Tuesday, June 12

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.






10 comments:

cori said...

love all the fine dine. i love your blog. check it often. i ordered my poster. keep calm. thank you for the link. i should get it soon. i emailed you a while ago. (the last time it was on your blog) and it got returned to me. love san fran. used to live close by, and go all the time. you are so cool. keep on keep on.

love, cori

Natasha said...

Almost too much to browse all at once. I would take a very small purse into the store for fear of knocking something off a shelf! A truly georgous shop, thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

that's funny, Natasha: I was thinking the same thing! so great to look at these pix but made my palms sweat imagining walking thru the shop. :) thanks, Victoria. visiting your blog gives me little mental trips that I look forward to every day. -Denise

studio wellspring said...

deeelish! i can't wait to go check out this place for myself.
;o)

Unknown said...

Fantastic pics. I LOVE the cups and bowls with the gorgeous colors on the inside. I must put this shop on my list for my next visit.
Ellen
www.UltimateHomeDiary.com

Another Shade of Grey said...

So loverly, as Eliza Doolittle would say...or was that Mary Poppins...

Windlost said...

Thanks for the great photos - so inspiring! What a wonderful shop - we have barely anything at all like that in Calgary...I can only dream. Love your blog. T.

Anonymous said...

Wow, so many lovely things, I would love to stroll around there and find things to buy, or just look at.

Anonymous said...

I love this store!! When I visited last,I wanted to buy everything!!

Michelle said...

Oh my goodness, I would go so crazy in that place (and the fabric store, I think I drooled all over my keyboard when I saw your photos), I always act like I have some photo shoot to art direct when I go in stores like that..."OK, I need this kind of glasses, for a table of 12..." because in my head, I am having that party, someday, maybe..
Thanks for the always wonderful posts.