small space entertaining, a rustic tablescape to celebrate summer

I’ve always wavered when choosing a favorite season. I’m definitely not a hot weather kind of person, so I wouldn’t say that true summer is tops for me. Spring is too gloomy and wet, while winter is just too damn cold. Fall leads to winter and typically just feels too damn short. But there’s this sweet spot where summer blends into fall that just feels absolutely perfect. That fleeting moment in time is what this rustic tablescape is meant to celebrate. The cooler evenings, the changing product available at the farmers market, even the shift in my decorating color palette.

After Sarah whipped up this DIY centerpiece of dahlias and figs, I was invited to add a complementary punch of pattern and pop of color to my tabletop. I always try to build a tablescape off of what I already have, especially because I am still very much in love with my clean, white dinner plates from Fortessa. Seriously, they always create the perfect backdrop for any table I set!

Then I layered on my pop, these vintage floral salad plates in pink and blue. I loved the pink color combo the best, so I ended up only using one of the blue plates. At the last minute, I added in a vintage plate to the mix. I really love the idea of each place setting feeling unique and found — even if the plates aren’t all vintage.

I’ve had these striped linen napkins for years, purchased at a street fair in San Francisco. They are made of vintage scrap fabric and I absolutely love them. They have the perfect amount of rumple! And the stripes just look so lovely juxtaposed against the vintage florals.

I have wanted this Goa cutlery for a loooong time, but at $89 a setting, they are definitely not in my budget any time soon. I don’t shop for knock offs often, but in this case I did and found a really similar version for $23 a set. I love the modern edge that this flatware adds to the table. It helps the vibe maintain a modern-rustic vibe as opposed to a traditional-rustic one.

Then a few more tiny details to add some texture: small vintage tumblers (similar) and a tiny wooden bowl for salt.

I really love setting a table with small juice glasses instead of traditional wine glasses. There’s something about it that feels more casual and European. Sean always jokes that it’s like drinking out of a thimble, but I still love it.