Place Setting created by Gump’s Director of Visual Merchandising Hermann Seeman

“Arabesque” and “Lotus Pavillion” china by J. Chew, “Treasure” gold charger bt Seiger by Furstenberg, “Attalage” gold vermeil flatware by Hermès, “Tortoise” martini glass by Steuben, bronze brach with porcelain flowers by David Wiseman, all available at Gump’s (Photo by Moanalani Jeffrey)

THE ART OF THE TABLE
by Claudia Juestel

I had the honor to participate in a preview event for DIFFA’s (Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS) Dining by Design 2009, graciously hosted by Gump’s, Orlando Diaz-Azcuy. Martha Angus, Ken Fulk, and myself, each designed a unique dining environment.

The event was a kind of “amuse bouche” for what is to come on November 18th and 20th, 2009, at the Galleria in the San Francisco Design Center when we celebrate our eighth year of Dining by Design in San Francisco and interior designers, architects, artists and event designers once again will create the most over-the-top dining environments to benefit the UCSF Positive Health Program, a program of the AIDS Research Institute at the San Francisco General Hospital.

Mark Calvano, Karen Tamblyn, Maria Barrios Ehmer, Joel Goodrich, Brenda Zarate
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Each of us designed a smaller version expressing “The Art of the Table” for four to six guests instead of ten. But the results were not less impressive by any means. The styles ranged from the understated, over the playful and the subliminal to the dramatic. In fact the event drew such a crowd that Gump’s had to close the guest list four days prior.

Amongst the guests who made it on the coveted list were Fati and Monsour Farmanfarmaian, Jennifer Biederbeck, Joel Goodrich, Karen Tamblyn, Mark Calvano, Holly Baxter, Scott Heldfond, Kenneth Winn, Stephanie Tuttle, Katy Dinner, Marcy Carmack, Samantha DuVall, and Suzanna Allen.

Brenda Mickel and Ned Mobley
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Jorge Maumer and Marius Carluci
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Victoria Miller and Denise Bradley Tyson
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

And of course the local world of design came to support their colleagues and DIFFA. Among them were interior designers Jay Jeffers, Candace Barnes, Candra Scott, Richard Anderson, Cecilia Sagrera Hill, George Brazil, Barbara Ashfield, David Hansen, Brian Dittmar, Grant Gibson, Benjamin Dhong, Joel Robare, Grant Gibson, and architect Maryann Schicketanz.

Nelson Bloncourt and Ken Fulk
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Robin Lill and Ed Hardy
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Ten lucky guests amongst the ones who purchased tickets for Dining by Design left with fabulous gift bags by Hermès, which contained a tie, a porcelain plate, fragance, the Hermès magazine, and their cookbook.

Christian Franci and David Hansen
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Following the viewing the installations Diane Dorrans Saeks moderated a lively panel discussion about the art of entertaining. Topics included paper versus cloth dinner and cocktail napkins (the panel was surprisingly divided, I voted for cloth, and Gump’s provided linen cocktail napkins for the evening), what makes a dinner party a success, and breaking the rules for holiday decorating.

Diane Dorrans Saeks, Claudia Juestel, Orlando Diaz, Martha Angus, Ken Fulk, Marta Benson
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Orlando Diaz, Martha Angus
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

In the designers’ own words a description of the concept for each installation:

HIGH TEA WITH BERNADAUD
By Orlando Diaz-Azcuy of Orlando Diaz-Azcuy Design Associates

Dining installation by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy

Chairs and “Aria” table designed by ODA for McGuire, chandelier designed by ODA for Boyd (Photo by Moanalani Jeffrey)

Orlando Diaz-Azcuy: “A fictional scenario. I had imagined the White House called to set a high tea meeting amongst the living first ladies of the United States. It is Spring, and I set the occasion on the lawn of the Rose Garden in a futuristic tent. I imagined, for the “Art of the Table” event, that the first ladies had the opportunity to give their opinions on important subjects of which they had been previously suppressed, such as abortion rights, gay marriage, and immigration.

