Madeleine Guedj, the owner of La Cafetiere, will tell you that color is good and mixing colors is even better. Having opened her Chelsea store 5 1/2 years ago, she has single handedly made a mark in her increasingly upscale neighborhood with her casual, brightly colored furniture, dinnerware, and accessories that shout out, "Be playful! Express yourself!"

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Importing all of her wares from France, Italy and Belgium, Guedj specializes in linen and cotton textiles as well as summer candy colored place settings that you can (and she will almost insist) order one by one, as opposed to by the set. The reason? It is more fun to have forks, knives and spoons of different colors and textures. They go together so well, that you don't need to worry about stylistic mishaps. Everything in La Cafetiere works.