Pittsburgh native Colleen Simonds boomeranged back to town a few years ago after decades in the fashion space with Gap and J Crew. The geographic shift was accompanied by a career transition: Simonds moved from fashion into home. Now a nationally recognized interior designer with projects published in The New York Times, House Beautiful, and other publications, she shares her unique vision of color, print, form, and texture with residential clients across the United States and (lucky us!) with TABLE Magazine.

Colleen Simonds Shows How an Eclectic Table Setting Can Bring Your Ideas to Life

What we love most about Simond’s work comes out so clearly in this table setting: her enthusiastic embrace of color and pattern, and an eclectic aesthetic so finely tuned that nothing appears out of synch with the whole. Also, there’s always a gloriously irreverent high-low combination that feels spontaneous and sincere.

The flame stitch patterned tablecloth and Scarlett Sand placemat come from Mrs. Alice, and the design of the napkin is by Amanda Lindroth. Bamboo flatware found on Amazon balances out the sourcing. The plates and vintage glassware were found here and there over the years.

A Design Lesson To-Go

Choose your favorite color and drench your table with eclectic textures and patterns in various shades. The whole will be proverbially richer than the sum of its parts.

Story by Keith Recker
Styling by Danny Mankin
Photography by Laura Petrilla

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