Sea Urchin Vase: Let the sea flow onto your table

Living miles from the sea needn't mean you can't have a little marine decoration on
your table. The sea offers a huge source of ideas and materials. Traditional tokens
of beach outings, seashells are celebrated for the beauty of their unique forms and
textures and often used as decorative touches in seashore abodes. But that coastal
address isn't necessary in order to enjoy the brilliance of the beach, with a host of
of products bringing it as close as the backyard.



Indulge a love of the sea with a few nautical inspirations. Water restores the soul,
so it makes sense that aquatic objects, sea urchin vases, would renew your table.
You haven't seen underwater action like this since you last went scuba diving.

sources: Michelle Rago and Brides magazine

Botanical Bliss: Naturally inspired tablesetting

Imagine sitting down at the table to find a butterfly on your napkin, green moss under
your plate, bees swarming above and birds perched on your glass. And they all make
you smile. The butterfly is a napkin ring, the sheets of florist’s moss, transforms the
table into a woodland landscape, the bees are from the beehive lantern and the birds
are porcelain.



Butterflies, blossoms, and other botanical motifs bring nature's beauty to the table.
Host a springtime lunch in the garden or backyard. Bright table linens, whimsical botanical
decorations and a few nature-inspired accents make for a setting that infused with new life.



(above: White branch-shaped porcelain containers hold an assortment of pink blooms.
Spare tulips suit the sculptural look of this nature-inspired vase).



(above: Porcelain birds perch on the rim of the wine glasses, as if they’d alighted there).



(above: Hang America Retold's Beehive lanterns in your backyard for a warm glow
at night).

source: Myhomeideas and Country Living

Branching out with cool coral

This endangered treasure of the world's oceans finds its way into handsome interpretations
for the table. And for Spring it's the color du jour!


(above: An Alberto Pinto creation for Raynaud, Cristobal dinnerware, available at Gracious Style)

Not quite pink, not quite orange, not quite red, some things can only be described as coral.
Coral can be found in the wild in many colors, but the most precious, prized for its alluring
color, is the coral-colored variety. Its unique sculptural form is as enticing as its color,
inspiring decorative motifs on everything from placemats to napkin rings.


(above: red coral placemats, Kim Seybert, Gracious Style)

Dress up your table with coral like with these tree branch shaped centerpiece scultures
in white. You haven't seen underwater action like this since you last went scuba diving.



Stylized coral patterns are at once exotic and sophisticated, endowing a spirit of wit and
fun. Perk up any setting with an unexpected accent of coral (a little goes a long way)!
Stylized and exotic, coral lends itself to artistic, sophisticated reinterpretations in every
aspect of the home. Whether it's presented in a vibrant eponymous hue or sun-bleached
to pale white, the overall effect is simply striking.


(above: Cristobal Turquoise by Raynaud available at Bloomingdales)

Party in the Garden

As a New Yorker I have willingly sacrificed lawns and an open horizon line, living
and working in a concrete jungle makes the prospect of having a garden party all the
more tantalizing. An outdoor get-together is the perfect way to celebrate a graduation,
birth, or upcoming wedding. Everyone will welcome the sweet smell of new grass and
the cheerful busts of color beginning to emerge in the garden.



Here are 5 easy tips that will allow you to skip into spring with a carefree party that
invites everyone to gather together to enjoy the outdoors.

#1: Let your dining room chairs make an appearance alfresco. Add some slipcovers for a
splash of color.



#2: I love the concept of mix and matching. Combine antique china, ancestral silver, mismatched
glasses and contemporary chargers.



#3: In addition to hurricane lamps and votive candles, garden-themed Staffordshire figures
and miniature garden implements further enlivened the tabletops.



#4: Assemble a luxuriant bouquet on the buffet table. This centerpiece is a profusion of
forced white lilies, hosta leaves, and branches of variegated red-berried elder filled a large
antique urn atop the buffet table.



#5: Green glass complements the leafy hues of the surrounding garden. Place cards might
not seem necessary when guests are close friends and family, but they ensure that everyone
mixes, which always makes things livelier.



When butterflies and spring blossoms appear, consider taking the party outside.

Source: Southern Accents

Going to pot: potted flowering plants give your tablesetting an unforgettable look

Mums and hydrangeas, like miniature roses, azaleas, gerbera daisies, calla lillies and
spring-blooming bulbs, are landscape plants that have become popular as decorative
houseplants.



It's very easy to transplant many of these onto your table from the garden after
they've finished flowering so that their beauty can be enjoyed throughout the year.



On the table, potted plants serve as focal points. Clustered together, they become
oases of beauty. Incorporating potted plants onto your table isn't just a matter of
scattering around a few varieties. There's a science to choosing and arranging them.



