Tables set in style. Dazzling designs. And you're invited. 

Entering the grand entry hall at Hillwood, guests to the Washington home of Marjorie Merriweather Post in the 1950s and 1960s received an impressive welcome fit for diplomats, socialites, politicians, and other worldly guests. Exquisite furnishings and objects introduced the dual interests that guided Marjorie’s passion for art collecting: the decorative and fine arts of imperial Russia and eighteenth-century France. With this blend of historical styles and her personal refined aesthetics, the magic of an evening at Hillwood became renowned.

The enchantment of her remarkable collection didn’t stop with the display. The opulent dining services  of the tsarist and French courts on display throughout her mansion were also used to serve and dazzle Marjorie’s dinner guests. In addition to the delightful fare, guests at her table enjoyed a visual feast created by sumptuous Sèvres services, glistening sterling silver, Russian imperial services, and lace tablecloths, among many other items from her collection.

Table Designs Past and Present

Contemporary tastemakers Timothy Corrigan, Barry Dixon, Charlotte Moss, Alex Papachristidis, P. Gaye Tapp, Hutton Wilkinson and Josh Hildreth work with Hillwood curators to create table  displays inspired by Marjorie’s exceptional flair for entertaining to explore the concept of artistically set tables, past and present. 

The Artistic Table will invite a number of interior designers to create a range of presentations. Hillwood’s remarkable collection will be the source for a display of historic tables, designed by Hillwood curators and inspired by eighteenth- and nineteenth-century French and Russian models, on view in the forty-four foot dining room and the enchanting adjacent breakfast room. The special exhibition space in the dacha will house the tables fashioned by renowned interior designers to generate a conversation between past and contemporary design. Drawing from the many and varied table wares at Hillwood or their own sources, designers will draw from the elegance of the European courts, Marjorie’s exceptional style, and their own modern aesthetic, as inspiration for beautiful and refreshing takes on setting an artistic table.