A magical holiday table – at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Whenever I need inspiration, or when I want to fill my mind with nothing but beautiful things, I find myself heading right over to ABC Carpet & Home. Not to put too fine a point on it, but ABC is my favorite store in the universe.
Elegant silver service at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Dondrill Glover is the manager of abcmkt, the inspiring food and tabletop department at ABC. I love visiting with Dondrill because she always has a wonderful story to tell me behind the products on her shelves and on her tables, like Askinosie Chocolates.
Recently, James and I wandered downstairs to abcmkt, and we had the good luck to see Dondrill. This season, she has been particularly excited about vintage tableware: china, serving platters, flatware, crystal and candlesticks. Shoppers have been drawn to the glorious display tables, which are designed with the magic of Laure Fischbach, Visual Merchandiser and Art Installation Manager at ABC Carpet & Home. If you’ve ever wandered through ABC in awe, that’s probably Laure’s doing.
Delicate antique pink tea set at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
The story behind the table displays is that they combine fine vintage craftsmanship with bits of bright color, and a few nostalgic ornaments here and there. “You want to make your guests feel special at the holidays,” Dondrill says. “It starts the moment they see the table you’ve created. And then the food tastes even better.”
I actually have many of my mother’s table linens. They are so fine and seem fragile. There are more than a few wine stains, as my parents were part of a Gourmet Club at Wright State University. It was a new institution, founded in 1964, and all of the new professors, including my dad, were young and vivacious. They formed the Gourmet Club, which met once a month at a different member’s house, where they ate and drank, and in our house, played the tuba well into the night.
Do you see how the nostalgia sets right in?
Silver napkin rings – at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Luckily for us all, my friend Ed Lefkowicz was up for another photo shoot for Markets of New York City. (Have I mentioned he photographs restaurants for Pete Well’s reviews in the New York Times?) He has captured the whole atmosphere, as well as the wondrous details of these tables and the objects that make them so special.
So without further ado, I invite you to scroll through these beautiful tables, spoons, linens and dainty champagne glasses. I hope you find inspiration for your holiday table, and for every day in general.
Thanks to Dondrill, Laure, Carlos and Sara for making this story possible. And my heartfelt gratitude to you, Ed Lefkowicz. You make magic look good in any dimension.
~Karen Seiger, Markets of New York City
A splash of vintage whimsy to add color to your table at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Antique silver salt and pepper shakers are a lovely detail (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Porcelain cheese dish at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Mixing modern handmade tableware with vintage and lace creates an appetizing effect (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Combined modern and vintage place setting detail at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Platters for when oysters were all the rage – at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Fish platter originally made in Germany – at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Tromp l’oiel trout, but it captures the silvery beauty of the real fish. (Photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Vintage flatware, beautiful polished or unpolished (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Open your cupboards if they are filled with pretty things – at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Open cupboards can be part of your decor – at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Wonderfully embroidered table linens – at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Leave the patina on your silver because it’s beautiful – at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz)
Grateful for friends and family around the holiday table – at abcmkt (photo by Ed Lefkowicz
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