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.
Brown plates, Napkins & Placemats – Pier One
Seahorse dishes – Maxcera
Bamboo flatware – Crate & Barrel
Runner fabric – Tommy Bahama
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The centerpiece is quite showy here. This pair of pelicans, with wonderful
detailing at the base, are from Fitz & Floyd. Behind them, looking a bit
like sea oats, is a candle holder, believe it or not.
