Table for Two

Setting the Table:

Setting the Table:
“My company is called Blanc Canvas because everything in design—whether it's furniture or place settings—is a blank canvas,” interior designer Tami Wakeman says. “Start with something that is clean, so you can add any details you like.” Here, the designer uses her own set of tone-on-tone white plates: the Louvre collection by French company Bernardaud. (Each of the dishes has a different pattern around its rim that echoes an architectural element found at the Louvre, such as a rosette or crown molding.)

The Flourishes:
Instead of arranging a centerpiece that would overpower the delicacy of the setting, Tami creates small groupings of charming items: an old-fashioned pen and inkwell, 1930s vintage love letters discovered at flea markets and antique books that prop up bouquets of flowers arranged in the designer's French crystal collection by Christofle.

Why It Works:
“You don't need to have fine china or crystal to make a table look beautiful,” Wakeman says. “Be creative and don't be afraid to mix stuff together—that's really the key to making place settings feel special and wonderful.” Be inspired by Wakeman's unlikely collage: silver paired with ceramics, and elegant, different-colored linens mixed together. Keep in mind the designer's resourceful approach: “I ask myself, how can I reinvent something each time I have a dinner party?”