Le Attique
207 Circle Park Drive

Tuesday, July 21, 2009, VIETRI Blog

VIETRI Dinnerware on North Carolina's Governor's Table
I have a colorful tale about our most recent Governor’s dinnerware. Yes, even Governors and their families enjoy eating on colorful, casual-yet-elegantly-artistic dinnerware!

A few years ago special friends of our North Carolina governor and his wife learned that they were weary of always dining on gold-edged and other formal dinnerware used at the Executive Mansion. The two generous friends made a financial gift to the Governor earmarked for his wife to treat the Mansion to some new dinnerware. Within a few weeks, VIETRI got a call from the state capital. I had the pleasure of going to the Executive Mansion to show Mrs. Easley VIETRI’s most popular patterns and to discuss the “hand” or design styles of all the Italian factories VIETRI represents so that she could begin the process of having dinnerware custom designed for the N.C. Executive Mansion.

Imagine the Ladies’ Parlor of the Victorian Mansion filled, on tabletops to the rugs on the floor, with VIETRI patterns. The First Lady moved plates here and there on the floor as we discussed her favorites. She loved the idea of mixing and matching solid colors of plates. From the very beginning, she loved the idea of wide-rimmed charger plates with symbols of our state, from the cardinal state bird to the long-leaf pine tree and even a shell for our famous coastline, embossed on the rim. I left a few favorite designs with her that day.

Soon my sister Susan, who is our genius at product design, took over from there and worked with the Executive Mansion team to design the key Charger Plate that has a curving motif around the rim, crowned by the state initials, which are inspired by a gorgeous rug that greets visitors in the Mansion. The Cranberry, Saffron, Cream and Green colors matched the Mansion’s interior. Many shapes for the place setting pieces and accessories matched those of a VIETRI dinnerware named Portobello which the Governor’s wife loved.

As with anyone, designing or choosing dinnerware is a personal and creative act that expresses one’s self. The colors you see in the luncheon setting I recently admired at the N.C. Executive Mansion, at a meeting with our new First Gentleman, bring life to a table. Sometimes the Governor uses all the pieces in one color for a meal, and sometimes they are used in a mix of colors.

We’re mighty proud at VIETRI to be behind the everyday pleasures of our new Governor and her family today!

Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder