As the owner of a growing mini-empire of specialty shops for stylish interiors and entertaining, Amanda McClements makes it her mission to stay up on the latest home decor trends. And while inspiration is never in short supply at her two Washington, DC, outposts of Salt & Sundry (aka hostess heaven), Amanda doesn’t stop at selling things. In on-site workshops on flower arranging, DIY decor, and cocktail making, she also dispenses tips for actually living with them.

With another holiday entertaining season in full swing, we decided to ask Amanda for her expert advice on taking your typical table settings up a festive notch. Her approach was both unconventional and totally approachable.
“I love using unexpected colors for traditional holidays to create a fresh look,” Amanda says. “Instead of reds and greens, try hot pink and charcoal gray, or indigo blue and black. Surprising your guests with original color combos sets a playful tone.” Not sure where to start? “Look around your space for inspiration from textiles, book covers and favorite objects and let those items lead the color choice,” she advises.
Read on to discover some of Amanda’s favorite Etsy shops for beautiful tableware, from block-printed linen cocktail napkins to appetizer plates with delightfully understated gold streaks.
Acacia vase from Convivial Production, $32
Convivial Production
“Convivial’s Acacia vase is perfect for a low flower arrangement that won’t block your guests’ views,” Amanda says. “I also like to use their stunning white hexagonal plates and trays mixed throughout a table setting.”
Ceramic appetizer plates by Box Sparrow, $40 for two
Box Sparrow
“The tiny delicate thread of gold that runs through Box Sparrow’s appetizer plates is so pretty. Her forms and colors are really fresh.”
Linen cocktail napkins from Bonnie Kay Studios, $24 for four
Bonnie Kaye Studios
“For cocktail hour, serve drinks with Bonnie Kay’s sweet screen-printed linen cocktail napkins. Her full-size napkins can also double as placemats, which is super handy.”
Large ceramic baking dish from Fresh Pottery, $85
Fresh Pottery
“The earthy quality of this pottery line brings a lot of warmth to the kitchen. The baking dishes are so pretty you can take them straight from the oven to the table.”
Linen napkins from Banquet Atelier & Workshop, $28 for two
Banquet Atelier
“In addition to beautiful paper goods, the team behind Banquet Atelier creates bold textiles in their playful prints. Their linen napkins would add a little dose of whimsy to any table setting.”
Waxing moon bottle from Honeycomb Studio, $42
Honeycomb Studio
“My personal collection of pieces from this talented Atlanta artist keeps growing. Her waxing moon bottle is everything, and the tiny bud vases look beautiful in a cluster at the center of the table.”
Ceramic dipping bowls from One & Many, $23 for three
One & Many
“One & Many’s marbled ceramics add such a design-centric element to a dinner party, and the dipped offset bowls make for unexpected candle holders.”
Gold-plated cocktail picks from Sarah Cecelia, $32 for four
Sarah Cecelia
“Sarah’s bronze cocktail picks are great for dressing up a drink or for spearing hors d’oeuvres.”
Denali porcelain and gold dipping plates from Red Raven Studios, $56 for four
Red Raven Studios
“I’ve stocked Red Raven’s dipping plates for years at Salt & Sundry, and they are an absolute crowd pleaser. The touch of gold is so stunning on a table. Use them for salt at each place setting.”
Amanda uses Etsy Wholesale to source unique products for her boutique. Learn more about Etsy Wholesale and find Etsy products at a shop near you.
38 comments
DeUno from DeUno said 4 years ago
Great ideas! Thank you for sharing!
Sue from SuesAkornShop said 4 years ago
All wonderful ideas. Congrats on all the features.
Colleen O'Neal from truthbeautyandlove27 said 4 years ago
I live out in the sticks so I don't do a great deal of entertaining but some of these pieces are so beautiful I would love to display them around my house every day, the Red Raven gold dipped bowls are stunning and the Waxing Moon Bottle from Honeycomb Studios is going on my Christmas list. Great List with beautiful ideas!
Megan from MegansMenagerie said 4 years ago
Love these ideas!!!
