Mixing bold eclecticism with everyday elegance, we’re set for a tea party, whether it’s with the Queen or the Mad Hatter.

High or low?

Can you tell the difference?

 

Need a hint?
Have no idea which high and which is low? These hints may help!

1 Compare the aged patina of this teapot to the other.
2 Note the ornately sculptured handle here.
3 Is this embroidered fabric more or less detailed than the other?

 

High: $9,830

• TEAPOTS Large and small Victorian silver-plated part of 4-piece set, Cynthia Findlay Antiques, $995.
• TEACUPS & SAUCERS Royal Cauldon blue bone china teacups and saucers, Cynthia Findlay Antiques, $295 per set of 6 cups, 6 saucers and 6 plates.
• TEACUPS & SAUCERS Minton hand-painted bone china teacups and saucers, Cynthia Findlay Antiques, $295 per set.
• FABRIC Ralph Lauren Celina embroidery fabric in pearl, Kravet/Lee Jofa Canada, $630 per yard.
• FABRIC Silk Mill Taffetta Natesh 202 fabric in raspberry, Designer Fabrics, $31 per yard.
• CHANDELIER Visual Comfort crystal Large George II chandelier, Sescolite Lighting, $2,300.
• TROPHY Silver-plated trophy, Cynthia Findlay Antiques, $695.
• TIERED SERVER Stainless steel and aluminum Tripalo tiered server, Crate
• and Barrel, $40.
• PEDESTAL Earthenware Emma pedestal, Pottery Barn, $59.
• CHAIRS Bentwood Gebrüder T 1819 214 chairs in black, Klaus, $2,200 ($1,100 each).
• RUG Wool Sundown rug in Ivory/Charcoal, 8' x 10', Elte, $1,995.

 

Low: $2,637

• TEAPOT Large silver-plated teapot, HomeSense, $40.
• TEAPOT Small silver-plated teapot, HomeSense, $40.
• TEACUPS & SAUCERS Blue teacups and saucers, HomeSense $30 ($15 per set).
• TEACUP & SAUCER Minton pink and white bone china Spring Bouquetteacup and saucer, Cynthia Findlay Antiques, $25 per set.
• FABRIC Ralph Lauren cotton opal coast embroidery fabric in blanc, Kravet/Lee Jofa Canada, $372 per yard.
• FABRIC Polyester Micron plain 31291 fabric in 08/500, Designer Fabrics, $23 per yard.
• CHANDELIER Chrome and glass leaf scroll & pear drop chandelier, Union Lighting and Furnishings, $1,300.
• TROPHY Aluminum trophy, HomeSense, $30.
• TIERED SERVER Glass and stainless steel IKEA 365+ tiered server, IKEA, $10.
• PEDESTAL Stoneware sweets large pedestal, Crate and Barrel, $35.
• TEACUP & SAUCER Bone china floral teacup and saucer, Cynthia Findlay Antiques, $25 per set.
• CHAIRS Black Vienna chairs, Crate and Barrel, $258 ($129 each).
• RUG IKEA Stockholm wool rand rug, 8' x 12', IKEA, $449.

 

Luxe fabrics

How is it that these swathes of luxe fabric in big, billowy layers feel romantic and cozy but still modern and chic? It’s all thanks to the raw-edged hit of fuchsia, which not only makes the layers more visible but also adds an urban note to the white table linens' shabby-chic style. (Plus, let’s be honest, layers are the best way to hide the stains of past suppers.) 

 

Chic chandeliers

Stunning and statementmaking, these chic sizable chandeliers would be visually heavy if they weren’t so subtle and delicate to the eye. Elaborate, ornate and one of the largest pieces in the room, they don’t overwhelm simply because they’re transparent. The high, made of crystal, and the low, made of hollow glass, draw you in subtly – so they don’t compete with the rest of the room.

High $2,300 Visual comfort crystal Large George II, Sescolite Lighting.
Low $1,300  Chrome and glass leaf scroll & pear drop, Union Lighting and Furnishings.

A nice cup of tea

Should you pour your milk in before or after? It’s a murky issue steeped in debate. Some say that to brew the perfect cup of tea, the milk is to be added first to see whether or not it has spoiled. Others believe that pouring the tea first is a trademark of the upper class, as their china could withstand the boiling heat while lower-quality cups were likely to crack unless cooled first by milk. In his 1946 essay, “A Nice Cup of Tea,” George Orwell joined the tea-before-milk camp, claiming that “by putting the tea in first and stirring as one pours, one can exactly regulate the amount of milk, whereas one is liable to put in too much milk if one does it the other way round.” And that’s exactly how we enjoy our tea today. Far be it for us to question one of the best-known Brits.

Macarons

Invented in the early 1800s by the French patisserie Ladurée, macarons topped the dessert-trend list a few years ago and have been centre stage in bakeries ever since. Originally, there were only chocolate-filled macarons, vanilla macarons and macarons flavoured with coffee and almond, but fruit and berry infusions are now the norm. So what’s new? Bakers are pushing the flavour envelope of macarons to include lychee-rose, wasabi-grapefruit and even, get ready for it: fois gras (...um, yum?).