Last weekend I had a ball doing 2 super fun Fall entertaining events! One with The Pierce in San Jose and the other at Makers Market on Santana Row. At the events I shared ideas on creating fresh and vibrant table settings for the season and did a live demo on how you can bring flair, color and a story to your holiday entertaining this year. Be it a cozy meal for 4 or a lively dinner for 20!
I had a blast sharing design ideas and styling secrets with the lovely ladies that came! For intros, I asked everyone to bring / share something from their home that they absolutely love, and it was great seeing people's favorites - from an iridescent blue Buddha statue given as a gift, to a vintage Moroccan armoire passed on from mother to daughter!
I had the best time designing and creating this festive, layered table setting. Here's a glimpse into it and some of the ideas I shared! The pictures are a mix from both days.
The perfect setting for our get together - under a canopy of trees!
A standout table starts with a vibrant table cloth! You can get totally creative with your tablecloths - go with fabrics that inspire you. This here is a modified duvet cover. I loved the deep Hermes orange and the pattern, and felt that it had great potential for a fall table.
Next, I added a pair of turquoise candles on vintage brass candlesticks. Candles are SUCH an easy way to bring fresh color to your table. Experimenting with offbeat colors like turquoise, lilac, lavender, a deep pink, or even black brings that extra something to the setting.
You can change the look of your table with small adjustments! For instance, I switched the place setting on this table to take it from modern to country. I switched the pleated white plates & ruffle soup bowl from Crate & Barrel, with vintage Perkin Hammer country-style salad plates & beautiful turquoise dinner plates!
Going from country to a more formal, luxe look: These vintage Italian salad plates that I found at an estate sale looked amazing and totally complemented the setting. Starburst napkin rings bring in an extra element of festive luxury (found these super pretty ones at Z Gallerie for an amazing price!)
The idea here is to MIX. Mixing a treasured vintage find with a newer purchase. Pairing brass flatware with silver or lucite napkin rings
It's all in the details!
- adding something fun & offbeat to your table makes it uniquely yours! I added this elegant Chinese figure playing an instrument that I'd found at a vintage shop.
- little favor boxes for your guests with a delicious truffle in it? :)
- footed candy bowls to reinforce color & also have something for your guests to munch on. Fill 'em with little pieces of candy or fruits and nuts.
- glitter pine cone place cards bring in a personal touch & some seasonal charm!
Some more place card ideas... a dandy turkey place card or small white pumpkins with the initials of your guests !
Acrylic napkin rings are great when you want a contemporary feel.
Speaking of something unique for the table, these candles that I found at Makers Market, are made from recycled bottles. I was told that the makers can make a personalized momento too, say using a bottle from your wedding. How cool is that!
The winner of our "bring your favorite thing!" contest - wonderful Schanelle. She brought this beautiful iridescent blue buddha which was given to her as a going away gift and as a harbinger of good luck. She won the footed candy bowls! :)
Me concentrating as I set and test it all out on day 1. Also, can I just say - I LOVED the lobby of The Pierce. It was open and bright and well lit. The framed art on the walls were the original plans for Firestone Tire's first tire center from the early 1900s - which is what this building was many years ago. How cool is that!!
We got super lucky with our location on day 2 as well. At the last minute we had a snafu and couldn't do it in our original spot. But then we ended up HERE! This gorgeous urban oasis style setting in the midst of Santana Row. A huge shout out to the generous manager at EMC for making this happen. We ladies had a blast!
And that's a wrap!
Drop me a comment below and let me know if you enjoyed that! Anyone else getting creative during the holidays? How?!
