I had the pleasure of attending the 2009 Holiday House Designer Tabletop Showcase to benefit the Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and blown away by the creativity of the participating designers. Holiday House consists of 18 table settings that celebrate some of life's special occasions. Even though only one specifically celebrates Christmas, I think many of them offer wonderful inspiration for the setting the table this year. Enjoy!
I'm posting the designers and table settings in the order they appeared in the house and the first is the Fourth of July designed by antiques dealer Irwin Feld. It was such a pleasure to finally meet Irwin since I purchased chairs from his great shop in Stamford for the bachelor pad!
Irwin decided to forgo the usual red, white and blue usually associated with the Fourth of July in favor of a more sophisticated celebration with a few elegant nods to summer. It was a really beautiful design and one of my favorites.
The coordinating table that also celebrated the Fourth of July was designed by Jolie Korek using many of Irwin's great vintage furniture.
I really liked the designers who created rooms and not just a table setting. It added a lot to the overall design.
A detail of the beautiful table setting.
Valentine's Day was celebrated by glassblower Abby Modell of LLe-Dom Contemporary Art Glass.
Valentine's Day wasn't a table but a bed that included sweet treats to celebrate the holiday.
A tray set for eating in bed.
At first I thought this was the Christmas table but it actually celebrates the Festival of the Stag and was created by Barbara Ostrom.
The table was beautiful and reminded me of something you might see in Aspen or a country house for the holidays.
This was one of two table settings that used beautiful feather place mats.
This is a perfect table setting for dinner on cold winter nights!
Another beautiful and elegant table setting was the New Year's Eve or "Tempus Fugit" by Timothy & Associates Interior Design in Pearl River.
I loved all the references to time and clocks incorporated into the design.
I can't think of anything more chic than a white peacock!
The Winter Solstice table setting by Diane Durocher perfectly complimented the New Year's table next to it with it's white, silver and icy blue palette. 
I can imagine this table in an elegant Park Avenue apartment.
A close up of the Winter Solstice table setting.
This tablescape could also work perfectly for Christmas!
It was such a pleasure to see Bunny Williams and photographer her in front of her Summer Solstice table set with items from her shop Treillage.
I was just shopping in the Treillage on Lexington Avenue last week and it's the best store to visit for tablescape inspiration!
Her table setting makes me long for summer!
One of my favorite items in the shop are the faux trees and plants that are perfect for busy New Yorkers who might not have time to water their plants! They look amazingly real!
Hanukkah is coming up soon and Greenbaum Interiors created a beautiful table and seating areas to celebrate the holiday. 
The table was set with the Sufganiyot or jelly filled donuts that are fried in oil to symbolize the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days instead of one.
The elegant Hanukkah table setting.
The sitting area with Hanukkah gelt. 
The Tudor window area created the perfect setting for the Halloween table setting by SY Interior Designs by Marjorie Sobiloff and Cathy Yohay.
It was a more elegant and adult table setting to celebrate Halloween
The photograph is by Steven Klein and is available through the Vered Gallery in East Hampton while the spider fabric is a little creepy yet absolutely perfect for Halloween! 
The Halloween table setting.
Another part of the Halloween setting with a witches broom and another spider web. 
The Christmas table was set by the venerable interior designer Charles Pavarini.
The Table was set for six of the most well behaved Americans of 2009 which included Bernadette Peters, Derek Jeter, Brad Pitt, Michelle Obama, Elle DeGeneres, and Chesley B. Sullenberger.
My favorite part was that Charles placed lighted trees outside of the window that really did make it feel like a winter wonderland ready for Christmas! 
The Crystal Anniversary table was designed by Stedila Design and was fill of silver, mirror and glass.
The beaded place mats and smokey glass accents added to the elegant table setting.
I especially loved the look of the crystal chandelier hanging in the mirror lined fireplace. 
This rug is another fun decorating idea for New Year's Eve.
Designer Jamie Drake created a very fun table celebrating Single Awareness Day (SAD) which apparently was created for singles to celebrate on or near Valentine's Day.
The table was set with a game of solitaire and and included a frog sculpture that I hope turned into a prince!
My fabulous friend Harry Heissmann also created a fun yet elegant table to celebrate Groundhog Day. He said he chose it since it was the only non-commercial holiday.
The chairs were mushroom stools and the lighting is part of the Tony Duquette Collection at Remains Lighting. The fabric for the tablecloth is also by Tony Duquette.
I really want Harry to teach me how he created the napkin rosettes! 
Did you know Punxsutawney Phil had official souvenirs? Harry did and he bought them to add to his table setting! 
Gale Sitomer and Sandy Rosenthal of G. Sitomer Design (no website) created the Wedding table setting in a small room on the second floor.
The furry carpet is from Stark.
The wedding table setting was of course set for a very elegant bride and groom!
I thought that the Kwanza table set by Jennifer Garrigues and Diane El Daher for Jennifer Garrigues Interior Design was especially lovely.
Here is the example of the second feather placemat. The table was set with place cards for the Obama family who seemed to be a popular guests!
The tablecloth was made from fabric from Quadrille.
Clara's Birthday Tea Party was created by Zoya Bograd for 
The linens were custom embroidered by Casa del Bianco.
This is one children's table that even the grown ups would want to sit at!
The beautiful needlepoint pictures were created by Renee Glicklich-Abraham and can be found on her website! They would make great gifts for the holidays! 
Since the Holiday House benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure, it was fitting that one of the table settings celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness Day which was designed by Harry Danielle.
Harry created a beautiful pink and green garden party with real flowers and a flowery chandelier.
A detail of the Breast Cancer Awareness Day table setting.
Sharing the same room and pink backdrop is the Birthday celebration table by MH Sudio.
MH Studio is made up of designers Shari Markbreiter and Benjamin Hunntington who created the birthday celebration in honor of Shar's friend, the 86 year old Robin Chadler Duke who was once the Ambassador to Norway!
The very elegant table setting for a very elegant lady!
The blue lamps pop against the pale pink walls.
A bar cart on the right holds the birthday cake.
Pretty presents waiting to be opened.
A great surprise was meeting Maribel Lieberman, the creator of the most delicious chocolate, MarieBelle! She had created a Chocolate Bar on the second floor of the Holiday House. 
Hope you enjoyed this look inside the 2009 Holiday House. I very much enjoyed seeing all the tables and meeting many of the designers. There is nothing I love more than great design that benefits a great cause! I hope you will all stop by this weekend! 
