“First I listen and observe. I align the ideas in my head. I improve on the beautiful things I find. This is how the story of a table layout is set in
my mind. It starts with a feeling. Then come the flowers. I must be there in person to pick out the bouquets for the table. To bring together the best of what I have, to primp and prime… I don’t create from scratch. Beauty is brought out with modesty and elegance. This part of the job is like a dream state for me. I feel great. I believe I bring a different perspective which is somewhat simpler… details many of us tend to overlook or refrain from mentioning.

I’m talking about the simplicity we tend to forget about, but associate with the moment we see it. Beauty in its plainest and most elegant form is what we crave… The things we used to know but somehow forgot which make us feel happy and close to at first sight. This is what I mean.

For me, nothing can surpass the gratifying feeling of a table with onions, garlic, unshelled walnuts, a few tomatoes on a small plate with a fabulous sharp knife next to it. Then you have the candles standing on a potpourri of old and discoloured chandeliers. The feeling of used items, different stemware, rich coloured roses in bloom cut a few days ago. Everything as it
should be…

Please remove the fancy floral arrangements which create a barrier between the person opposite you… Laying out the perfect table requires a personal touch which makes guests feel special. You might not be doing it in person but putting your ideas and heart in it makes a world’s difference.

Finally, you witness people sitting merrily at the table.
Nothing beats making others happy…”

Lian Beraha