With Thanksgiving just days away, it’s time to pay homage to our collective love of all things fowl:

Vietri’s Campagna Gallina (literally, “country of the hen”) showcases our hero in a rustic, Tuscan country way.

Mottahedeh’s Chelsea Bird Dinnerware is inspired by designs from Colonial Williamsburg.

Gien’s Sologne dinnerware was created by French animal artist Estelle Rebottaro to capture the wildlife of the Sologne region in north-central France.

Alberto Pinto’s Plumes Rooster features six hand painted roosters on gold gilded Limoges porcelain.  These chickens also teach a morality tale–plan ahead!  They take twelve weeks to deliver, so start thinking about next year’s Thanksgiving on Bastille Day.

Finally, to go along with the dishes, there’s L’Objet’s Bird Napkin Rings, available in gold or platinum:

Here are special picks for a happy Thanksgiving.

Classico is one of our best-selling collections, so we asked our friends at Sferra to tell us what makes it so special.  Here is what they said:

Classico is our very finest Italian-woven linen. Each piece is finished with a border of delicate, refined, hand-drawn hemstitching – from the 120” seamless round tablecloths, to the 15” octagonal placemats, to the 6” round doilies! Classico’s enduring pure linen fibers only become softer and more lustrous with each laundering. Heirloom linens such as these are always a worthwhile investment, because they will last for generations.

Classico is the quintessential collection for formal dining, as etiquette dictates setting fine — but simple — linens. Colors and patterns are meant for less formal occasions, so for those who like to adhere to tradition, Classico is a true hero. With that in mind, Classico is stocked in the most expansive selection of shapes and sizes to accommodate all occasions — including the extra-long 160” and extra-wide 88” tablecloths.

Available in Ecru or White, below is a full listing of the Classico line of table linens:
– Square Tablecloths: 54″ square, 70″ square, 90″ square
– Round Tablecloths: 70″ round, 90″ round, 106″ round, 120″ round
– Rectangular Tablecloths: 66″ x 86″, 66″ x 106″, 66″ x 124″, 66″ x 140″, 66″ x 160″, 88″ x 106″, 88″ x 124″, 88″ x 140″, 88″ x 160″
– Runners: 15″ x 70″, 15″ x 90″, 15” x108″
– Napkins: 6″ doilies, 6” x 6″ cocktail, 6″ x 9″ cocktail, 13” x 13″ tea, 20″ x 20″ dinner, 22″ x 22″ dinner, 24″ x 24″ dinner, 27″ x 27″ buffet
– Placemats: 15″ octagonal, 13″ x 19″ rect, 13″ x 19″ oval, 15″ round
– Guest/Fingertip Towels: 14″ x 20″

To see our entire collection of Sferra linens, please click here.

With Hanukkah just around the corner, we have all the best finishing touches and gift ideas to make this season unforgettable.

In the shape of a tree, Mary Jurek‘s Odelia Menorah is rustic yet refined.

In rich, winter hues, Sferra‘s Chatham Easy care Table Linens are ideal for the busy host or hostess.

Nambe‘s Challah Bread Knife is an essential for keeping your guests well fed.

Nambe’s Kiddush Cup is simple, yet sophisticated.

Beautiful both inside and out, L’Objet‘s Malachite Candle is the perfect gift for your host.

For more from our Judaica shop, click here.

We know how quickly time flies when you’re getting ready for the holidays, so if you still haven’t ordered your linens for the holidays, all these collections are in stock and ready to ship right away.

To see all our table linen collections, click here.

The secret is out! For over twenty years, Visual Comfort has been the premier American resource for signature designer lighting.  Home to a small group of labels featuring some of the most influential names in style, this exceptional brand has consistently produced a wide range of high-quality, sophisticated lighting for every room. Formerly known only to a select group of wise interior designers, Gracious Style is proud to make this incredible line available directly to our customers.

Under the creative direction of legendary designer E. F. (Sandy) Chapman, Visual Comfort has set the standard for the art of lighting. Utilizing only the finest authentic, natural materials, including bronze, porcelain, alabaster, quartz, forged iron, honed woods, and handblown glass, their focus on exceptional craftsmanship and skillful engineering ensures that every piece has a custom feel. With over 80 options, each lavish finish is fashioned to enrich and patina with age, creating a “living” finish that grows with you throughout time and place.

