We’ve been having fun with Andreína Chirinos, putting together flowery table settings that mix pieces from all over the world. Here’s us, picking her brain.
Like many great friendships, we met Andreína through Instagram. Her decor mantra: “Less house, more home” clicked right away with our philosophy of finding objects with meaning that fill houses with great stories from artisans from around the world. On our latest outdoor adventure, we took a little time to sit down, Arnold Palmer in hand, to dig a little deeper into her table setting reasoning, and what inspires her.
JESSICA: Hi Andre! I have always connected with your aesthetic, I feel it’s very in line with what we’re doing here at Maison Numen. How would you describe your style?
ANDREINA: My style is cozy, warm and chic.
J: And eclectic for sure! Do you like to mix pieces from different cultures and different price points? What’s your strategy for making the “chaos” look so in harmony?
A: Lose fear when creating and always use a common color that unifies.
J: That last time was red, for sure! I have to say, I’m obsessed with that Italian Style Dinnerware we used.
You also tend to involve nature a lot, how do you choose your non-edible greens in your table settings? Any favorites that always have your back, no matter the occasion?
A: I do not have favorites. Any fresh and seasonal element is well received on my tables and decorations.
J: What inspires you, when you want to do something completely different from what you’re used to?
A: I am inspired by nature, fashion, art, music. The muse comes when you least expect it.
J: What prompted the aesthetic for the last table we did, did you base everything on the Italian ceramic dinnerware plate set you chose and went from there, or was it a mix of things working very well together, with no protagonist? And what type of crowd do you imagine sitting down at that brunch?
A: The starting point for the inspiration of our last table was definitely those dishes that made me fall in love. From them I took the colors used in the rest of the elements to decorate the table.
I imagine a funny and intimate gathering by the table.
J: Do you have a favorite piece from that photoshoot?
A: It is very difficult to have a favorite when you like everything and it has such wonderful craftsmanship value. I could not pick one!
SHOP COCK CERAMIC DINNER PLATE
J: How about the one we did today, what was the process like for putting this one together?
A: In the table we made today the starting point, as in the previous table, were the dishes. It is impossible not to start with them when they are so colorful and fun. They have so much personality! I reflected the colors of the plates in the flowers, in the leaves and in the other accessories that I used to create harmony.
J: Is there a faux pas in your table setting rule book? A common mistake you wouldn’t be caught dead committing?
A: Using disposable plates, cups and napkins on a table seems to me the worst mistake that can exist.
I’m going to have to STRONGLY agree with you on that one.
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