Frenchie Takes The French Room

I love making a dream tablescape come to life!  I keep inspiration boards and pinterest boards with tables and ideas that have inspired me.  Sometimes I find inspiration by browsing through a book, magazine, or social media and sometimes it comes from something I spot on our travels or in a shop.  When the opportunity to celebrate an occasion with a tablescape arises, I set to work imagining how I can create an enviroment that will make my guests feel special and create a space they will never forget.

My husband, Justin, hadn’t had a big celebration for his birthday in a while so when we visited the renovated Adolphus Hotel and learned that it’s restaurant, The French Room, had a new chef, we set out to create an evening that would showcase the incredible space and fine cuisine for our friends with a fresh look.  The French Room opened originally with The Adolphus Hotel in 1912.  It has hosted royals and dignitaries and, until now, was covered in colorful murals and decadent french decor.  The most recent renovation brings attention to the two dramatic venetian glass chandeliers that hang in the magnificent room and modernizes the space without ridding it of the signature french decor.

I set out to host our friends at a table that felt modern and simple but didn’t want it to get lost in the dramatic space!  I also enjoying creating tablescapes for gentleman in a way that isn’t all about fluff and flowers.   I found simple and modern gold candlesticks on line and ordered 120 of them along with 18″ white candles.  Utilizing the restaurants French-style chairs (some of them original and over 100 years old!) around a U-shaped table suited our guest count and our goal of seating everyone at one table.  There is a credenza in the middle of the space that cannot be moved so we placed a banquette in front and topped it with some glass cubes full of hydrangea stacked in a random form.

I brought our wedding napkins out for the occasion as well.  When planning our wedding in 2005, I thought I might use a simple white linen with a black monogram again but I didn’t realize how often they would suit!  Our place cards were created by M. Calligraphy with white ink on a square gold card for a unique twist on a classic style.

When it came to the menu, Justin and I truly turned to Chef Anthony Dispensa to create something special and he certainly did not disappoint.  He created a vegetarian option that I thoroughly enjoyed and a series of dishes featuring Long Island Duck with butternut gel and spiced duck jus for the non-vegetarians.

I owe a huge thank you to the entire French Room team and Shannon Schulegen King from Hope Hill Design for making the room come together!

Make up: Tina Adams-Mason

Photography: John Cain Sargent

 

 

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