Valentines Dinner and Tablescape

I love Valentine's Day. Each year I throw a "fancy" dinner party and invite four or five couples to our house. I decide on a theme for dinner, then spend weeks combing the internet and my library of cookbooks selecting just the right recipes combing the internet and my library of cookbooks for just the right recipes.

Over the years I have purchased a variety of vases, placecard holders, candle sticks, linens and glassware that compliment the table. I always buy lots of fresh flowers a few days before the party and get creative when setting the table.

About three weeks before the dinner party, I send out invitations. Sometimes I put Valentine's confetti in the invite, which surprises my guests when they open the card. I then use the some of the confetti sprinkled on the table.

Get creative with clear glass vases as I have done here. I filled square jars with colored candy and put candles in the center of each. Individual vases filled with a mixture of red, pink and white tulips, carnations and roses adorn each place setting.

In this setting I filled an oversize champagne glass with water, then floated candles. Round vases received Valentine M&M's and a small vase was inserted into the candy then filled with red tulips.

This year my theme is French food. I will start with a French Onion Soup Au Gratin. The main course will consist of Chicken Cordon Bleu with Bernaise, French Green Beans Almondine, and Basil infused Mashed Potatoes. While in France this past fall, I couldn't help but notice the daily visits to Le Boulangerie for Baquettes, so of course we will serve these with unsalted butter.

I love to bake, so dessert is always the special finishing touch. This year's choices will be heart shaped cookies dipped in chocolate, a Chocolate Kahlua tart in a heart shaped pan-Martha Stewart Recipe and Tarte Tatin which is a carmelized apple upside down cake.

Our dinner would not be complete without a variety of French wines. I'll visit the local wine store with my menu so just the right pairings will be made.
Bon Appetite!

How to Treat Your Windows Right

December 8, 2011 by Diane Bianchini

Looking out the window of your home in the Hamptons offers beautiful sights to behold. Well, looking at your windows should yield the same thing. How to create that sensation? Diane Bianchini, owner of Dream Windows & Interiors in Westhampton, shares her expert insights.

DIane Bianchini, Owner of Dream Windows & Interiors in Westhampton

The Question: I’ve looked at ready made curtains for my home, and so many of them look the same. I have a few rooms that need new drapes and want to learn more about custom window treatments—what’s the difference?

Diane Bianchini says: The investment of carefully chosen window treatments can yield results for years. That’s the answer when people question the how and why of custom window treatments.

In fact, custom window treatments offer an unlimited selection of fabric choices, so you have a fabric that perfectly complements your decor. And you have a designed treatment that exactly fits your window. Much like fine art or furniture, window treatments are an investment in your home. Generally speaking, you can expect your custom window treatments to last about 10 years.

Custom window treatments are produced with higher quality fabrics and linings. In addition to the obvious practical functions, they can be used to set a mood, enhance the home’s style, or create illusions.

There is usually more attention to details, such as trim, pattern matching or specialty pleating—just a few of the extras that make it special for your room.

A window treatment specialist will evaluate the windows in your home and make recommendations as to what styles and fabrics are best to use. For instance, an upholstery-weight fabric would not be the best choice for a treatment that swags.

Certain fabrics like silk need to be both interlined and lined so they will have body and be protected from the sun’s rays.

If the drape is to function it must be installed on a quality drapery rod. This rod could be decorative, such as a pole with rings, or nondecorative, in which case it would get installed under a valance or cornice.

When working with a professional you will be offered fabrics that work in your space and fit within your budget. Once a few fabrics are selected, a memo sample will be ordered. It is important to see the fabric in the room in which it will eventually hang. The wall color, lighting and other furnishings in the room all need to be taken into consideration. Remember, you want this to be a showcase, whether it’s close up or from afar. Consideration needs to be given to the print in relation to the size of a treatment.

And today, many professionals have software that illustrates the design, and is superimposed on a photo of the window: no more guesswork, but rather an accurate rendering of how the finished product looks.

