I was so thrilled when my friend Editor, Jane McKeon of Meredith's
Outdoor Rooms magazine called me to design "6 Ways to Set the Scene and Create Pretty Looks for Tables" for their Summer issue.
Immediately I sketched out a dozen table top designs. Jane picked her six favorites and I got work to make each design happen preparing for a photo shoot. The biggest challenge was to find a home with great gardens and outdoor spaces to style and shoot all six tables and make them feel different.
The Photographer for this shoot was Andre Baronowski - another super talented and charming photographer I work with. Andre really made these projects shine!
Straight from your garden to the table
You can make a unique and different tabletop setting yourself using flowers straight from your garden, a supermarket bouquet or farmer's market.
On a white table cloth use different patterned place mats to compliment the flowers colors. Playing off the hues of the blooms enhances the table.
Place the flowers down the center down the center of the table using a funky assortment of mismatched glassware. In the stylist world, we call this, march the flowers down the table.
Display single stems or multiples of stems in each glass/container.
Toss some fruit casually upon the tablecloth. Blueberries , strawberries and peaches.
Adding tabletop additions adds to the festive array of color.
An Original and Unique tabletop which has had huge reviews.
This table setting always begins a good conversation starter!
Use sections of the
New York Times for each place setting. Of course, you can use
USA Today, The London Times, Boston Globe, LA Times, Chicago Times, Wall Street Journal - you name it.
To make your table runner use parcel post paper!
It is so easy!
Stay tuned for more outdoor table ideas on my next post. Get ready to celebrate summer!!
