Garden-To-Tablescape 1:5
Falling For White
Great things happen when you team up with a friend and fellow creative mind.
Katie Oglesby, an amazing Garden Designer, and I met each other at a lettuce bowl class she was teaching and realized we lived 10 minutes from each other in Lake Geneva, WI. After a few conversations we decided we needed to collaborate on a project. We both love “bringing people to the table”—me through entertaining and setting a beautiful table, and Katie through designing gardens that provide delicious food for the table. This series of blog posts will highlight the different themes from our first collaboration, a Fall Garden-to-Table Scape Workshop.
I knew a very accomplished and eccentric designer who loved to say, “The building block for anything wonderful starts with white.” Almost everyone owns some type of white china and/or white serving pieces. Starting there, combining whites and neutrals in a tablescape is a great way to highlight the beautiful colors of any season.
A buffalo check tablecloth in white & neutral came to mind for the backdrop of this setting. Then, I added the placements with rustic white charger plates, neutral pottery dinner plates , and vintage milk glass goblets and etched water glasses.
This rustic look was elevated slightly with the addition of a few vintage silver pieces. The idea is to juxtapose different elements to create a visually interesting experience for your diners. I like to add something rustic, and then something elevated, and kind of go back and forth. After I added the silver, I balanced it out with a Ball mason jar flower vase, burlap-wrapped candles, and a few mini wood votives.
A simple glass & wicker cloche created a unique accent piece and was a perfect place to tie on the wooden place card. A personalized detail on a place setting is a sweet way to let your guests know you appreciate their presence.
Once the table was set, elements from Katie’s garden served as the accent decor. The dahlias were in full bloom, so the bright pink dahlia flowers became the accent color. We placed a single bloom in a silver creamer for a dramatic pop of color.
The gorgeous freshly picked red onions and white mini pumpkins placed in a low bowl added to the unique mix and charm of this table. Fresh sprigs of eucalyptus placed on the plates, tucked into the napkins and in the vegetable bowl certainly brings the garden to this table.
All photos captured by Megume of Garden Tide Photography.
So, the basic guidelines for a “Falling for White” inspired tablescape:
Start with a neutral background.
Mix rustic and high-end pieces to create a unique blend of items
Let the natural beauty in your garden dictate the accent color scheme.
Step outside the box and decorate with more than just flowers from the garden! Onions are beautiful too!
