This week’s guest blogger is Amy from Maison Décor.
Autumn! It’s a wonderful time of year that’s perfect for hosting dinner parties with family and friends. Creating an artful table is one way to make certain your guests feel special.
I recently styled a dinner table for a fall photo shoot with HomeGoods, and you can follow the same steps to create a lovely tablescape for your own fall dinner party.
Photo by HomeGoods
It began with a centerpiece composed completely from vegetables! My inspiration? The autumnal harvest bounty. So off to the grocery store I went in search of purple and green veggies to make a beautiful and bountiful centerpiece.
Purple cauliflower was the star, but you can use anything that looks particularly fresh and colorful. It’s a beautiful presentation that has the added element of surprise, which makes for a great conversation piece!
Photo by HomeGoods
Each place setting had personal, rustic touches. Wooden tags (found in the stationary section) were used as place cards tied with twine and a sprig of fresh rosemary. A perfect autumn pear was placed in a vintage-inspired compote dish from HomeGoods to repeat the table’s color theme of purple and green, designated by the vegetable choices.
Look carefully and you’ll see that the entire table is done using neutral plates and linens, all found at HomeGoods. The purple compotes and the centerpiece transformed the setting into an elegant and colorful visual delight!
Photo by HomeGoods
Of course, candles are an absolute must for any dinner party. The more the merrier! I scattered the table with baby votives, and grey pillars inside glass rope jars were elevated onto wooden slices.
Mix and match your dishes in shades of grey, white and beige. Serving pieces and linens in tonal colors adds to the layering effect to create a designer look. Shop for both food and centerpiece elements in your grocery store’s produce aisle or at your local farmer’s market. It doesn’t get any more relaxed than that, and the result will be pure magic!
Photo by HomeGoods
One last personal touch was a cute wooden squirrel carved by my grandfather, in a nod to fall and family ties. Think of the heirloom pieces you have to add charm to your table. Now that’s an easy and elegant way to set a stellar autumn dinner table!
How do you plan to a set an elegant and charming fall dinner table? Share your ideas and advice in the comments!
Amy Chalmers is a Boston-based artist, design blogger and stylist with a passion for creating beautiful home interiors. She is currently building an outdoor European-style courtyard with pea gravel and french doors, creating an elegant home office space and writing a book on style. Read more at Maison Décor.