TABLE HOPPING: THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN ORCHID DINNER

There's always room for more beauty in the world, as the splendorous Orchid-filled tables at the New York Botanical Garden's annual Orchid Dinner proved.  More than 25 designers worked their floral magic again this year, at the Veranda Magazine-sponsored event, creating visions of Key West Contemporary to kick off the 12th Annual Orchid Show. Funds raised from the evening and the sale of rare Orchids go towards Orchid research at the Botanic Garden. What is more glorious than seeing masses of orchids imagined in a variety of fantastical settings? From monochromatic palettes to a fruity-colored mix, the tables tapped a tropical vibe. The designs were a bit tamer than in years past ie, not as enormous in scale, but as usual this event is a delight for the eyes. Even more breathtaking in person, this will give you a sense of the creative botanic artistry that went on this year. Be sure to visit the NYBG Orchid Show which is on till April 20th, it provides another Orchid gazing opportunity that should not be missed.

Photos courtesy of Billy Farrell
A ring of fuchsia orchids were suspended above the Robert Couturier-designed  table in an act of suspended disbelief.

 Danielle Rollins, a talented new addition this year, created a bright, multicolored ethnic global-inspired setting.

She used wonderful embroidered napkins and one of my favorite Schumacher classics on the chairs, a multicolored ikat.

Stephen Elrod, creative director of Brunschwig and Fils went bold with turquoise, hot pink and acid green pairing a floral printed skirt and striped chair covers.

Capturing the essence of Hemingway's Key West,  a signpost that was tangled up in orchids.

Canet stayed on message with some of Papa Hemingway classics strewn about.

With a little razzmatazz and a lot of color, Cullman and Kravis created a party-ready mood with their tiki hut table topper.

 A riot of color, the china matched the flowers in their brilliance.

A geometric box balanced on an angle rose out of a low arrangement at David Easton's stunning table design.

I have to say, Phillip Gorrivan won the prize for most height and drama- his towering lacquer white urn rose towards the sky. The palm leaves and orchids took it even higher. It was really something.

A charming low green arrangement by Magnafloral in a white vessel was understated chic.

Pastel blues and yellows provided the backdrop for draping fronds and acid green orchids by Sherrill Canet.

Shawn Henderson's centerpiece was inspired by the Florida work of prominent modernist of the 1960's, Paul Rudolph, and his custom plaster piece features a concrete ball suspended from a rope. Very minimal and chic.

 A veritable tropical jungle!

Alison Spear for Arquitectonica Interiors showcased their wallpapers in place of a fabric tablecloth.

SOLD! The rare Orchids were sold out in the blink of an eye.

EASING INTO THE NEW YEAR

Photo courtesy of Set Editions

Did you start 2014 off on the right foot? If you want to hit the reset button to start the New Year in a different mindset, or just really say goodbye to 2013, these drinking glasses are here to help ease the pain. If you are still recovering from New Year's debauchery, this might be the best vessel for your Hair of the Dog Drink. The pain avoidance scale has a wide range of varying degrees, so fill your glass with your drink of choice at the level that best suits where you are. The stages of grief, from denial to acceptance are spelled out in plain English on Set Editions Good Grief Glasses.  Each sip will move you one step closer to the path of least resistance. Cheers. 

BOUNTIFUL: AN UNEXPECTED CENTERPIECE

Photo courtesy of Oscar de la Renta

Flowers are usually the centerpiece of choice for the Thanksgiving table. Few things are as beautiful as bright dahlias in orange and yellow, but why not use fresh fruit and vegetables instead? Adding the right dose of color as well as texture, the inclusion of fruits provide the dual function of being edible and eco. Start with a bowl that has personality. I love Oscar de la Renta's new heart-etched footed glass bowl. Hand-blown in Portugal, the bubbled glass has an early American charm. Just the sensibility that is perfect for a Thanksgiving table. After it serves its purpose on the table, the bowl can elevate the everyday as a popcorn bowl on movie night.

