Vesta sat down with Charlie Akwa from New York City's Elegant Egg Cup to discuss all things table top: mixing and matching china and linens, finding your table top style, and having fun!
VestaVamps: How did the Elegant Egg Cup come into being?
Charlie Akwa: The concept for my original shoppe was born while I was living in San Francisco and trying to figure out a way to come back home. I was in the process of winding down a 20 year career in the seafood biz and wanted my next venture to be something beautiful. (Not that fish aren’t pretty?) I started thinking of ideas that could incorporate my passion for food, entertaining and love for tableware. I realized what the city lacked was a good tabletop and gift shoppe, but something a little different. I also started reacquainting myself with estate china, which I always favored over new. I realized that there were a lot of really beautiful things out there that while not officially antique (over 100 years old) were unique, but at the same time had a contemporary flair, and most importantly were still priced affordably that people would actually want to use them. As opposed to real antique china which because of its value, and additional care and handling, dissuades people from using it and tends to be reserved for “special occasions.” So I built my first collection. Essentially pieces from 1850- 1950, but highly concentrated from the turn of the century to the early 30’s. Mostly French and English with a little eastern European and American thrown in. I then returned to NY and started looking for a location.
VV: The Elegant Egg Cup offers private parties, such as bridal showers, engagement parties, and birthdays. What has been the most memorable event you’ve been a part of?
CA: The most recent memorable event happened just recently when I was asked to decorate and outfit a hotel room here in New York City for a very dear friend of mine’s boyfriend, so he could propose to her.
VV: What is the best way to store and care for china? Table linens?
CA: The majority of the tableware sold today is dishwasher safe. Even most of the fine china, except hand painted or gold encrusted, as well as your estate pieces. However, china, even heavy duty stoneware, should always be washed on the china cycle or delicate of your dishwasher. Don’t use anything with citrus or heavy abrasives. And never use the dry cycle; set the washer for air dry or economy setting. Or just open the door after the wash cycle. (This will also substantially reduce your electric bill.) The heat of the dry cycle is what causes havoc with your dishes. It’s rarely the wash cycle. Allow your dishes to remain in the dishwasher until they are stone cold. If your take them out too early, they can become unstable and easily crack. It also can cause any metallic trim or decoration to smudge.
A word about your stemware: After a dinner party always leave your good glasses until the next morning. More accidents happen after parties when you’re tired and distracted. All it takes is for you to look away from the sink with a glass in your hand and knock it against the side of the sink for disaster to happen. It’s easier to look at a few dirty glasses in the morning than to have to replace an expensive wine glass.
Linens should be machine washed whenever possible. Dry-cleaning is very abusive to textiles in general. You should use cold water on cottons and linens and cold to lukewarm on synthetics. Contrary to popular belief, things do get clean in cold water and it preserves the quality of the fabric. Use a gentle detergent, nothing with bleach alternative (except if washing white). Oxy clean is one of the best since it’s an organic compound which removes dirt and stains (nature vs. nature). Dry on low heat, or air dry if possible. Napkins can be pressed while wet and don’t even need to go into the dryer. Remove your linens while still a little damp--for cotton or linen or anything that requires pressing--and iron as needed. Synthetic should be removed as soon as they are dry and shaken, folded or put directly back on the table.
VV: How can one incorporate salad and dessert plates into their table setting without seeming too formal?
CA: There are lots of alternatives out there today. Places like IKEA or Target have great things, such as pretty colored glass plates, which can be used to spice up a table. Or fun patterns which pair great with simple white ware.
VV: What advice can you offer people who are interested in starting their own tabletop collections?
CA: There are a variety of ways to approach this. But fundamentally if you are trying to build a collection that will serve as your main china set you need the following: a dinner plate 10- 11 in., a couple of salad/dessert plates (2 at least, 8 – 9 in ) and a couple of soup bowls, either large rimmed or coupe. And a few coffee cups and saucers. I advise half as many cups and saucers as dinner plates. It’s very rare that everyone would take coffee or tea with or after a meal, and they are difficult to store. If you do a lot of brunches you will probably want mugs anyway. Now on to how to go about this. New/old the choice is yours. The rule in tabletop is there are no rules and there is no such thing as the tabletop police! So if you think it looks pretty, it is. I am a big believer in mixing and matching whether it be old and old, new and old. Incorporating many patterns together. You can even set every place differently if you like. It’s very easy to find singles or pairs at thrift shops or garage sales and they are always priced less per plate than say a matched set of 6 or 8 or 12. Start picking up things you like and eventually you will start to see a pattern evolving, whether it is a particular color or color family or florals, etc. This philosophy can be applied to purchasing new pieces as well. Don’t buy that matching five piece place setting. First of all, some of the pieces are dysfunctional and you would be better served by using the money you would have spent on the 7-in cake plate towards a really great large soup bowl which can be used for pasta, stews, hearty soups, even carry out Chinese. An easy way to start entertaining, choose one dish meals and start with the salad plates in one pattern and then find something else for your dinners, trying to find a unifying theme. A common color is the easiest.
VV: What is your favorite hostess gift and why?
CA: One my favorites is the silver drip ring from Ercuis. This is two pieces of silver which are held to together by a magnet, and it goes round the neck of a wine bottle to prevent the wine from dripping down the bottle and onto your table. I like this one particularly, because since it comes apart, it fits all sized bottles. It’s a very practical gift which I like and shows a little special thought.
Reader question: Vamp Talia, a reader from Michigan, writes: “I have two young children home. My husband and I believe in the importance of family dinners every night, but I’m too nervous to ever use the china we got for our wedding with the kids. How can I still set a pretty, kid-friendly table using our boring every day stuff?”
CA: First of all I applaud your family dinners. Children need to learn from a very young age the importance of sitting down to a meal (dining as it were) as opposed to just slopping something on any old plate and dashing off to the next activity. It teaches manners and the art of conversation and interaction with adults. Now onto the china issue. There is no reason that you should not bring out that wedding china at least occasionally. It is made to be used and enjoyed. They are only plates. And if children are taught from a very your age to respect it, there isn’t a problem and that becomes a part of who they are as they grow up. What are your afraid of?? They may use it as a Frisbee? If that is the case there is a problem and it’s not the china. Start by just using a salad plate. Or just the dinner plate. Children in Europe, as well as many children in this country, are raised to use china everyday and have never eaten on a plastic plate. Or junky everyday ware. If you are still afraid, as I mentioned previously places like IKEA, Target, Cost Plus etc. have great things which are “cheap” and fun. Colorful glass plates are as little as a couple of dollars. Or jazzy patterns in bright colors. Another way is to use fun placemats and napkins. Again these same sources have lots to offer in that department as well. Some fun cloth napkins or placemats can also turn the table from ordinary to special. I have had clients who once they started using some fun things on the table, the child actually wanted to help set it. Folding napkins can be a great diversion, or learning where the silverware goes has ancillary teaching benefits as well for young children. Learning left from right? And finally just a bunch of pretty flowers from the supermarket will turn that table from boring to special.
If you're in New York, you can call Akwa for an in-home consultation to help you see the pieces you have in a new light, or you can plan your next event in their great space. She also provides a bridal registry, in addition to simply having pieces for sale (we especially loved the napkin rings she offers that have all been cast from leaves appearing in nature--ivy, bay, etc.). If you're not in New York, but are still interested in purchasing some pieces, visit their website, email or call!
Contact:
(212) 288-2660
info@theeleganteggcup.com
www.theeleganteggcup.com
originally published January 29, 2009
