West Coast Chic

After a successful career as an interior designer, what enticed you to venture into the tabletop market?

I’ve long imagined exploring the medium of china, and the collaboration was a perfect fit. I want to understand how things are made, and with Wedgwood I was able to learn the design process by visiting the European silver, crystal and bone china factories. When English potter Josiah Wedgwood founded his company in 1759, he worked with the best craftsmen he could find, and I’m proud to be a part of that legacy today.

You were raised in an artistic family. How has that affected your approach to design?

My mother encouraged me to paint and praised everything I did. She always referred to me as a “natural,” and I remember how thrilled that made me feel. It gave me the confidence to explore my ideas and form opinions about how I wanted things to look. To this day, I’m never without my sketch pad, watercolors and a sharp pencil—you never know what will spark an idea

What should a bride keep in mind during the registry process?

Often a bride feels obligated to register for an entire set of dishes and serving pieces all in thesame pattern. Today this isn’t necessary. Most stores sell dishes “open stock,” which means that you can choose complementary designs to mix and match, perhaps solid-hued dinner plates from one collection and subtly patterned accent plates from another.

Can you share some of your entertaining expertise?

I love being a hostess. My goal is always to set a simple, elegant table. To do so, I approach the table as a blank canvas and try to “paint” it in a way that suits the occasion. I’ve never set the same table twice. I choose whatever is in season, and I never use
a formal flower centerpiece. Instead, I keep things casual with small vases of freshly cut flowers from my garden or by using an assortment of interesting objects that are already in my house. I’ve used everything from a beautiful stack of books to a bowl of fresh fruit. I also love the look of candlelight on a table. Votives and candlesticks in different sizes really make a table interesting and add a festive sparkle.

Photos from top: Radiance crystal stemware and fine bone china, and Curtain Call stainless flatware. Musical Chairs giftware. Curatin Call fine bone china all by Barbara Barry for the Wedgwood Collection.

Photography courtesy of Wedgwood.