Wow, it’s been a hot minute since I shared a tablescape with you! In the heat of summer, I usually keep things pretty casual on the entertaining front… simple white plates with a buffet-style food serving situation — then tons of outdoor seating! Recently, I hosted a brunch for my girlfriends where I wanted the vibe to be a bit more curated, but still very casual. I pulled the inspiration for the tabletop pieces from Sarah’s all-white floral centerpiece, so there is plenty of clean white, natural wood tones, raw linen, and a touch of gold metallic (cuz every tablescape needs a touch of gold!).
A Summer-Inspired Brunch Tablescape
We’ll get to talking about the actual tablescape in a bit, but first I want to draw your attention to my gorgeous vintage flatware I picked up while in Italy. I am definitely one of those people (and stylists) who is enamored with old utensils. If it’s weathered, stained, tarnished, and generally gross looking, I love it. Yes, these have been washed! But look at that patina!! You can’t possibly beat that tonality and texture. Ugh, I’m in love.
Anyways…
Plates & Tablelinens
Just because I wanted a more casual aesthetic for my tabletop does not mean I can’t layer my plates! To keep it laidback, I mixed my materials — even the salad plate is different from the dinner plate! The dinner plate has a slight tonal grey quality to it and slight textural wheel marks on the surface. On top, I layered a smooth, crisp white salad plate for a subtle juxtaposition. The woodgrain charger adds a really nice, natural touch to the table and mimics the natural textured table runner, too.
In terms of textiles, I went for a layered approach here as well. I started with a rumpled white linen tablecloth, then layered a loosely woven table runner on top. I love how the wrinkles of the tablecloth mingle with the wobbly natural fibers of the runner! To found out the tablelinens, I selected a set of navy, white, and natural striped linens that were made of vintage fabrics (similar). I love how the blue mimics my custom handmade Jill Rosenwald vase.
A Unique Touch
In my opinion, the key to a stylish tablescape is incorporating a special little wink of something. In this case, my little ‘wink’ is using white raffia ribbon to gather the linen napkins, then tying it off with a knot. A bow felt too sweetsie, but a simple knot felt right. I love how using a raw material like raffia instantly makes the table feel more casual than if I had used a traditional napkin ring.
Vintage Flatware
The finishing touch is to place my mismatched vintage utensils to the right of the charger. When combining different patterns of vintage utensils, I suggest keeping them all within the same color/finish family. For example if your fork is silver, use a silver knife in a similar or complimentary tone of silver so that they look cohesive. Shopping for antique silverware is one of my favorite hobbies, so it helps that I enjoy the process of searching for more!
Here are a few options from Etsy if you’re looking to add to your own vintage flatware collection:
Sources:
- white linen tablecloth
- fishnet woven runner
- striped linen napkin, set of 4 (similar)
- tin glaze dinner plates, set of 4 (similar)
- coupe salad plates
- decorative woodgrain charger
- Pryce gold rocks glass
- white raffia ribbon
- Jill Rosenwald vase
- vintage utensils, similar
Photography by Meghan Klein. Styling by Jojotastic.
Get more entertaining posts here + learn how to make the all-white floral centerpiece!
