Interior Designer and founder of Aux Abris Wallcovering, Karen Robert believes “Every room should have an element of surprise that attracts the eye and draws a smile.” And boy! Did her table design at the 2020 NYBG Orchid Dinner turn heads and bring smiles!

Karen’s aesthetic is a celebration of color, and a penchant for understated elegance and well-worn antiques. For the Orchid Dinner she centered the design around her new and spectacular Aux Abris wallcovering mural “Botanical: Spring Day.”

“Botanical: Spring Day” is a mural that is inspired by antique etchings Karen found at a fair. The delicate brush strokes represent a beautiful scene of flowering and budding trees, birds, butterflies and bees. It has the effect of a hand painted Chinoiseries mural with an English style. But what really makes a statement in the masterpiece, are the lovely and bright background colors.

For a dinner that is raising funds for the NY Botanical Garden it was a natural and wise idea to take the organic branches and birds from the pattern and build it into a 3D-Real-life statement piece. And that’s just what we did!

Together: myself, Founder of Enlightened Collector Susan Miller, and Mrs. Robert, built a three-layered 8 foot centerpiece out of: natural nursed Tulip Magnolia branches, Moss, Orchids and “non-chirping birds”. We began with the branches as the center and foundation and surrounded its base with two tiers of floral foam to build out an almost “hill of Orchids.”

Perfectly stacked fine china plates from the Scully & Scully Haviland & Parlon Syracuse collection and antique silver flatware with the Robert Family Crest sat proudly on the Aux Abris “Botanical: Spring Day” tablecloth. And as a treat to our table guests, we carefully placed two passion fruit macaroons, topped with an orchid on the bread plate ;). Finally, mismatched colorful wine and water glasses were placed to the right of the Entrée plates.

It takes a village to make impactful and memorable designs. But Karen Robert killed it and designed a showstopper table that reflected an engaging human experience of her “Botanical: Spring Day” mural that was originally intended for walls and spaces.

Aux Abris - NYBG Orchid Dinner