You know that feeling when you find your seat at a dining table and pause before putting your napkin in your lap because you think “I hate to mess-up this beautiful place-setting”? Well, I love that feeling and I REALLY love creating tablescapes that give my guests that feeling. In this world of lightening-speed technology, it is more important than ever to slow down and take time for face-to-face, human interaction. What better place to spend quality time with family and friends than around a lovely and thoughtfully set table. With Spring in the air and Easter around the corner, I hope to share some ideas and inspiration for your table by giving you a look at my dining room this year.
The people around the table are the most important part of any tablescape!
My
Dining Room is all decked-out for Easter breakfast.
I love making each place-setting an event for my guests.
Every
good tablescape starts with some source of inspiration. That can be anything
from the invitation to the event, a place mat you like, the dishes you are
using or the flowers for the centerpiece. The only requirement for the
inspiration is that it makes you happy and gets your creative juices flowing.
For my table this year, I used one of the many fabric remnants that are stored
(hidden from my hubby) in the attic. I am an interior designer and fabric junkie,
so I have lots.
Fabric
Inspiration for my Spring table.
The
bright green background of this whimsical floral just shouts spring and I never
met a butterfly I didn’t like. In fact, I like it so much that I decide
to drape the whole table and use it as a topper. I love that it has
a strong blue in the pattern and it inspires me to incorporate some of my blue
and white pieces. And just like that, we have our inspiration!
Thanks to no-sew hem stuff, I can quickly finish the sides and I add a
strip of fringe to the ends for a little extra personality and pop.
Blue
and white is always a good idea and it looks great against the bright green
fabric.
Adding
fringe to the table topper makes it extra special.
One
of my favorite go-to’s for tables and buffets are mirrored table runners
pictured below. They come in a number shapes and sizes are available at
most craft stores. Here is a 13″ square mirrorfrom
Hobby Lobby with a beveled-edge. They create a perfect base for any
centerpiece, add sparkle and reflect candlelight! What else could we ask
for?!?
Mirrored
table runners are one of my favorite additions to tables and buffets.
My next
step is to gather all of the decorative items I have that might be used for the
table. It is best if you can set-up a temporary surface as a staging
area. I have used everything from a folding card table to an ironing
board, but finally sprang for a rolling cart and am so glad that I did!
It’s nice to have a home-base that is mobile. Whatever your
home-base, I recommend having a designated toolkit. I have a bright green
plastic divider with a handle. It is stocked with everything from
scissors to duct tape. If you gather all of your tools and supplies
initially and keep it one place it saves a lot of time and frustration when you
only want to be in creative mode! Now to set the table!
If you
take away the chocolate bunny and egg, the table will be lovely well beyond
Easter.
I found
the pretty blue napkins at Homegoods and did a simple accordion fold to add
some texture and color to the table since I used the footed bowl as a
centerpiece in lieu of flowers. I made the fabric sashes for the chairs
out of fabric scraps from a past interior design project.
The
leaf runner is actually four place-mats put together.
I took
four leaf place-mats I
found at Pier 1 and created a runner for the buffet. I also found
the beaded butterfly runner at
Pier 1 and HAD TO HAVE IT! The gold accents pick up the gold on the
Limoges china and the round chargers. The other decorative items on the
table and buffet are things I’ve collected over the years from estate sales and
thrift stores. It is such a joy to have everything come together and use
things you have at home already. One of my biggest pieces of advice when
setting a special table is to give yourself plenty of time. It always
takes longer than you anticipate, and it’s fun to have the time to really enjoy
adding the details and special touches. I hope you feel somewhat inspired
to set YOUR table and would love to hear some of the things you are doing in
your home! Happy Easter to each one of you!
The people
around the table are the most important part of any tablescape!