Colorfully Design Tablescapes to Set the Scene for Lasting Memories

Belgian Linen Tablecloth Capucine and David Gooding enjoy using heirloom pieces to set a beautiful table; this tablecloth was embroidered by Capucine’s grand­­­mother and aunt. | Photo by The Ingalls

Self-proclaimed architects of togetherness, Capucine De Wulf Gooding and husband David Gooding curate tablescapes that set the scene for future memories. To the Goodings, vacations have always been a landscape for memories. Having spent summers in Buena Vista and winters skiing Monarch Mountain, the couple nostalgically recalls their Colorado memories. Nowadays, they make memories closer to their Connecticut home—commonly around a thoughtfully designed tablescape. Family recipes and holiday soirees make up a stunning collection in the Goodings’ new autobiographical book, Together at the Table: Entertaining at Home with the Creators of Juliska.

The book’s colorful spreads give readers an intimate peek into many of the Gooding family’s elegant holiday soirees. Their get-togethers are often laden with tradition, like the family’s mishmash of a tea routine. Melding their British heritage with experiences from a family trip to Morocco, the Goodings indulge in afternoon tea with traditional Moroccan tea glasses. Whether it’s a simple afternoon sip or a religious holiday, the common thread across their celebrations, besides the fantastic tablescapes, is connection. Back when the book was simply an idea, the Goodings contemplated calling it “No One Lingers Wistfully Over a Paper Plate.” While Together at the Table later stuck, the original title spoke to the collection’s overarching idea that what lies on a table has a curious effect on those that surround it.

Floral Collection The Juliska Berry & Thread Floral Sketch Pattern was inspired by flowering tree branches. A painter renders the branches that are then composed onto plates. | Photo by Kyle Norton

Each product is unique to the Goodings’ tableware brand, Juliska. Over the past 20 years, Juliska has expanded to offer an array of home goods, but the heart of the brand remains its glassware. “Mouth-blown glassware is like the physical embodiment of live music,” says De Wulf Gooding. “Music is spontaneous, electrifying, imperfect and exciting. Mouth-blown glass is the same because it’s blown in a rhythmic spontaneity with the idiosyncrasies, movements and mood of the glassblower forever captured in luminous glass.” The artistic glassware comes in an assortment of colors and styles; each vessel is made to pair well across Juliska’s many product collections.

The book acknowledges that some readers might find cocktail napkins, cake stands and glassware to just be “stuff.” To that, the Goodings write, “Au contraire  …  we see these as tools to fuel the beautiful blaze of togetherness.” The pieces they care­fully curate on their table are tools to
cultivate connection.

Toasts The designers are experts at entertaining and David offers a few tips for making toasts. Don’t start the toast with “I,” “Me” or “My.” Do tell a humorous story about the host and their quirky traits, and mention at least three other guests. | Photo by Kyle Norton

Drink Embellishments Embroidered napkins and sugared candies add to the festivities around a luncheon with mocktails. | Photo by The Ingalls

By and large, the book hopes to inspire readers to slow down and seize the little moments. De Wulf Gooding believes that life itself should be approached with joyful intentions. “And remember,” the Goodings write in Together at the Table, “if you’re drinking tea with the tea bag still in
the cup, your life is too hurried.”

Juliska
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