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A Decadent Holiday Tablescape By Designer Claudia Strasser

Designer Claudia Strasser creates a holiday tablescape that’s a decadent feast for all the senses.
By Janie Donosky Condon |

Claudia and Didi topped the original sideboard with a salvaged church altar from Found Antiques. After the addition of a velvet throw, a floral-filled Lalique vase, and a few other accessories, the champagne bar was complete. (Below right) A snowflake napkin ring complements Claudia’s winter wonderland theme. (Below left) The place setting is an unexpected mix of silver chargers; square, white plates; and heirloom Royal Crown Derby Old Imari china, topped with a feather-filled Lalique perfume bottle.

Seasonal Soiree
Designer Claudia Strasser creates a holiday setting that’s a decadent feast for all the senses.

Claudia Strasser is one of those rare people who can change the mood of a room as easily as she changes her spiked mules and feather boas. She is a free spirit (hence, the mules and boa), but make no mistake, she’s also a savvy retailer and author of the best-selling The Paris Apartment.

When Claudia recently blew through town scouting locations for her second book and the television show she’s developing (see below), I roped her into whipping up something special for an intimate holiday soiree. We started out with your basic dining room “red walls, an early English dining set and sideboard, and an iron chandelier. Not bad, but it needed a face lift for such an occasion. So I asked Claudia to work her magic. Luis Andrade added his genius to the centerpieces, freeing Claudia and her pal, creative consultant Didi Rainey, to prepare, shop, and mastermind.

Claudia used crystal lampshades, green glass pepper garlands, and clear crystal garlands to create an
icicle chandelier.

I wanted the room to be a feast for the senses, Claudia says. A celebration of family, food, nature, and the spirit of the holidays. Enter the fresh moss tablecloth that Claudia laid over newspaper, saying, Each person will have a personal picnic.

In just 24 hours, Claudia and Didi searched all of their favorite local haunts and loaded up on ambience enhancers. In Dallas, snow is a rarity, of course, Claudia says, so we wanted to suggest a frosty, cold Christmas, with crystal icicles dangling from the chandelier, fallen fruit on the moss, a butterfly-touched cornucopia, and cozy sheepskins for chair covers and a rug.

Now the dining room has that Alpine chateau look, Didi says.

Claudia, the master of more bang for less buck, says, Our idea was to decorate a room that can go from Thanksgiving through Christmas and New Year’s and all the way to Valentine’s, using the same key pieces, but merely switching flowers and a few accessories.

Serve your guests strawberry-kissed champagne as soon as they arriveA holiday table wouldn’t be complete without beautifully wrapped gifts “these are favors for the guests.White and gold accents are striking against the dining room’s deep red walls.A Lalique vase is as beautiful as the floral arrangement it holds.

Claudia’s Tips for Creating the Perfect Setting

Look around for ideas and inspiration. Find one or two pieces that stimulate your imagination “anything from a napkin ring or a lampshade to a painting or an architectural detail.

Don’t be afraid to splurge on one or two inspirational pieces, especially if they can serve multiple functions. You can always resell them on eBay if need be, often at a profit.

Choose less expensive accessories that complement the piece you’ve splurged on; this way you’ll create a theme.

Stay focused on your theme while shopping.

Be playful and have a sense of humor. Use things in unexpected ways “tie tassels to a knife, or serve wine from a large, vintage perfume bottle. Something a little offbeat or fun and funky makes a great signature piece.

Didi Rainey and Claudia Strasser

Claudia Strasser: The Princess of Panache

Spend just a few minutes with Claudia and you’ll realize she’s a really fancy girl. She wears fancy clothes and has fancy feet (a feather boa and Manolos with her ratted-out jeans), a fancy taste for pricey antiques, and a fancy philosophy: every girl deserves to be a princess! Originally a small-town Jersey girl, Claudia has a knack for collecting garage-sale and antique-fair furnishings, sprucing them up, and reselling them at a profit. In the early 90s, she rented a ragged-around-the-edges space on an abandoned street in Manhattan’s East Village for a song and stuffed it with her creative, mostly French finds. Her boutique, The Paris Apartment, quickly caught on, attracting a cult-like following of celebrity clients and serving as a backdrop for photo shoots and album covers. More trendy boutiques followed Claudia to the now-desirable street, which has become one of New York’s top shopping destinations. A book deal followed, and, even after seven years, The Paris Apartment remains a popular seller. These days, Claudia has moved her store to the Antique Salon on Lexington so she can concentrate on her web site; her latest book, Boudoir Moderne; and The Thrill of the Hunt, a television show she’s developing. But don’t be fooled by her sweet giggle and dainty appearance: she can scale a 10-foot ladder to hang a 30-pound chandelier and hoist a 100-pound credenza into her Expedition with ease.

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