A Beautiful Setting, and a Very Happy Client

January 15th, 2010 by lisa

The finished table at the client's home

After attending the Christofle event on etiquette, a LRM Interior Design client asked Lisa if she was interested in a new project.

“He said that the event at Christofle was very timely, as he would be entertaining a special guest at his home, and wanted to host a few parties. He’s a bachelor, and confessed that he had nothing appropriate to serve dinner with or on,” Lisa remembers. “He owned some casualware, but wanted to create the right atmosphere with new silverware, glassware, china, and linens.”

Even with less than two weeks to the party date, Lisa wasn’t worried, just excited at this fantastic project. After going to the house to assess what the client had—which was practically nothing—Lisa and senior designer Jan Smith were on a mission, gallivanting around Orange County to find the best tableware and accessories to go with his home.

“It wasn’t just “shopping,” explains Lisa. “We completely designed the table around the client’s décor, and even took fabric swatches with us.”

For the first, less formal event, Lisa and Jan were able to use the client’s existing blue and brown stoneware to great effect. She alternated plates and bowls in each color, and reversed it on the next place setting, and then added in the new Christofle stemware and silverware on top of the new linens.

The client's home, before the event

Overall, the look created by LRM Interior Design matched the house’s décor, the casual tone of the event, and even the rustic Italian food that the client served.

Three nights later came the formal event, which called for place cards, tablecloths and fine china. Even the food and wine were elevated, with Jan’s husband Troy cooking the meal at the client’s home, and their friend Dave Wallace assisting with the drinks and wine. Both men work at the Montage hotels as sommeliers.

“One thing we had learned from the first party was that our client didn’t even own a spatula or salt and pepper shakers,” smiles Lisa. “We had to outfit the house with serving dishes, candleholders, vases, bowls and throw blankets for the chaise longues. We even had to install artwork on the day of the party!”

There were some small touches added by the team from LRM Interior Design that made for an extra special event, and things that even an experienced host doesn’t always think of.

Lisa made sure that there was a piece of felt cut to the exact size of the glass dining table. This way if a guest accidentally knocked over a piece of stemware, it wouldn’t break when hitting the tabletop. She also designed and made the name cards herself, using Christofle place card holders.

Lisa's handmade name cards

“I love these place card holders,” Lisa enthuses. “They can also be used as napkin rings, and are classic in design. They are perfect for people who have little space, as they do ‘double-duty’ on the table.”

The design started in the center, with three separate floral arrangements clustered to add texture and height to the table. Lisa then added cut-rock crystal votives to add illumination, and scattered pretty, iridescent and silver pebbles over the table. Several brands of china were mixed and matched to create a beautiful table, including a starburst salad plate that set off the whole formal arrangement.

The champagne glasses, also by Christofle, are unique, as the glass vessel separates from the silver stem and base. “This way, if you were serving a chilled beverage, you could set the glass vessels in a bucket or bowl of ice,” explains Lisa.

Both parties were a resounding success; the client was happy not only with how everything looked, but with the elegant tableware and accessories that Lisa and Jan chose for his home. It’s just another way that LRM Interior Design can help make their clients’ lives better.