Setting a Beautiful Table plus a Chocolate Raspberry Tart Recipe Share for a 30th Birthday

Welcome to Nest by Tamara

Tamara Matthews Stephenson is the creative talent behind this journal dedicated to interior design, history and lifestyle inspiration. With a passion for design and a keen eye for aesthetics, she shares her expertise and insights. Tamara has established herself as a prominent figure in the world of interior design and her design philosophy is rooted in the idea that a well-designed home can elevate the quality of life. Beyond her writing, She is an interior designer and textile designer as the Creative Director and Owner of root cellar designs, LLC, an artisan line of textile and wallpaper. Connect with Tamara through email at rootcellardesings@gmail.com

Posted by Tamara Stephenson May 08, 2025

Setting a Beautiful Table plus a Chocolate Raspberry Tart Recipe Share for a 30th Birthday

This May is All About Setting a Pretty Table

Setting a welcoming table for a special occasion (or even just a fun evening at home) is about bringing in the old and new fancy and thrifted together to create a celebratory vibe. My new favorite plates are vintage Bob Mackey side plates (the former fashion designer- remember, he dressed Cher back in the day) I found on etsy. Mackey had a short stint creating tableware, and they are fabulous plates from the 1980s. I love these with an oceanic vibe with blue and purple ribbons running through the pattern, I decided to mix it up with an eclectic mix bringing together my favorite tabletop for my daughter's 30th birthday dinner celebration and give it a colorful aesthetic.

What did I combine?

a vintage lace tablecloth, fresh May lilacs in my McCoy pottery vase, root cellar designs hot pink napkins, a shagreen (shark skin) pink tray, my antique Kings Pattern silver set I found in London, tiffany candlesticks and a pretty aqua colored fish water canteen I picked up in a Sag Harbor shop last summer,