Much like a fine painting, drapes need to be installed professionally. The rods need to be hung at the proper heights if the drapery is to traverse. A valance may need to be hung at a certain height so the shade beneath is hidden when raised. Cords need to be properly fastened and checked for proper functionality.

Custom shades are now compliant with child safety standards that have arisen over the past few years due to poorly manufactured shades and blinds mass produced in China.

Your home is an investment, and custom window treatments represent an understanding of the value of that investment.

Have more questions about window treatments for your home? You can contact me at Dream Windows & Interiors at 631-325-5900, or visit our showroom at 29 Montauk Highway, Westhampton, NY 11977 and always online at www.dreamwindowsandinteriors.com.

TAGS: Ask the Expert, hamptons, Home Improvement, House and Home, interior designAs Seen in Dan's Hamptons

Window coverings can re-energize this Fall.

Fall is a great time to update your home. It’s also a great time to evaluate your needs as the summer ends.

All summer we have been working with unusual fabric pairings.
I love to mix and match patterns and haven’t limited that mixing and matching to just sofa and chair fabrics.

Drapery can really energize a room when patterns and designs are mixed together.

A traditional style room can attain a more contemporary look and feel by mixing up the drapery fabric. When fabrics are mixed together it not only makes the room appear more dramatic, but adds depth to the space.

One of the challenges of decorating a resort or second home is to make it work as an all year round home. It’s difficult finding that perfect balance of fabrics that work well in all seasons. The Duralee collection has inspired some dynamite rooms this summer.

As we settle into the school year we are discovering some great looks in kid decor. Your child will probably be spending less time outdoors playing and more in their room studying. Hanging drapery panels on the sides of a window is both practical and a decorative way to provide privacy. Make sure their bedroom is a place they would want to spend more time in by freshening up the room with great fabrics.


Drapery panels not only provide privacy, but help keep a room cool or warm, and complement your interior decor.




We also specialize in Hunter Douglas window coverings.

Design your own pillows at our Annual Pillow Sale!

From the Hampton line at Hodsoll McKenzie, London We love pillows.  So every year we have a Pillow Sale, just for the fun of it. NOW until Labor Day we are offering 20% off any pillow order. Some clients change over their entire house. It is an easy design fix. So come visit with us on Montauk Highway in Westhampton, and take a look at our extensive library of fabrics and add-ons. We'll help you select the perfect pillows.    Consider your lifestyle and the style of the room you want to freshen up. Trina Turk for Dream Windows and Interiors You can draw your color inspirations from carpeting or area rugs, furntiture draperies, window coverings or artwork. Decorative pillows can  pick up the colors in the opposite side of the room and give your decor a more cohesive look. Subconsciously, it will be pleasing to the eye. Consider your lifestyle, and what your room is used for. In a family room where there are children and pets, select a practical, durable fabric.  Mix those pillows with a sturdy tapestry pillow, washable cottons and cotton/polyester blends and silk-like polyester pillows. In a formal living room, you can use elegant silk throw pillows, more delicate decorative pillows with beading, and tassels. -Always here to help. DIANE

Get ready for summer!

This is the time of year the Hamptons wakes up.

It is a hectic time but a wonderful time. We have had a sleepy, and snowy off-season. The sun is out now, the town sidewalks are bustling with preparation.

From experience I know that if we get started now we could get your project finished by summer time. It is also the time of year that Hunter Douglas issues a huge Summer Sale with rebates and discounts.


Their technologies,
pattern choices and easy handling make them one of the finest choices out there. Some shades can be installed by Memorial Day.







It is Spring in every sense.

-Always here to help.

Can this furniture be saved?

A few months ago a woman stopped by my studio to see if we could help her with some furniture. She had a few pieces that she had collected over the years and wanted them rebuilt, refinished and reupholstered. Would we be able to do it?

I put together a color board with some complimentary Kravet fabrics, and off we went!
All fabrics were backed for durability and coated with Pro Seal II for stain protection. The transformation was fabulous, and my clients were very happy with the end results.

We love Trina Turk this season.

Make a Splash with Trina Turk.

I have a full library of fabrics. 

After all,

 summer's just around the corner. 

isn't it?

dwandi.com