Setting the Table with Warmhouse Story

If you're having friends and family over for a dinner party anytime soon and need some ideas to make the experience a little extra nice, Warmhouse Story has you covered with some excellent table setting inspiration!

We were so thrilled to get the chance to sit down with Jason Berke, the creator, designer, and visionary behind Warmhouse story. We spoke to him about how Warmhouse Story came to be and how he has used our custom rubber stamps to help his business succeed!

Warmhouse Story is my passion project turned business that gives people the inspiration, tools, and confidence to host warmly, live beautifully, and make memorable moments together. With over two decades of experience in home product design, visual storytelling, and visual merchandising, I want to share tips to take the intimidation out of entertaining and to make it more creative and fun.

I have an inspirational parlor where I have creative displays to spark the imagination and an atmospheric workshop where I hold classes in the Twin Cities, where I live. I call myself an "Atmospherist" because I believe in engaging all the senses and pairing them in curious ways.

"I want to share tips to take the intimidation out of entertaining and to make it more creative and fun."

I find my inspiration in the natural world and objects old and new. A warmhouse is a British term for a mid-temperature greenhouse where the most diverse types of flowers and plants all thrive together. Warmhouse Story follows that idea in that I like to collaborate with creatives of all walks of life, races, religions, and beliefs (especially marginalized groups). At Warmhouse Story there is a seat at the table for everyone!

"I find my inspiration in the natural world and objects old and new."

As my studio is filled with hundreds of dried botanicals and flowers, I use nature as a guide for color, movement, and mood. For the project with you (DIY New Year's Place Cards), I was inspired by gray-green eucalyptus, dried Queen Anne's lace, and dried ruscus that had a bit of purple in it. I enhanced the color with a touch of low VOC spray paint in lavender and white as well as linens and ribbons that follow suit. This directly influenced my use of stamps and my place card designs.

The first stamp that I used with the brand was the monogram word mark of the WS. I love using the stamp as a gentle reminder of my brand on silk ribbon (pictured), bouquet wraps, and personal thank you notes for clients. The monogram is taken from the full wordmark of Warmhouse Story that is designed with elements of Hebrew lettering and storefront signs in New York City in the early 1900s. Considered in the design was lettering from Harlem, Hell's Kitchen, and the Lower East Side where poor Jewish immigrants lived at that time. All three areas were neighborhoods with marginalized peoples.

"I love using the stamp as a gentle reminder of my brand on silk ribbon, bouquet wraps and personal thank you notes for clients."

I have many options that I use in my branding from foiling to print and to stamps. What I love about stamps is that they have a slightly weathered look to them and can have imperfections that speak to the organic nature of my brand.

To get in contact with and see more from Warmhouse Story, check out their Instagram and website!