Cindy’s Table

Entertaining season is officially here, and whether you’re hosting a large family gathering or a small dinner party for friends, making it personal is key. A self-professed “dishware addict,” interior designer Cindy Meador of Cindy Meador Interiors welcomes us into her home and gives us a peek at her extensive collections and inspired tables.  

 By Caroline Edmondson

An expert in all areas of interior design, Cindy Meador is known for decorating some of the Bay’s most beautiful homes and businesses. Finding endless joy in creating personalized table settings for her guests, she often draws inspiration from her own memories of holiday parties as a child. She fondly recalls her parents hosting fabulous holiday soirées for which her mother and her friends would don long, elegant dresses. “I distinctly remember my mom’s avocado green velvet skirt and chic blouse. My dad would make Brandy Alexanders, and I got to dress up and drink non-alcoholic versions out of fancy glasses,” Cindy shares. Rotating hosting duties, Cindy’s mother, grandmother, and aunt took decorating seriously. “These were formal events and we still serve the same menu today. The love of sterling silver in my family is large,” Cindy jokes.

 Sterling silver aside, Cindy now hosts her own holiday dinners and parties at her Fairhope home. “I love for my entire family to be together, and since I love to cook, it’s more fun for me than a chore,” she says. “I like to come up with a special cocktail each year and go all-out with my Christmas giftwrapping and ribbon. Everyone looks forward to seeing what I have come up with each year.” Cindy crafted an “Aviation Cocktail” made with gin, crème de Violette, maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice for last year’s gathering. As for the Christmas Eve menu, Cindy’s family always serves the same feast: seafood gumbo made by her brother (the family-dubbed “Gumbo King”) and beef tenderloin with Cindy’s caramelized mushrooms, onions, and grilled asparagus. “My brother is the baker in the family, so he brings mile-high coconut cake and sweet potato and pecan pies. My mom’s cornbread dressing is always at Thanksgiving, and none of us can make it quite like she can,” she shares.

Upon entering Cindy’s home, her love of those just-right pieces from the days of the deco and mid-century modern era is obvious. With endless eye candy, it’s hard to stop yourself from looking in every nook and cranny. Her floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are impressive enough, but the fact that she arranges her books backwards made us swoon with designer’s delight. The assorted velvet deco chairs are beyond crush-worthy, as is her retro barware. Cool color combinations abound on large canvases scattered across the walls, leaving us feeling like we don’t take enough risk. With her trained eye and exceptional taste, it just works. It really works.

 Able to blend multiple styles seamlessly, Cindy is always one step ahead. “As an interior designer, I’m always thinking about color and composition, which is quite evident in my holiday décor,” she says. “An avid collector, I love all china patterns, so my tables don’t get set the same way twice. Identical to my design approach, individuality is key.”

This year, guests are sure to be impressed by Cindy’s technicolor tablescapes topped with some of her favorite pieces. “For my breakfast table I choose hues of blue and set it with my favorite vintage china, which of course I have in both pink and blue,” she details. “A low line of fresh blue hydrangeas adds to the blue theme. I typically enhance my color palate with florals and avoid the all-white arrangements. My formal dining room table is designed around an untraditional palette of pinks, lavender, and malachite green. I love these colors with my lavender silk drapes and artwork and love the opportunity to pull out all my cherished collectibles creating layers of conversation pieces,” she shares. Noticing she’s collected a wide assortment of covet-worthy pieces in coordinating shades, this makes perfect sense to us. As we find ourselves distracted by her bright green retro chaffing dishes, we wonder why we let all our precious finds collect dust.

 Keeping the platters of food in the kitchen and off the table, Cindy’s simplest tip for anyone struggling with their décor is to think outside the box. A fresh flower enthusiast, she shares, “Think about containers – get away from a single centerpiece. I love colored glass vases and urns; they are great filled with fresh flowers. I bring my favorites to Carl at Fairhope’s Southern Veranda, give him my ideas and color schemes, and pick up the arrangements the day before my company arrives, which clears the day of for cooking. Letting the experts do what they do best is a brilliant time saver!”

 While her holiday décor is glamorous and eclectic like her house, she adds, “If a person has a very traditional house, then traditional holiday decorations work well for them. The same goes for a modern or casual home. The point is to layer your table so it’s interesting, inviting, and makes your guests feel loved.”

 And if you’re in need of those finishing touches, Cindy’s team at her shop in Orange Beach can help you with everything you might need for hosting a memorable dinner party. Find serving pieces, glassware, barware accessories, placemats, napkins, napkin rings, beautiful dishware lines, and more. And who knows? You may even receive some tips from Cindy herself. Let the decorating begin!

Cindy Meador Interiors

25299 Canal Road

Orange Beach, AL

251.974.1907