Show Food for Foi Thought Thong By Mary ry Lee Theres There's lots of table talk going around in decorating circles these days The idea is of course to do your own thing when you set the table for breakfast lunch or dinner As with fashion in clothing or home furnishing the traditional traditional traditional tra tra- is OUT the innovative innovative innovative tive is IN at the table At least that's what makes the news these thes days For example some of the best ideas are gleaned from the table settings at Long famous for their unusual unusual unusual un un- un- un usual displays of fine china crystal and silver nations they're considered the epitome of innovative dining Always understated and expensive but never stilted their table settings feature such combinations as Wedgwood's Wedgwood's Wedgwood's woods wood's Drab ware on a Chippendale Chippendale Chippendale Chip Chip- table or on a butcher block table The trick is to have color textures patterns in unexpected unexpected unexpected un un- un- un expected mixtures Typical would be a large silver bowl heaped with lemons as a centerpiece on a rattan table Elaborate painted hand-painted floral china might bloom against a made custom-made floral tablecloth Or a demi tasse and saucer could appear as a cig- cig aret holder and ashtray POTTERY Stoneware and pottery dishes in earthen tones are popular too and you'll see them displayed in a variety of ways at smart stores They're particularly stunning combined com com- combined combined com com- with heavy linen or homespun mats in ginger brown avocado or golden shades And despite all the new materials materials materials ma ma- such as space-oriented space acrylics teflon and old fashioned earthenware has great appeal for gourmet cooks They particularly like big provincial French pitchers mixing bowls au gratin and mustard pots Leading designers seem to take great delight in using old material in new ways For example example example ex ex- ample one inventive interior designer loves to use galvanized galvanized galvanized galvan galvan- metal with strips of brass to form like drape-like window valances or table trimmings He also polishes an ordinary old scrub pail and turns it into a table lamp with a coarse wheat-colored wheat linen shade or ora ora ora a planter to hold giant leaves Another innovation is a white industrial lighting fixture fixture fixture fix fix- ture hung from the ceiling with a rope It is placed over overa a round table with a floor- floor length beige linen cloth that matches tailored shutters rimmed rimmed rimmed rim rim- med in brass at the windows NEEDLEPOINT A number o of interior decorators decorators decorators decor decor- are also hooked on needle needle- point So if youre you're handy with the needle now's the time to get started Seems that some people are paying up to 75 for fora a inch 15 pillow and into the thousands for a rug to do themselves One New York designer has hasa a summer house crammed with needlepoint According to reports reports reports re re- re- re ports he has a foot rug in bright colors on a black background background background back back- ground in the dining room And each of the six round wrought iron dining chairs has a a. a cushion in a different floral design |