Kim Seybert’s table settings are so gorgeous that you practically don’t even need food to have a party. Part of her secret is knowing how to add volume to her napkins.

For the lotus layered napkin fold below, all you need are:

1) One organza napkin
2) One regular napkin
3) One napkin ring

And to learn how to put them together, just follow the instructions in the video below. We promise you everyone will be impressed.

Were some people really born with a silver spoon in their mouth?  When it came time to dining, and entertaining, royals didn’t just grab a quick bite to go.  Every meal had to be worthy of a king, right down to the choice of the plates.  But the favorite dinnerware of Europe’s royals and aristocrats might surprise you.

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We’ve just moved into our new house, and although we love our hardwood floors, they are kind of overwhelming.  We feel like we’re living in a showhouse, plus we’re always walking carefully since our footsteps can be heard so loudly throughout.  So we need to start thinking about rugs.  We’re looking to define specific areas, add color to some rooms, and muffle sound/bring in warmth underfoot.

Luckily, we’ve done this many times before, so we know what a change we’ll see once we add rugs.  But for those who haven’t, here’s where you start.

A rug is good for:

• Defining a specific seating area.  The area rug brings a group of furniture together.  It could help smaller rooms look more spacious and turn larger rooms into separate, usable areas.

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Area rugs can be pricey, so many of us have wondered if we can just skip the rug pad in order to save a few dollars.  Here’s the quick answer: nope. And here’s why.

Rug pads do the following:

• Prevent your rug from sliding, buckling, and wrinkling
• Protect your rug from uneven wear patterns, and keep dirt and moisture trapped between the floor and the rug from damaging the rug’s underside
• Prevent your floors, especially wood floors, from getting bits of latex backing or thread stuck into them
• Finally, vacuuming is easier with a rug pad.  And who doesn’t want to keep their floors in their best shape for years to come?

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When picking the right fiber, you have to consider things like cleanability, durability, softness, shedding, color retention, and more. In fact, sometimes synthetic fibers like polypropylene or polyester are better choices than natural fibers because they’re stain-resistant, fade-resistant, and soft. Read more

The best rugs don’t just look great — they enhance and complement the entire look of your interior space. With that said, it’s interesting how the size of a rug, not just its appearance, can influence the dynamic of a room. Read more

Have you ever worried about serving your favorite wines with dinner because they could stain your tablecloths?  Or inviting your best friends’ children over for a sit-down meal because Joey is (ahem) a little messy?

Well, believe it or not, some genius scientists in Switzerland were listening, and they came up with a solution that did not involve vinyl.  And not a moment too soon.  Finally, we’ll have driverless cars on the road, so it’s high time we found a way to entertain well without worrying about stains. Read more

Don’t you love the fresh scent and smooth feel of new linens?

Would you like to keep them looking and feeling fresh year after year?  Here are our favorite common sense tips to help keep your linens beautiful:

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Do you realize that creating a gift registry is probably your first official act as a married couple?

The ring, the dress, and the thousand details of your wedding are all for The Big Day.  With the gift registry, though, you’re telling the world jointly how you plan to live after you get married.   Unfortunately, it could be hard to see that far ahead.

Here are some common wedding gift registry mistakes we’ve seen, and how to avoid them: Read more

The flowers at the Four Seasons George V in Paris are so stunning, they’ve made the hotel a must-stop for anyone visiting the 8th arrondissement.  Go any time of the year and I promise you’ll be thrilled.

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