Table make it tempting to embark on a Grand Tour–style shopping spree, it is possible to capture the look without a total china cabinet overhaul. “I don’t set up layered plates as they do in showrooms—one at a time is enough. But mixing china is fun,” advises Stokes. “Use different style for each course; the Japanese mix best. For a sample place setting you need bowls for rice, soup, soy sauce, hashi chopstick rests, and various dishes. None should match.”
And for those apprehensive about appearing unimaginative for selecting florals for spring, options abound on that front as well. “Bring out the cactus plates from Puglia and the green glasses,” she says. “I love placing my flowered dishes from Vietri on a yellow checked silk table cloth. I’ll add in an ocha tea cup, a saki glass or cup, and interesting water glasses.”
Below, find a couple of delightful pieces sure to brighten your next spring gathering.
Cover: Napoli tableware from La DoubleJ.
Photo: Barbara Franzò
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