2013 DIFFA DINING BY DESIGN INSPIRES AND DELIGHTS

It is no secret that I adore creative table settings. Spring brings a bevy of charitable events where creative table designs are at their peak. One such event is the national charity event by DIFFA Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids Dining by Design at Pier 94 on the West Side Highway. This year,  it's 16th, designers and industry heavyweights put forward their big production best, building out environments that just had to be seen to be believed.  This event, sponsored by the New York Design Center, Architectural Digest (the AD Home Show is  on at the Pier as well), The New York Times, Interior Design Magazine and Manhattan Magazine,  really sets the tone for table setting feats, with major theatrical installation pieces created by the best minds in the business. I have been attending this event for ages, and the fun part is that it draws an artsy cool and creative crowd mixing modern, traditional and artistic visual masterminds.

Here are some of the many tables that grabbed my attention:

 I was completely enamored with the Benjamin Moore table, with a riot of colors used to paint every surface area. The pop art fantasy their creative team came up with was fantastic, a bit Keith Haring, an bit Warhol. 

 Alternating chairs were painted in an array of bright hues and everything on the table was touched by color.

Even the floor was transformed by bold swaths of color

Providing the first look at her  Aerin for Lee Jofa fabric collection, Aerin Lauder designed a beautiful table with Montrose, a lavender on natural linen print.  Both feminine and strong, the graphic fabric was used en masse, covering the walls, long table and chair cushions. I can't wait to see what the rest of the fabric collection looks like. Hanging overhead is another sneak preview of her glamorous pendant lights with Visual Comfort.

A row of white parrot tulips arranged in her crystal and gold  bowls graced the center or the table,  interspersed with rustic woven wicker votives, and place settings were composed of crisp white and gold china with woven raffia chargers and bamboo handled flatware. The overall effect was understated chic with pretty touches. It was such a pleasure to join the Kravet's and their guests for the evening, dining with such a fun group. I was seated next to the delightful Jon Call and great color aficionado Lindsey Coral Harper, and Newell Turner of Hearst Design Group was  sitting across the table. 

Thom Filicia created a lounge atmosphere with living room setting and buffet service for the NYDC area. It was move-in ready.

He mixed his Vanguard designs with other great pieces, layering textural natural materials and burnished metal and luxe finishes.

A branch-inspired metal candelabra sits on a bar in front of a bright, multicolored modern abstract painting. 

Pairing striking black and white columns and a giant single lantern,  the Architectural Digest table was set with a tangle multicolored Ranunculus and Anemone arrangements, chunks of rock crystal, and black and white porcelain china.

 Ah, sweet fleurs

Shiny and matte mixed metal textured surfaces with exotic, animal and floral motifs at Michael Aram's table.  So transporting.

 A black and white cabana and a bike added a casual vacation feel to Frette's Italian countryside theme.

Ralph Lauren Home created a serene desert vibe with glowing lanterns overhead, a modern wooden table with benches and a stunning waterfall backdrop. Big bunches of monochromatic white Ranunculus (my favorite) were placed down the table in a row of vases.

 What a statement a single type of flower makes.

 Echo celebrated their iconic printed scarf, capturing butterflies in flight, snakes, and bold blooms. The back-lit scarves of various sizes was very creative.

Modern design lovers sat surrounded by iconic modern designs old and new at Design Within Reach with orb chandeliers from Roll and Jill lighting the long table.

Mark Blackwell created a pattern on an orange wall out of his china patterns, and set the tree stump table with tulips.

I never tire of plates on walls, as long at it is done with dramatic flair as it is here.

I guess spring has become synonymous with butterflies, since it is also a prominent motif at Eric Warner by Aesthete, Ltd. for Tracy Reese . An intaglio made entirely out of moss was a creative way to hang artwork from the wall.

Arteriors showcased their Barry Dixon collection, encasing their booth with his exotic cut-out white wooden screens. A grisaille painting adds an old-world feel to a modern setting.

Rachel Laxer Interiors and Robert Kuo created an ode to Fragonard with a mural of a girl falling from a swing, and lush centerpiece filled with fresh fruits and flowers.

Croscill had a zillion tiny flowers in bud vases around the centerpiece that sat on quilted fuchsia fabric.

A moody Midnight Garden showcased grey blue hues of Beacon Hill fabrics with a high arrangement of twinkling lights and mossy Orchid-covered tree.

Interior Design Magazine's MC Escher meets De Chirico table designed by Ali Taylor, with red and black squares accented with red.

