A Nordic Inspired Red and White Tablescape

It's a challenge to come up with new ways to use the dishes and tableware you have, don't you think?  If I allowed myself , I would own a million different patterns of dishes, serving pieces and such.  Seriously.  But since that would lead to a bit of stress in the 6 Wilson household, I just try to figure out ways to reinvent what I have.  And, when the spirit moves, I add new linens.

This table runner has gotten a lot of interest in the shop, so I thought I would show you how I staged it for a tablescape, using a couple of different dishes I have in my personal stash.

Here I've got my every day Casafina stoneware under a Johnson Brothers Friendly Village lunch plate.  In my mind, this runner calls for some greenery and pine cones, and I'm loving the rustic log container these greens are in.  Feels casual and authentic.

Above I changed out the plates to my 20 year old Macy's Christmas china, and added a stemless wine glass with cranberries and a few pine sprigs from the yard.  I love using fresh greens and such from the great outdoors.  It looks casual, elegant, and effortless, all at once.  I think this table runner needs a no-fuss attitude around the table, don't you?
 

See my water pitcher in the back?  Spode 1950's (forgot the pattern name) -- found it at an antique shop and bought it that instant.  It was true love.  I say pull out whatever you've got, because "off-matches" in shades of green like this can be gorgeous, and again, it feels unfussy.

If you haven't guessed already, I love doing tables, and when I am not staging products and I'm doing my table in real life, things get much more involved.  When I do my actual dining table for Christmas, I will be sure to share it.

I hope you're enjoying your weekend, everybody!  Talk to you soon.

If you want more information on the table runner, click here for details.

Blue and White Christmas Decorating

  I have always loved blue and white, but I've never really used it until recently.  When I saw that The Pink Pagoda was having a blue and white bash today, I thought it would be a great time to make the Christmas arrangement I was planning on, in a Homegoods pot I had picked up a while back.

Of course once I did the arrangement, I needed a place to put it, so I gathered the blue and white china from 6 Wilson (available here), along with a new blue and white table runner (available here) and I put together a tablescape (one of my all time favorite things to do.)

 I will be using my arrangement for the entire season, and since it looks wintery, probably into January. 

 So that's it, short and simple today.  I'm off to go through all the links at Pink Pagoda and no doubt drool over all the gorgeousness.  Join me there!!

Happy cyber Monday!

A Black, White and Red Christmas Tablescape and a Great Tip

 

Today, I'm showing you how I changed my black, white and green tablescape to red.  In yesterday's post, the black and white table runner set the tone for a traditional-modern table setting. In this red setting, I took away the bright green and added more tradition while keeping the look fresh.

Here's the table in red...

I took away the white table cloth and changed out the chargers from green to gold.  Then I added red napkins instead of white, layering them between the charger and the dinner plate for drama on the plate.

The square white plates from Home Goods add a touch of modern, I think, and set off the traditional salad plates I've had for 20 years. 

I bought the red berry sprigs at a nursery last year, and kept them for just the right occasion (true confession: I am an anything- Christmas hoarder.)   I added them to the plate for additional color and interest, and tied them with an organza ribbon to bring the black onto the plate as well.  If you go back to the first image above, you'll see I did the same thing with a thicker grosgrain ribbon in the green setting.

So here's the Tip: using a dramatic table runner or tablecloth can help you create a beautiful, interesting table without adding a lot of fancy dishes and decorations.  So, if your budget or is tight or your decorations are scarce, go for impact with linens that you can use on other occasions.   This table runner can be found here.

I hope you feel inspired!  I'm off to figure out my next table to show you, and start planning what I'm bringing to Thanksgiving next week!

Have a great day.

Join me over at French Country Cottage for some great inspiration in Feathered Nest Friday!

For help creating a home or a table you love, contact me at CarolBeckInteriors.com

How To Do A Green, Black and White Christmas Tablescape

Green, white and black are big in Christmas decorating this year.  I'm not much of a trend follower, but I do love this one because these colors are long-time favorites of mine.  (I've had various shades of green in my home for years.)

I'll just say up front that none of these images show the true green of this tablescape. Argghhh!  I know that photographing green correctly requires a filter, so, not having one, I'll have to ask you to imagine these greens as lovely and limey, not quite so acidic as they appear here!

Anywho, this tablescape was completely inspired not only by the colors I wanted to use, but this black and white modern-traditional table runner I'm using.  (You can find it here.)  Let's take look, shall we?

I started with napkins and a tablecloth I already had, along with the brass napkin rings I've had since I graduated college. (Quality lasts, I gotta say...)  I added in some polka dot ribbon and layered on the black and white damask runner. 

I ran a thick coordinating satin ribbon down the center of the runner to layer in more color and interest. 

