Friday evening’s table setting, with lavender roses courtesy of Kendrick in a Vera Wang vase that Parisa and Tim gave us when we got married, Z Gallerie bamboo placemats that I bought years ago in California, and our wedding-registry Kate Spade china. I kept the settings simple – no chargers, no side plates, not even any knives or spoons, because they weren’t needed for this meal – and used paper napkins. For a casual dinner at home, less is more.

I know the air conditioner isn’t pretty, but I tried to cover it – yeah, I know it didn’t really work – with my refurbished lamp. Also, in this picture you can see that I deliberately matched the lamp’s base to my candlesticks – a detail that I am excessively proud of.