LITTLE HANDS VIRGINIA TABLESCAPES 2025
We were honored to further the important work of Little Hands Virginia again this year with the design of a very special table for their annual Virginia Tablescapes event.
A special thank you to Casa Branca for generously providing several items for our table design.
This year’s event centers on the theme of “Where Stories Unfold” and each designer was tasked with creating a table inspired by a favorite children’s book.
Audra drew inspiration from the 1930’s classic picture book The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by DuBose Hayward, the author behind the Gershwin-scored opera Porgy and Bess. The story centers on the life of a determined mother bunny who is brave, wise and kind while facing impossible odds, and is tasked with delivering a special panoramic sugar egg to a brave child who is ill.
Audra created a nostalgic brunch table in the book’s vintage-wash palette with an eye toward balancing nostalgic charm with modern sophistication through a mix of old and new, using a combination of pieces from her own collection of tableware and vintage pieces sourced especially for the project, with modern pieces generously provided by Casa Branca including the Cestino Pewter tablecloth, Cestino Porcelain Plates, Jean Roger Ceramic Tulipiere, Rigato Napkins, and Otto Tumblers.
Read about and shop Audra’s picks in Casa Branca’s Giornale.
"I incorporated Casa Branca pieces with my own vintage collections of Portuguese yellow cabbageware, French blue opaline glassware from Portieux Vallerysthal, and miniature vintage silver plate baskets filled with jelly beans and tied with silk ribbon. My Rosenthal china teacups from the late 1920’s added an extra touch of antique floral charm to balance out the more graphic and modern Casa Branca elements. I recruited my daughter to help paint natural woven wicker chargers in the book's palette, which really pop on the gray of the Cestino fabric."
CELEBRATING A LOST ART
Audra found a confectioner practicing the nearly lost art of panoramic sugar eggs to create five scenes based on illustrations from the book for the table. The eggs are available to purchase below in support of Little Hands Virginia.
WIN A COPY OF THE COUNTRY BUNNY
RESOURCES
See something you love?
Audra designs and sources exceptional art, antiques and furnishings from around the globe and across styles and periods to create collected interiors for her clients that are high on artistry, but not on pretense. Contact Audra with interest or questions about the items featured in our 2025 Tablescape and to learn more about our services—whether you’re in need of just a consultation to bespoke furniture or full interior design & art advisory, Audra would love to hear from you about your project.
SPRING IS IN!
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