The tent has no walls because we are in an era of transparency and the viewers should have the opportunity to hear what these ladies have to say.

Detail of table by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy

“Pensées” china by Bernardaud, “Ingrid” silver by Alain Saint Joanis, cake stand by Simon Pearce, “White Wave” napkins by Dransfield & Ross, “Dom Perignon” Champagne flutes by Baccarat, all available at Gump’s, purple “Feast” glasses by Giarimi Design, available at March.  (Photo by Monanalani Jeffrey)

The China selection (where I always begin my table settings) is “Pensées by Bernardaud, which provides the beauty, lightness, whimsy, and- for some- a double entendre. I did prepare my own dialogue amongst the first ladies, but I am not about to publish what I heard.”

Detail of table by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy

“Pensées” china by Bernardaud, “Ingrid” silver by Alain Saint Joanis, napkins by Dransfield & Ross, all available at Gump’s, purple “Feast” glasses by Giarimi Design, available at March. (Photo by Monanalani Jeffrey)

Jay Jeffers, Marta Benson and Gary McNatton
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Gene Ogden and Kevin Peters
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

NtRAIN
By Martha Angus

Dining installation by Martha Angus

Italian Louis XVI chairs and Gustavian chairs from Therien, duodecogonal mirrored table with etching from Sarlo, custom “Peony” neon light fixture by Bill Concannon, area rug by Ikea.  (Photo by Moanalani Jeffrey)

Martha Angus: “NtRtain (Entertain – in text lingo) I have a passion and an eye for contemporary art and I am always on the look-out for new and exciting pieces. I knew I wanted the table design to be fun yet glamorous.

Detail of Table by Martha Angus

“Vannerie” china by Alberto Pinto, “Chantaco” silver by Puiforcat, “Thistle Gold” and “Lydee” crystal by Saint-Louis, all available at Gump’s, custom menus from Minted.  (Photo by Moanalani Jeffrey)

It was then that I remembered that I had seen an amazing pink neon light fixture made from recycled plastic bags, and it was from here that the inspiration grew. The glam came from the stunning tableware provided by Gump’s and the elegant antique chairs from Therien. The sparkle and color are beautifully reflected in the etched mirrored dining table from Sarlo. An area rug from Ikea grounds the setting and completes the theme that you can mix the high with the low with success.

Detail of Table by Martha Angus

“Vannerie” china by Alberto Pinto, “Chantaco” silver by Puiforcat, “Thistle Gold” and “Lydee” crystal by Saint-Louis, all available at Gump’s, custom menus from Minted.  (Photo by Moanalani Jeffrey)

With the holidays approaching this could be a wonderful table design for the New Year, which is a time of hope and new beginnings which connects well with the Dining by Design event for HIV/AIDS patients.”

Fati and Mansoor Farmanfarmaian and Brenda Zarate
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Katy Dinner and Claudia Juestel
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

CHAHUT
By Ken Fulk of Ken Fulk Design

Dining installation by Ken Fulk

Table with back-painted glass by Ken Fulk, saddles, saddle stands, crops, belt buckles and scarves by Hermès. (Photo by Drew Altizer)

Ken Fulk: “Once we learned that Hermès was one of the sponsors of the event the concept blossomed from there. I have such a distinct memory of being in the flagship store on the rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré and watching these proper Parisians bring their saddles for repair/restoration. It was such a wonderful visual. So on a whim I thought how great it would be to have saddles as the seats at the table. We asked Hermès of they would consider loaning us some –shockingly they agreed and sent eight saddles from Paris! From that point we were off and running (so to speak).

Detail of table by Ken Fulk

“Fil d’Argent” china and “Attalage” silver by Hermès, “Laqe de Chine Noir” and platinum chargers by Haviland, “Tortoise” DOF by Steuben, “Black Martini” by David Redmond, Martini shaker by Lappas, all available at Gump’s.  (Photo by Drew Altizer)

Continuing on a theme we added Hermès scarves as napkins and Hermès belt buckles as napkin rings. The table was topped with a burst of signature orange to make everything pop. Rather than setting the traditional table – we figured the group dining here was pretty adventurous. Each place setting included a personal tin of Petrossian Caviar and individual martini shakers.