When you use a bold pattern like this damask, the other layers on the table need to play supporting roles, complimenting the pattern but not competing with it. 

While I do love to layer a tablescape along the the center of the table, the modern-traditional feel of these colors and patterns made me feel more inclined to keep it simple, using just candles...

To make sure there was enough Christmas in the mix, I added soft pine branches from the trees in my yard at each place setting.  This added both texture and the slightest scent.

Using things that are meaningful are always a part of entertaining for me.  Take the silverware, for example.  I have a whole mess of unmatched silverplate from my grandmother, who collected pieces as she found them because she never had a full set of silver.  Worn and tired as they are decades later, I still use them to remind me of her.  (See the lovely worn spots below?  I call it "love patina.")

So that wraps it up for this black white and green table.  Tomorrow I will show you how I mixed it up at bit and highlighted red instead. 

And, if you're wondering where the green chargers came from (again, prettier in person, just impossible to photograph), I couldn't find any in the color I wanted, so yes, I spray painted (!) my old gold ones...

What is it they say about necessity?

I hope you are inspired to create a simple, beautiful table of your own, no matter the color or the season.  I think it's one of the best ways to show your love for the people you share your meals with.

Happy table setting...

 

The white plates are from Homegoods this year.

The green ribbon and ornaments are from Michaels.

The table runner is available here in 6 Wilson on Etsy for $40.

How I Created a Simple Orange and Blue Thanksgiving Tablescape

 It all started last week when I was out and about and found these blue and white vintage Johnson Brothers Historic "Frozen Up"America plates at a vintage shop.  I confess.  I jumped up and down when no one was looking ;-)

Johnson Brothers Historic America "Frozen Up"

The information I found on Replacements Limited says this collection was produced sometime between 1930-1974.  This sleigh scene is categorized as a 10 1/2" charger plate.  They sell there for $49 each.    The eight I bought are in mint condition ;-)

As soon as I saw the plates, my wheels started turning to create a tablescape for Thanksgiving, even though I'm not hosting this year!  If you've been following me at all over the last 3 1/2 years, you know I love to do tables!  Sooo.... necessity being the mother of invention, I whipped up this off white and orange cotton table runner.  I wanted a table that was vintage, classic and fresh all at once.

So here are some finished shots of my table, and then I will show you how I made the floral arrangements.  Everything on the table I already owned, outside of the runner and the plates.  My personal style, which influences most everything I do with 6 Wilson, is mixing antiques, vintage and traditional pieces with fresh pieces, whether decorating a home or a table.

Here we go...

The brass candlesticks and napkin rings are Baldwin, and I bought them right after graduating college with a bit of money my grandmother had left me for my graduation.  I think I got my love of entertaining from her, looking back, so it was fitting that I spent that money on pieces I would use for a lifetime and think of her.  (Who spends graduation money on that, by the way? Just sayin.  I was destined to decorate.)

The water pitcher below is ancient, and was also my grandmother's.  The oversized pitcher and creamer to the left are vintage Wedgewood, so old that the word Wedgewood is pressed into the porcelain, not stamped.  I picked them up about a year ago on an antiquing day.  One will serve as a gravy boat and the other is for cranberry sauce.

You'll notice in the picture above, I hadn't put any flowers on the table yet.  I went to my Stop and Shop grocery store, and picked up the perfect orange mum plant and a small bouquet of mixed stems.

(Helpful hint:  when you want a lot of filler in your vase, buy the entire plant -- you get more flowers than a bouquet, and you get the filler benefit of all the leaves on the stem!)  I simply picked off a few flowers, leaving very little stem, and put them in my glass and candle hurricane, which I had already filled with old, gold, Christmas beads (hint and savings no.2 :-)

To make the two small arrangements, I took two gold rimmed glasses I have that match my water pitcher, and used both my small cut stem arrangement that I bought, and the mum plant.  I used all my stems, cutting them at various lengths and making sure to have height in the middle, then added the mum plant.

You can use glasses, vases, ball jars, or whatever you have handy.  Just keep going until they look good from all angles around the table.  I like mine to look natural and not perfect.  While I would normally do an odd number of arrangements, I did only two because the candle on in the center of the table serves as the third.

All in all, I kept this tablescape pretty simple, as I'm not hosting and I really was just challenging myself to come up with something different.  I've also been wanting to introduce table runners into 6 Wilson, so this orange Greek key is now available for sale here.  I will also be introducing additional colors very soon, so stay tuned!

Thanks for reading and I hope this inspires you to take on your own table.  Good luck with all the Thanksgiving preparations out there!

If you'd like help with your holiday table, 

either in person or through online design, contact me here.

This post is linked up to Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday, and French Country Cottage's Feathered Nest Friday.  Check them out for lots of inspiration!!