Saturday, July 15, 2017

A Day at the Beach Tablescape

This is one of those tables that I ruminated on for more than a week before finishing. It all started with the piece of Tommy Bahama fabric that I used as a runner. 
I loved the fabric when I saw it on eBay, and used it to make over a little footstool that my dad had made me about 20 years ago. 
My granddaughter needed something to boost her up when she was washing her hands in my coastal-themed bathroom, so I painted the footstool (originally Hunter green) with a soft taupe, and then replaced the English hunt fabric with this. I ended up having a lot left over, so it was easy enough to fold the edges under, press them down, and spread it across the top of the table.
That was followed by these placemats that I get a heck of a lot of use out of. They remind me of those fences that you see along the beaches of the Jersey shore, so they are always perfect for a coastal table setting.
Next up was the use of the fishnet. I love this stuff! You'd be surprised how many times I have pressed this into use. 
One of the reasons I put the table together was because I was dying to use the Seahorse pitcher and plates that I acquired over the last 18 months; aren’t they darling? I knew I wanted the pitcher at the center of the table but had no idea as to what to put inside.
I had thought about getting white flowers, like lilies or alstroemeria, but I thought they would be too white. So, the other day while I was rummaging around in the belly of the beast, I stumbled across some flowers that Jim (who always claimed he wasn't colorblind), bought me one year for our anniversary along with an equally hideous vase.

The flowers can best be described as diarrhea green. I never used them, storing them out of sight where they couldn't frighten me.
I hate to not use things, so began to wonder how it would be if I painted them. I’d never painted silk flowers before, but certainly was never going to use them as is, so figured that I’d experiment. I went out to the garage, rummaged through my vast collection of spray paint, found a nice ivory, and gave it a whirl. I absolutely love the look! I could have shopped and shopped and not come up with flowers as perfect as these. Plus, going over that green, gave them a light taupe look, and they worked perfectly here.
 Next up were the chargers that I got from blogger friend Marigene Purcell, and that I use again and again and again. If you ever see a set of chargers that you like and think you're going to use, trust me when I tell you, you will love them and use them a lot. I needed the green on my table to represent the green grasses in the dunes along the shore, topped the green chargers with these brown plates from the spice collection at Pier One (that I also use a lot), and then placed the Seahorse plates on top. I loved it! 
In order to bring out the color in the plates I used a deep teal napkin. I didn't want to get fussy, so just tied a knot in them and I think they look wonderful. If you ever are at a loss as to what to do with a napkin, tie a knot in it!
 I struggled over glassware. You all have seen the turquoise stemware that I use quite frequently, and I thought it would go perfectly here, but surprisingly I didn't like it as well as the brown that has been in the family for decades, and that I got from my mother. After that, all I needed was some nice bamboo flatware to keep up with the organic look, and I was finished.

 Hope you enjoyed the table as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

Fish net - Amazon
Brown plates, Napkins & Placemats – Pier One
Seahorse dishes – Maxcera
Bamboo flatware – Crate & Barrel
Runner fabric – Tommy Bahama
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10 comments:

Marigene said...

What a pretty table...anything with green, aqua/turquoise and brown is always a winner with me. I really like the seahorse pattern. I ♥♥♥ the driftwood angel fish, they are awesome.
Have a great weekend, Pattie.

Alycia Nichols said...

Ooooohhhhhh weeeeeeeee!!!!!!! That new deck has got you GOING, girl!!!!!

Mary@mydogsmygardenandmary said...

What a lovely tablescape, really like it. Looks like you are having fun playing with your dishes.

Enjoy your weekend, what;s left of it.

Mary

thepaintedapron.com said...

Can you see me jumping up and down with glee? This table is fabulous Pattie! First of all I am crazy over that fabric~and the seahorse plates and pitcher, so cute! Your color palette is spot on to highlight the plates and create the seashore feeling. Great job on the flowers too!
Jenna

Pinky at Designs by Pinky said...

What a GREAT table, I love it! The seahorse pitcher and plates are beautiful! We hosted dinner group here last night so I will have a new table to share tomorrow. Hope you are having a great weekend. The painted flowers turned out beautifully!

Angelina at Petite Haus said...

Loved this fun ocean themed tablescape!

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

Love this table so much. So many layers and textures. It's fabulous.

Julie's Creative Lifestyle said...

Your beach table setting is so pretty and just perfect for the summer.
Thanks for sharing at C&C with J&J.

Simple Life Mom said...

I love the combination of textures and colors (love the placemats!). This is so beautiful! Thanks for sharing on the Homestead Blog Hop. I hope we see you again this Wednesday.

Ann @ Corner of Plaid and Paisley said...

I am still laughing at the description of your flowers!!! Those placemats are great, adding a lot of texture, this setting is a delight for the eyes with so much to see!!! Great job!