ORCHID MANIA: THE 11th ANNUAL NYBG ORCHID DINNER

Photos courtesy of Patrick McMullen

Designer  Katie Ridder with sponsor Veranda Magazine's Editor in Chief, Dara Caponigro, event Chair.

As one of the standout table setting events of the year, The New York Botanical Garden's Orchid Dinner the week before last amazed and enchanted. The annual event, sponsored by, among others, Veranda and Hearst Corporation, raises funds for the New York institution and marks the start of their Orchid Show, now in it's 11th year. Seeing tables in the Mandarin Oriental ballroom completely transformed and adorned by orchids, over 25 designers and floral artists showcased their talents, channeling the theme, Exotic Inspirations.  Outstanding creations using the delicate flower literally took your breath away. It is one of those moments in time that is so hard to capture on camera, to do it justice. If you looked one way and you saw masses of orchids. If you looked another, you saw the twinkling city lights and cabs racing by 36 floors below.

 If you love orchids,  then a visit to the NYBG Orchid Show is a must.  Rare orchids of every size and color are masterfully displayed in the Enid Haupt Conservatory at The Garden until April 22nd. I plan on making a weekend jaunt up there soon, so expect to see some snaps soon on my @stylebeat twitter and instagram feeds.

Here are some of the design standouts of the evening:

Mark Cunningham's Alex Gaston created a centerpiece with masses of white orchids in a low rounded arrangement. Organic designs from Canvas are at each place setting. Chairs and tablecloth are covered in all white Sunbrella fabrics.

Another look at the orchids, lit from beneath by small votives.

Green and white  looked fresh and classic on the table from Tiffany by Richard Moore White orchids in a round arrangement in a tall white urn are teamed up with a green and white lattice printed fabric.

Digitally printed place mats carry the floral theme forward.

One of my favorite florists, Connie over at Plaza Flowers created an elevated dome of white orchids high enough to stand full-height candelabras below. Pretty amazing.

A flowering tree emerges from the center of Steven Elrod's gorgeous table for Brunschig and Fils.  As if the tree was not enough of a piece de resistance, he added hanging lanterns.

Chairs covered in vibrant red and white pagoda fabric.

Robert Couturier created the most spectacular tree out of orchid stems.

Incroyable.

What fun Sherill Canet had. A tall pagoda studded with orchid blooms held sway amongst a low orchid  surround. Yellow studded mats add a bit of glamour and texture to the table.

Orchids around the base of the pagoda.

Tiny yellow orchids are a welcome sight amidst all the white. A crown of yellow orchids hang above a centerpiece made from hanging blown-glass orbs with floating votives inside.

A detail of the hanging votives. What a great idea. It was stunning.

Lee Cavanaugh for Cullman and Kravis brought the brights of India to the top of the Time Warner building. Paring turquoise, hot pink and orange fabrics, swags of orchids and vases of oranges and lemons the vision enchanted.

Touches of gold complemented the riot of color.

Bamboo branches and hot pink orchids with paper lanterns gave James Rixner for Saint - Louis and Puiforcat a dreamy escapist feeling.

 Puiforcat flatware and red crystal stemware from Saint - Louis are paired with a rich red and gold palette.

Shawn Henderson worked with Baccarat, pairing large crystal vessels and a stark modern white structure that housed potted white orchids.

Hilary Pereira for Christofle created a white peacock centerpiece out of orchids. Wow.

The Flower School of New York in Tudor City created a tight centerpiece of low, brightly colored orchids. Guests of this table got to take home miniature potted orchids. Mine may need to be put on life support soon.

Jeff Lincoln covered his table in Fortuny fabric. Tall rock crystal candlesticks surrounded a white orchid arrangement.

A close up of the juxtaposition of rock crystal and white blooms.

Nicolette Owens had a low, flowing arrangement of pale pinks and yellows. I liked how she added a shimmery bronze sequin tablecloth for a different texture.

Richard Mishaan, recently re-opened his NYC store Homer. He stands by his tropical vision of colored orchids and ikat.

Mishaan told me his table was tropical-meets-Dr Seuss. Agreed! He covered a vase in colored cord trim creating stripes.

Roric Tobin's high arrangement was potted in a stunning tall antique urn.

Vincente Wolf put orchids on display in a bright red birdcage