Robert Leleux is one of 10 interior designers who will decorate tables for the annual Deck the Tables event at the Houston Design Center. He calls his entry “The Lion in Winter Table.” He collaborated with Back Row Home. Here’s how he did it:
- The mood: Aim for “holiday vague” so it could be used for Hanukkah, Christmas or New Year’s — or even a special winter dinner with friends.
- Metallics: They bring a wintry gleam to the table and always look better mixed. Try silver, gold and gunmetal in different forms on the same table among the flatware and candlesticks.
- Upcycle: Use things for different purposes. Leleux chose marble vegetable trays for his charger plates, then set stainless-rimmed dinner plates on top for an Old World feel.
- Textiles: Leleux used a Mexican tablecloth turned inside out because he liked the underside just as much as the top side. He intentionally folded it so there was no overhang, showing off the table’s (borrowed from Design House) beautiful natural surface. On top of the cloth, he placed a small antelope hide for an element of surprise.
- Mix it up: For glassware, don’t be afraid to mix high and low. Leleux used 19th-century goblets with contemporary drinking glasses and hand-blown, tortoise-shell tumblers.
- Centerpiece: Yes, you need one. Leleux used 18th- and 19th-century candlesticks from Italian cathedrals. He intended to use them as a candelabra but loves them simply as objects d’art.
- Natural photoshop: Use votive candles. They’ll shine light upward and make everyone look pretty.
- Little touches: On each dinner plate, Leleux used small vintage sheets of music paired with cinnamon sticks and tied them up with vintage silk velvet ribbon.
DECK THE TABLES
What: The ninth annual Deck the Tables event
Where: Houston Design Center, 7026 Old Katy Road
When: 6-9 p.m. Dec. 6 (with special events), plus 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 7-9
Participating designers: Sharon Staley at the ASID chapter office (showroom 285); Robert Leleux at Alkusari Stone (showroom 229); Angel Rios and Darla Bankston May at Dauphin Sales (showroom 273); Charlotte Nail at Charlotte Nail Antiques (showroom 165); Connie LeFebre and the Design House team at Design House (showroom 115); Ashton Morgan and Creative Branch at Dream Theaters (showroom 264); Elizabeth Frost and Jann Wisdom at Jann Wisdom Designs/Wisdom Frost Interiors (showroom 265); Cecilia Pacheco at LGI Oriental Rugs (showroom 155); Rainey Richardson, Off White Design team, and Madeleine Elmer, with Fleur de Vie, at Off White (showroom 153); and Michelle Nussbaumer at Thorntree Slate and Marble (showroom 167).
Donate: The Houston Design Center is collecting new, unwrapped toys to be donated to the Memorial Assistance Ministries charity. You can deliver the toys to decorated donation boxes in participating showrooms.
Book signing: Dallas-based Michelle Nussbaumer will sign her latest book, “Wanderlust: Interiors That Bring the World Home” in the Thorntree Slate and Marble showroom at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Holiday, Southern Style: Back Row Home, 8570 Interstate 10 W., Suite 111, will host a panel discussion and book signings with Robert Leleux, Julia Reed, Danielle Rollins and Ronda Rice Carman at 6 p.m. Wednesday. RSVP to events@backrowhome.com.
Information: thehoustondesigncenter.com
By Diane Cowen. See Original Article Here.