Design inspiration is everywhere, your mind just has to be free to receive it. This project I completed for an AmericasMart Atlanta presentation illustrates this very point. Last Friday, Dayka and I presented Decorate and Celebrate,  8 Ways to for Turning Your Next Shop Party into a City Haute Spot to a room full of boutique owners all looking for bright ideas for entertaining their best customers.

Along with a slideshow presentation, we each displayed tabletop decor ideas that could be used when hosting an intimate dinner with a select group of customers. My table themed “Graffiti Glamour” was inspired by the grungy artwork on display behind one of my newly beloved home decor haunts, Steve McKenzie’s.

I’ve previously written about shop owner’s Steve and Jill McKenzie in a previous post and the beautifully curated collection of original artwork and eclectic finds you can read about it here. In addition to the shots above, Steve has a collection of other graffiti art he’s captured during his travels across Europe.

So if Steve McKenzie’s decided to host an in-store dinner party, how would they translate their affection for grungy urban art into glamorous, yet approachable table art? Glad you asked, here’s a peek at the process…

BRAINSTORM: GRAFFITI GLAMOUR

GRAFFITI – artistic, brush strokes, spray paint, bright colors, urban, city, hip, edgy

GLAMOUR – reflective elements (crystal, mirror, diamonds, shine), purple, black, lush fabrics (silk, taffeta, sequins)

TABLE-SETTING BASICS:

Plates, Flatware, Glassware, Centerpiece, Table Linens, Centerpiece, Favors

In crafting this table design I looked at descriptions of graffiti and glamour and thought of ways to apply it to the necessary items required for the mock tablescape. Here are the results:

The juxtaposition of decadent fabrics, fine china, and gorgeous flatware combined with Westside District graffiti art gives this table-setting urban Atlanta street cred. ‘Ya Dig?

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Resources:

taffeta table cloth – custom designed by Erika Ward Interiors email for quote: info(at)erikaward(dot)(com)

graffiti wine glasses – custom designed by Erika Ward Interiors email for quote: info(at)erikaward(dot)(com)

hammered metal flatware – Tuesday Morning

aubergine napkins – custom, fabric by Steve McKenzie’s

assorted black/white napkins – CB2

china – my own, Mikasa Cameo Platinum

favor boxes-Michael’s

succulents and paint cans – Home Depot

black woven chargers – World Market

graffiti photography – Steve McKenzie

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