The Art of Dining.

As promised, I have a ton of eye candy for you from the Inner Richmond's Period George on Clement Street. Once inside the jammed-packed china shop, I just couldn't stop taking photos, as everywhere I turned there was a new corner of inspiration. Owner Donald Gibson carries the most incredible collection of 18th and 19th century antique china and glassware. Even if setting your dinner party table with linens, china, silver and beautiful cut glass goblets isn't your thing, looking at these photos may spark your interest and change your way of thinking.


Period George has an upscale, cosmopolitan look, with a neighborhood feel and Donald seems to have fun with his table settings, mixing and matching colors, patterns and texture. The thing I love about Period George is the shop's modern spin on European classics. Donald doesn't seem to take it all too seriously and demonstrates a whole new way of looking at china and creating a beautiful dining table. Even his chaotic center table is a jumble of color and whimsy and has a flea market flavor. And, the shop has been dubbed one of the country's "Best New Home Stores" by Lucky Magazine.

One table reminded me of Tiffany's: Donald had mixed the most beautiful shade of robin's egg blue china with gold and orange hued trimmed salad plates with just a touch of black. It did not look a thing like some elderly spinster might have set out for early supper.



Another corner was all greens and bright coral colored china. One wall was a floor to ceiling palette of delicate green and pink pastel glasses and the prettiest cut crystal. Yet another was the deepest shades of royal blue and gold china with periwinkle teapots and creamers. And strewn about in baskets and tucked under piles, lovely linens peeked out, too. None of it matched, but it all worked like magic.