Setting The Table With Our New DIANI x Tensira Collection

Last week I announced the DIANI x Tensira textiles collection that we launched in store and online, and this week I’m excited to share the table linens part of the collection. I love creating gatherings, which I think comes from my mother’s knack for hosting with style. So designing a selection of table linens feels like an extension of my upbringing. I collaborated with Tensira to create napkins, tablecloths and seat cushions in a selection of stripes, batik and solids that I designed with inspiration coming from places I hold dear - my birthplace in Kenya, my childhood in England and my current life between Santa Barbara and New York. Handwoven and dyed with 100% cotton, each piece is special, and when paired together in a way that resonates most with your aesthetic, creates a relaxed and elegant tabletop. Here are a few ways you can mix, match and pair these linens for your own gatherings... 

When I was designing the prints and choosing colors, I drew upon my Kenyan roots as well as the colors of our farmhouse in Upstate New York –  rich chestnut, beige limestone and slate grey. To create these fabrics, everything was hand dyed, spun, and woven in Tensira’s workshop in Republic of Guinea in West Africa using traditional looms and processes. 

The table linens can be mixed and matched depending on your space. For a neutral, monochromatic look, I'm using this Tablecloth in our DIANI Signature Stripe as a base and pairing with these Napkins in Sunkissed Pebble with our Cane Napkin Rings. This light color palette also pairs well with a variety of servingware like the Chamberlin Platter in Satin Greige and these Wine Glasses.

For another neutral option, the Sunkissed Pebble tablecloth comes in three different sizes – a smaller and larger rectangle size (see here and here), and also this round. This elegant base pairs well with a variety of napkins, plates and glassware. To add a fun summer stripe, pair either of these napkins in Greenwich Stripe or the Safari Stripe.

If you're looking for a warmer, more vibrant tabletop, the Safari Stripe Tablecloth is a beautiful mahogany color inspired by the color of the earth in Kenya. Available in two different sizes, this larger rectangular size (71" x 119") and a round size (99"). 

For napkins, you can keep with a monochromatic look by using the Safari Stripe, or you can mix and match with a neutral option like the Sunkissed Pebble. For a centerpiece, I'm using these new Twist Dinner Candles (see here and here) on top of the Tapered Edge Candlestick and the Straight Edge Candlestick. I've also added this Antique Wood Riser to display fresh fruit, but could also be great for condiments or cheese. 

Cutting boards are an attractive and useful addition to a table, whether you're making a cheese board or using as a serving platter. I'm obsessed with our newest line of Italian cutting boards that come in a few different sizes, like this medium Board and this small Rectangular Pine Charcuterie Board. Serve your favorite seasonal nibbles with this set of Artisan Forged Cheese Knives. They have hammered metal and wood accents and come as a set of four - a cleaver, a knife, a spreader and a petite spreader. 

While it feels natural to bring these table linens al fresco this time of year, I have designed them to be used indoors as well. I wanted the linens to feel timeless, season-less and fitting for any style and environment -- wherever in the world you might be, bringing joy to your home year round, inside and out.