“Tablescaping is an art form,” she says. “There are no fixed rules, but proper curating is key"

If Jo's table setting radiates timeless, understated elegance, Cyndi’s Dark Romance table apes an evening soiree at a well-appointed London manse. She sets a table that adds a touch of richness, even a hint of decadence, to any event. Against a background of midnight blue, an elegant mix of fine porcelain, cutlery and crystal gleams upon a table laid out for a festive family dinner, perhaps.

“I was thinking of an intimate gathering for my own family,” she explains. “I often make parties or style tables for prominent individuals as part of my work, so I wanted to do something for my family at home.”

As managing design partner in Moss Manila Design House, Cyndi is no stranger to transforming even the simplest places into magnificent venues for memorable events. Indeed, her prestigious roster of clients includes Swiss watchmaker Breguet for which she devised a magnificent Belle Epoque Paris-inspired dinner setting to celebrate the arrival of its vice-president, Martin Ganz.

For her darkly romantic setting, she has decked out the table with vintage dinnerware sporting distinctively elaborate patterns matched with silver from Hamptons Forge. Gold-chased water goblets from Möet add a hint of welcome decadence, as if Queen Victoria herself was to dine; champagne flutes by Luigi Bormioli are also on hand for celebratory toasts. Table linens feature dark, heavy fabrics paired with starched black napkins; other accent items are metallic, adding hints of gold and brass to enhance the overall sense of opulence.

The formality of the table is, however, offset by Cyndi’s more natural, even rustic, flower arrangements. Deep scarlet and crimson blooms are set across the space in bowls and vases, evoking passion, romance and vitality. Here, she uses winered peonies, Ecuadorian roses in a more robust shade, and equally showy red tulips; eucalyptus twigs and misty blue fillers are interspersed throughout the arrangements to add a calming accent to balance the powerful reds.

Cyndi has some pointers for those who want to transform their own tables from mundane to magnificent. “Tablescaping is an art form,” she says. “There are no fixed rules, but proper curating is key. Each item, whether floral or non-floral, needs to serve a purpose. Learning to combine materials and textures helps to add dimension and balance to a tablescape. Overall, it is about editing and ensuring that there is just the right amount of each element to achieve a tasteful aesthetic.”