Emilee Manley from YarnOverHookByEmilee said 4 years ago
Cute ideas! Love the ceramic plates!
renee and gerardo from GTDesigns said 4 years ago
Lovely features...love the geo feel to all lines...so beautifully modern...congrats to all!
accentonvintage from accentonvintage said 4 years ago
Awesome picks!
Lisa Dockery from YellowDaisyPaperCo said 4 years ago
So many beautiful products! Those dipping plates though ?❤️
Kashuen Collectibles from Kashuen said 4 years ago
I love that Acacia vase from Convivial Production. It's so elegant.
Sujata from TreasuredMemoryLane said 4 years ago
What wonderful ideas! Thanks for sharing.
TropicalGarden from TropicalGarden said 4 years ago
Great selections! Thanks for sharing, and congratulations on all the features:)
ApronStringVintage from ApronStringVintage said 4 years ago
I love the minimal beauty of each item...refreshing.
aressa from OriginalBridalHanger said 4 years ago
Love all of the items...So unique and would make for a lovely holiday!
Flair Nouri from FlairPaintings said 4 years ago
very nice!!! congratulations on your feature :)
Maria from StyleGraphicDesign said 4 years ago
Wonderful finds!!!
Yuri Pysar from Pysar said 4 years ago
pretty cool ideas :)
Suzanne Rorick from SRorickArt said 4 years ago
I love the ceramics that we're showcased in this feature ... beautiful designs and colors!
Olga from LinenAndTailor said 4 years ago
Wonderful items!!! Thanks for sharing!
Jafeth Moiane from handicraftafrica said 4 years ago
Beautiful items. Congrats!
Nicole from KarmaCodeOne said 4 years ago
pretty decor ~ so fresh and so clean clean !!
Valentina . from Exclusive72 said 4 years ago
Great ideas! Thank you for sharing!
PSOGLAVKA KLARA from PSOGLAVKA said 4 years ago
♥Beautiful ideas!♥
Bite Me Fox from Bitemefox said 4 years ago
I love the all of these gold touches!
drunkmansdaughter from NaturallySonia said 4 years ago
Clean,pure, simplicity , just lovely :)
tessaizzy said 4 years ago
Beautiful things!! -tess
Cristy Ramos from ArtisanBathandBody said 4 years ago
Beautiful picks and ideas! Thank you very much ♥
Renee from RandMhandmade said 4 years ago
So many great ideas..love them all!!
STUDIO KAROLINA from studiokarolina said 4 years ago
lovely !
Katrina Dzerkale from Dominna said 4 years ago
I Love those golden touches !
Rachel Bingaman from BingArt said 4 years ago
I love the baking dish and dipping bowls! Oh so beautiful :) Great ideas here :)
elle and belle Forster from elleandbellejewelry said 4 years ago
Oh so beautiful! Lovely Shops. Love Amanda's ideas!
Teerasak Borkam from TribalAndHarem said 4 years ago
beautifully modern
Elizabeth Knaus from FreshRetroGallery said 4 years ago
For an entertaining holiday group project, try my family tree charts to get meaningful conversation going!
Jackie Wilson said 4 years ago
What a breath of spring air the Etsy website is. It doesn't feel competitive because it is so unique. As to which item makes spring arrive a little sooner? Most definitely it is the wee chicken that is out for a morning gambol. I was thrilled to find the little houses that were made during the war years. I have been looking for them for a very long time. My Dad made a snow village that covered our baby grand piano. He made bridges, staircases and had skaters that actually skated. I took the whole ensemble to the elementary school in which I worked and for the few days that it was there, everything was stolen. Needless to say, I was heartbroken and have been trying to replace and recreate it as best I can. It will never be as magnificent as the original. Thank you Etsy...
jojogosa said 4 years ago
Love these ideas!
Deb McConnell from Hands2HomesStudio said 4 years ago
Thanks for sharing these fun and fresh ideas for the home and entertaining! Loved browsing and reading about the shops.
Rokaya Mahgoub said 4 years ago
The Denali porcelain dipping bowls from Red Raven Studios are gorgeous, can I find them here in Montréal, Canada?
Gabriel from TuxedoCatCurations said 2 years ago
Those dipping bowls look like opals. They're so beautiful!