With collections that span from traditional classicism to contemporary chic, internationally acclaimed designers such as Barbara Barry, Suzanne Kasler, Alexa Hampton, and Thomas O’Brien each enrich Visual Comfort’s creative philosophy with their unique visions. Strong architectural silhouettes, subtle iconic elegance, bold neoclassicism, vintage moderne, country industrial, and French antique are all at home in Visual Comfort’s design aesthetic, giving a refreshing twist on formality without betraying traditional sensibilities.

Design, mechanics, sculpture, touch, and sight all combine to create a freestanding still life with each Visual Comfort piece. Equally fashionable and functional, good lighting can be an exquisite architectural statement itself, or can extend the style of a room by interjecting a subtle accent. Visual Comfort’s collection of inspired lighting, designed with personality and integrity, is capable of turning any room into a living work of art.

Begin to beautify your home environment today, by viewing our entire Visual Comfort collection here.

Which is your favorite Visual Comfort lamp?  We’d love to know!

We adore this series of giclee prints from Natural Curiosities. Chosen to inspire, amuse, and enlighten you, there is one for everyone you know.

Available unframed or framed. To view our entire collection of Notable Quotables, click here.

Thanksgiving is just three weeks away, but you can rest easy: we have lots of tips to keep it simple for you.

1) Add sparkle to your entryway.

2) Place orders from your favorite gourmet store. Don’t forget a Willie Bird smoked turkey from Williams-Sonoma: they arrive fully cooked and are truly spectacular!

3) Dress up your kitchen with new kitchen towels.

4) Keep the kids’ table simple with easy-to-clean placemats.

5) Save time with no-iron tablecloths.

6) Set your table with colorful dinnerware.

7) Make sure to have plenty of flatware on hand.

8) Use your best crystal.

9) Pretend you made everything from scratch (just kidding!).

10) Enjoy yourself!!!

To visit our Thanksgiving shop, click here.

We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Do you have any tips you can share with us to make Thanksgiving easy?

We’re moving into a new house soon, so to make things go faster on moving day, we set aside a day last weekend and headed over to the new place with all our artwork for a marathon day of picture hanging.

When you’re just hanging one or two pieces, it’s fun to play around with different heights, but when you’re doing an entire house all at once, you need to have a system so you don’t spend all day doing math.

Luckily, there’s an easy way to get this right: The Rule of 58. Simply put, if you make sure that the center of each piece is 58 inches from the floor, your entire space will look cohesive and be hung at eye level: the perfect height that most museums and art galleries use in their displays.

Here is how it’s done:

1) Measure the height of your artwork and divide that by two. On our 30-inch tall piece, this number was 15 inches.

2) Measure the distance between the top of the stretched wire on the back of your piece and the top of your picture frame. In our case, this was 4 inches.

3) Subtract the second number from the first number. Using our numbers above, 15 minus 4 got us 11 inches.

4) Add this number to 58. Install your picture hanger on that mark (58 + 11 = 69), and you’re done!

Try it.  You’ll see it’s a breeze …

… and before you know it, you’ll be hanging entire collections like a pro!

Company’s coming?  Why don’t you update your guest room with these essentials … any of them will make your guests feel pampered.

To find more bedding, candles, clocks, hangers, rugs, bath accessories, and lamps, visit GraciousStyle.com.

Wish you could instantly change the look of a room?  Throw pillows are an easy way to transform the way your room looks and make it more comfortable.  Here are some tips to give your rooms that designer look:

– To add interest, the fabric on your pillows should be different from the upholstery fabric on your furniture.

– Tightly woven fabrics (like cotton and linen) in similar colors work well in modern environments.

– Velvets, silks, and jacquards look great in classic settings.

– Fringed pillows are a great way to vary the texture on your pillows.

– Choose feather-and-down fillers over polyester fills. They are more comfortable and look more natural.

– Choose an odd number of pillows: three, five, or seven usually work best.

– Select a matching pair of pillows and place them on the outside of your sofa and work your way in. We like 22- inch squares on the outside, and smaller rectangular pillows in the center.

– Choose colors and patterns that complement your decor, but vary the scale and intensity of the designs.

– Use pillows to introduce a pop of new color to your room.

– Use pillows to brighten up darker spaces.

– Use pillows in your bedroom: they add texture and color and they’re great for reading.

– Spice up your outdoors with indoor/outdoor throw pillows.

– Bring your travels home: pillows are great reminders of places you’ve visited …

… or about to visit.

Inspired?  Come see our entire collection of throw pillows.