On weekends, Watson escapes to his house on Vashon Island for recharging on the water and entertaining friends in his easy, elegant fashion.
Charming details reward the observant visitor to WestWard. Landscapes of Vashon Island decorate the walls, hung near the window with the view they resemble.
Watson and Ted Sive enjoy the sunset with Bailey, their miniature Schanuzer.
Open shelving gives Watson a chance to show off his artful display skills.
That exacting eye for detail is evident in Watson’s writing, both in his book—Style & Simplicity: An A to Z Guide to Living a More Beautiful Life (Sterling Signature, 2014)—and online, in his blog, tedkennedywatson.com, where he makes daily observations on elements of beauty he encounters, such as the tulips available at the Pike Place Market or a pretty table setting he improvised for dinner on Vashon Island.
For Watson, setting a table is akin to painting. “I like a table to have a bit of a story, or at least spark conversation,” he says. “I put some interesting objects about, as well as unscented candles and always flowers. I am a big proponent of using single-stem vases and clear, short drinking glasses as vases. It spreads the visual joy around the table and also keeps the flowers low. I think you really see the flower when you look down upon it.”
Bowls of tomatoes and single stems of dahlias arranged in drinking glasses is a classic Watson composition.
For a summer table, Watson turns to the reliable drama of hydrangea blooms. “I love the variation of blues,” he says. “I also love blue and green together, and hydrangeas have some of the very best leaves. Rarely do I ever put another flower with them, as they are just so beautiful massed together or as little single blooms dotting the table.” As for so many gifted designers, flowers never fail to provide Watson with the seasonally shifting inspiration he finds everywhere.
For a summer dinner with friends, Ted Kennedy Watson set the table with a mix of cobalt china and glassware, and used single hydrangea blooms in simple glasses.
By Lydia Somerville | Photos by Claire Takacs