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story Maureen Scott    photographs Steve Uhraney Marina Nawrocki, owner of Zest for Living in Port Credit is about to give us a lesson about “The Birds and the Bees.” As the old 1965 hit song by Jewel Akens goes, "Let Me Tell You About the Birds and the Bees and the Flowers and The Trees…" and a thing called “table setting!” Actually, the “Birds and the Bees” is the theme of our fabulous tablescape designed exclusively for Goodlife by Marina and her decorating coordinator Lucie Zima Luste. “It fits with the natural theme for fall and we had the stuff,” laughs Lucie. “That’s the point. Use what you have and mix and match. Add something new each season. It’s like your wardrobe. You have the staples already - like your little black dress - now add some jewellery or a new purse to make it new.” Marina’s antique table is set for six at her upscale Cape Cod home designed by her husband, architect Mark Nawrocki. The guest names are handwritten on paper and silk leaves. Using the wrought-iron candelabra with bird motif as a starting point, the design duo added twin floral arrangements in antique-looking, rust-patterned Indaba vegetable bowls filled with big golden sunflowers, hydrangeas, dalias, zinnias and garden greenery. Serving pieces in the same pattern include a soup tureen and cheese dome. The rustic Italian-style, off-white dishes (also from Indaba in Vancouver) pop against gold-tone glass chargers (Marina’s own) and plaid, tag placemats in autumn tones of rust and burnt orange. A rust tag runner protects the antique table while filling in for additional placemats. “The look is rustic Italian—it may look dented or imperfect, but it’s supposed to look like that,” explains Lucie. “We no longer want that clean, smooth look. We added the pedestal bowls from the same line. I would serve a warm soup or cobbler in the bowls.” The bee design is echoed in the napkin rings by Abbott and another Indaba cheese dome on the sideboard. More autumn colour is garnered from the pear-shaped candles, the Indaba Espresso Mother-of-Pearl flatware and the green leaf-shaped dishes by Muti. The oversized Indaba wine/water goblets and pewter candle sticks on the sideboard add to the rustic feel. Overhead, a wrought-iron chandelier by Muti incorporates six real candles to spread a warm glow over the welcoming table. Explains Marina, “We had several seasons of shiny silver metals, but warm metals are in now.” To change the look, Marina suggests adding a crisp white tablecloth or harvest linens with pumpkin or leaf motifs. “This Birds and The Bees look will take you from fall into Christmas. Marina is already unpacking the decorations and tells me that they are introducing a new home/business, interior and exterior Christmas decorating service. But for now, let’s not rush the season and just sit back and enjoy The Birds and the Bees. To admire other tablescapes designed by Zest for Living, see their “Girl’s Night Out” ball gown theme setting at TABLE TOPS on October 1 at Oakville Town Hall - a fundraising event organized by The May Club of Oakville. Next spring, Marina and Lucie will design a Nautical Salute to Port Credit, when they participate in DelecTABLE, a Junior League of Toronto event being held at the Direct Energy Centre.  GL

Flowers and leaves decorate wrought-iron candelabra with bird motif. Glass goblets are by Indabra. Green leaf-shaped dishes are by Muti. Owner of Zest for Living, Marina Nawrocki (right) and decorating coordinator, Lucie Zima Luste (left) are the design team Birds and Bees table setting theme Bee design napkin rings by Abbot with Indaba white dishes and soup tureen