Dining on the edge

There is nothing like a gathering with family and friends, sitting down to a holiday meal that has been lovingly prepared. It is a scene that is familiar and comforting to all of us, so why not shake things up with something a bit avant-garde?

The So-Ho Dining Table from Jean de Merry, with the puzzle-like base of ebonized or white gold leaf metal legs and a fossil stone top.

Cerused oak and hand-hammered and carved metal accent legs in a platinum finish, define the strong lines of the Sun Valley Dining Table from Berman Rosetti.

Christian Liaigre's Courrier Table by Holly Hunt. Sloped edges, x-base, in stock!

The cool, clean, high lustre Azure Blue polished finish and nickel feet on the Arabesque Dining Table by Dakota Jackson.

29 squares of walnut or rosewood add up to the Square Luna Dining Table by Helene Aumont.

The exaggerated scale and proportion of the turned legs round out the Owen Dining Table by Oly Studio. Available in antiqued white, chalk and antiqued black.

Giving new life to trees from the urban forest, Seattle's Urban Hardwoods crafts unique tables from what would have previously ended up in a landfill. The Seattle Dining Table uses book-matched Chinese elm with a free edge and an ebonized metal chevron base.

Jean de Merry

Uber-sophisticated, elegantly cool and unabashedly sexy, Jean de Merry turns heads with their well edited line of case pieces, upholstery and lighting. They also have an exclusive line of textiles from Italy. Their flagship showroom in Los Angeles was the logical next step for a family heritage in the French leather industry, which spanned several centuries. They now have representation and a legion of fans world-wide. All of their pieces represent quality of the highest order, here is a peek at some of their outstanding work.

The Riviera Table with forged iron base and top options in antiqued parchment, shagreen or marble.

Mirror in all of its iterations; foxed, antiqued mercury, clear or dark silver with open work forged iron feet on the Parigi Credenza.

Cerused, satin or lacquered wood finishes highlight the curvaceous beauty of the Cambodia Arm Chair.

The Racine, just about the perfect wing chair for any space.

Filigreed jewelry for your walls, the Venezia Sconce. Available in bronze, nickel, silver-plated or gold leaf finishes.

Quite the explosive exclamation point in a dining room, the Lumiere Chandelier in 3 sizes, up to 60" diameter.

Not one detail has been overlooked in their beautiful collection.

"Taking Wing"

Originally designed to protect against chills in those drafty, old castles, the wing chair has been elevated to iconic status. They are characterized by a high back, comfortable arms, those enveloping wings and are available in styles from traditional to modern, even to the whimsical.

A statement is made by the exaggerated lines and proportions of the Aland Wing Chair by Jean de Merry.

Mid-mod fans can satisfy their style of choice with this chair, originally designed by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Sons, and available through Room & Board.

Restoration Hardware's new French Upholstered Wing Chair exemplifies traditional form.

The Balloon Chair, also known as a canopy chair, brings the Victorian age to your hearth. Available through Horchow.

The Van Wing Chair by Bright Chair ups the style quotient with the slightly raised, exposed wood arms.

Clean and simple, Stanley Jay Friedman's Winged Chair for Brueton.

Delicate, hand painted chinoiserie sets off the detailed fretwork on the Chinese Chippendale Wing Chair by Gregorius|Pineo.

Now, you just need to pour a brandy, open the damper, stack the wood and light that cozy fire!

Chinoiserie

Chinoiserie; a French term, meaning "Chinese-esque", reflecting Chinese artistic influences, it is characterized by the use of fanciful imagery of an imaginary China. It is generally asymmetrical and has contrasts of scale. In order to err on the side of brevity, furnishings get the spotlight today, but chinoiserie is found in fabrics, wallcoverings, lighting, accessories and tableware.

The surprising contrast of the mid-century lines of this 1950's Italian buffet with a chinoiserie center panel. Available at Gary Rubinstein Antiques through 1st dibs.

Technically not chinoiserie, but displaying a more modern vibe, the Diana Credenza by Jean de Merry.

With beautiful fretwork about the legs and feet, and lovingly hand-applied decoration after a circa 1690 original, the Chinoiserie Cabinet on Stand by Elijah Slocum.

After a late 16th c. Kakeban style tray table, the elegantly simple Chow Table from Erica Brunson, with tete d'negre crackled lacquer finish.

Asian fusion with raised decoration and hand-tooled leather writing surface, the Waxed Chinoiserie Desk by Century Furniture.

An extraordinary, truly one of a kind example is the Regency Chinoiserie Cabinet, circa 1820's England. Both the interior and exterior are pictured, as the example of both polychrome and monochrome penwork is exceptional. Available at Kentshire Galleries, Ltd.