Detail of table by Ken Fulk

“Fil d’Argent” china and “Attalage” silver by Hermès, “Laqe de Chine Noir” and platinum chargers by Haviland, “Tortoise” DOF by Steuben, “Black Martini” by David Redmond, Martini shaker by Lappas, all available at Gump’s. (Photo by Moanalani Jeffrey)

The center piece – the horse – was custom-made from a vendor we found on the internet. It is constructed out of fiberglass. We surrounded it with an abundance of roses in shades of glorious Indian pink. The vintage table is from our inventory and is actually one of a pair, originally used in department store displays. Funny how this one seems to have found its way home!

Ken Fulk
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Candace Barnes and Lawanna Endonino
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

THE OBSERVER EFFECT
By Claudia Juestel of Adeeni Design Group

Dining installation by Claudia Juestel

“Shatranj” table with Brazilian rosewood veneer and “Caïssa” chairs designed by Adeeni Design Group, manufactured by Vargas Antique Legacy, “Sphera” globe light from Policelli Lighting, “Quiet Tectonic (-after blert)” single channel video projection by Elyse Mallouk, available through Baxter & Cook Art Advisors, “Tantalus” bar cabinet by Paul Benson, available at Gump’s.  (Photo by Moanalani Jeffrey)

Claudia Juestel: “My original concept was the idea of “overcoming obstacles,” which often are imaginary. The centerpiece, a video projection of gemstones onto a globe represents that. I started thinking of the different forms of faith and traditions that run across all cultures, generations. Everyone has something they believe in, whether it may be religion, astrology or pure luck. Many times, these beliefs express themselves in objects, such as icons, money, certain materials, or colors, which may be considered lucky.

Detail of table by Claudia Juestel

Centerpiece “Quiet Tectonic (-after blert)” single channel video projection by Elyse Mallouk, available through Baxter & Cook Art Advisors. “Bubbles” crystal stemware by Saint-Louis, “Renaissance” crystal tumblers by Varga, all available at Gump’s, custom silk napkins by Adeeni Design Group, “Beggers” bowls by Dave Meeker .  (Photo by Moanalani Jeffrey)

I wanted to incorporate these manifestations into the design of my table. The table itself is named after the ancient Persian chess game “Shatranj,” and its base is designed after an antique Indian game piece representing the king. The chairs take their graceful lines from Caïssa, the goddess of chess. Considered a game of skill chess seems to stand in contrast with luck. The same thought process inspired the choices of materials. Metal is combined with warm wood and gemstones of particular colors for their contrast. Platinum was chosen to express rarity and reflection, orange fire opals to manifest ideas and personal power, and chartreuse green peridots to represent exploration and clarity. The “Beggers” bowls made from nickels and dimes serve as examples of the illusion of the value of money.

“Silver” china by Raynaud, “Brantome” silver by Ercuis, “Bubbles” crystal stemware by Saint-Louis, “Renaissance” crystal tumblers by Varga, all available at Gump’s, custom silk napkins by Adeeni Design Group, “Beggers” bowls by Dave Meeker, vintage Japanese lacquer plates, antique ivory fish set.  (Photo by Moanalani Jeffrey)

I learned that according to quantum physics, there is no reality until that reality is perceived. So if we chronicle our perceptions they often show us that our way of perceiving indeed changed the course of our personal history. This way observation and awareness tie our mind to the physical world through our expectations, positive or negative, and those expectations manifest as a physical force. So it makes me wonder if it was God, the lucky charm or our perceptions that caused a certain outcome?”

Claudia Juestel, Maryam Mohit and Mark Calvano
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Moanalani Jeffrey, Lindsey Shook and Jessica Silverman
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Nelson Bloncourt and Marta Benson
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

Derek Besenfelder and Keylee Sanders
(Photo by Drew Altizer)

The tables remain at Gump’s until November 16th. Tickets are still available for the Table Hop & Taste cocktail party of Dining by Design please visit DIFFA SF to order tickets online.