Match the plant style with your table design.
Avoid frothy or flowery plants in a modern setting. So-called "architectural plants,"
which have large stocks and bold leaves, work best with a contemporary look. Pair
blossoms with a pretty container chosen to complement your table decor, then parade
a row down a long table for compliments galore.



Cluster pots together.
Plant stands and pedestals help vary elevation. This works well if you've grouped together
the same kind of pot for a sense of unity.



For a wedding reception.
Send your guests home with a small potted favor to tuck in their garden—a growing reminder
of the fun they had at your glorious wedding. Your little secret: Flowering plants are deceptively kind to the budget.



Don't these examples and this flower potted cake make you want to start a little garden? It's
easy. All you need is potting soil, containers, and plants, and a place to display them. Your
first opportunity to create a contained garden is right on your table.

WILD THING! Safari inspired table setting

It's going to be a jungle on the streets of Manhattan with all the sophisticated safari
styles heading our way. 'Safari Chic' is one of Spring 2008's leading trends. Last year,
during Fashion Week, when the designers showed their Spring 2008 collections, models
wrapped in leopard-print dresses and safari blazers made their way down the catwalks.



For those intrigued by the idea of a safari-centric celebration, show your wild side with
a safari inspired tablesetting.



In an out-of-this world African safari wedding, designed by Colin Cowie, he placed
mud-cloth covered chairs around a long table decorated with beaded Zulu chargers,
antique African dishes, and pyramids of brightly colored fruit.



The bride walked down a burlap runner to her groom. Hand-painted with a tribal motif,
the runner was customized with the bride and groom's names. Place cards made from
torn paper and burlap were accented with porcupine quills.



Style is going on a safari and now, the look is headed to the home with Ralph Lauren's
introduction of “Cape Lodge”. His new collection was inspired by an exotic estate with
echoes of safari. A warm earth-toned palette weaves together colonial, campaign and
Moderne furnishings in mahogany, rattan and tent canvas with vachetta leather, madras
and brass.



(above: Garrick placemat and dinner napkin. Buckle leather napkin ring, Rollins charger, Roake dinner plate,
salad plate and soup bowl. Dylan goblet and wine glass. Tablecloth fabricated in Borrego Madras in Tumbleweed).

And if you can only dream of such adventurous trips, just pick up some mud cloths,
bowls, and pedestals from street fairs, museum shops, and gift shops with a global
outlook and let your journey into the wild begin.

This Easter, don't put all your eggs in one basket, display them in nest instead

Apart from receiving presents from Santa in a Christmas stocking, finding a basket full
of candies from the Easter bunny was one of my favorite treats when I was a child. Now
with the arrival of spring, baskets are popping up all over. Many people will be using
them to decorate and organize their home, giving them as gifts and using them for a
table centerpiece.


(above: pussy willow nest, Martha Stewart)

Today, the basket tradition, now linked with Easter, still symbolizes rebirth, be it seasonal

or spiritual. All too often, though, the baskets that circulate among friends that are used as
centerpieces are pretty predictable. Why not replace your Easter basket with a bird's nest.


(l to r: Martha Stewart, Mini Nest, set of 4, $24.99, Williams-Sonoma)

Celebrating beginnings and new life, miniature bird's nests make lovely favors and each
creates a perfect setting.


(above: Faux Bois Tableware, starting at $10.00, Room Service)

Springtime calls for fresh flavors and bright colors, guaranteed antidotes to the winter blahs.
Whether the occasion is Easter dinner for the family or simply a time to enjoy the first signs
of spring, what better way to bring on the season than to incorporate a nest on the table.

Madame Butterfly: tablesettings that allow you to just "wing it"

In science, a person who chases butterflies for a living is called a lepidopterist. In
tableware, there are lepidopterists too, although they are more commonly known as
contemporary tabletop designers and retailers. These winged wonders have long
served as popular motifs in fashion and accessories. Now, they've migrated to the
table for a fresh garden look.



By the looks of things at retailers like Pottery Barn, Horchow and Abitare, it
appears that butterflies have landed in colonies upon the spring tabletop offerings
in the form of decoupage platters, hand painted dinner plates and melamine trays.



The humble monarch butterfly is taking center stage at fashionable weddings.
Since throwing rice or confetti has been deemed environmentally incorrect, wedding
guests have been inventing more earth-friendly alternatives. Now, more and more
brides and grooms are exiting the church amid a fluttery curtain of butterflies. A
butterfly release symbolizes new beginning and a new life. The distinctive orange
and black butterflies often land on the couple and flutter around them for several
minutes before flying away.



You don't need a net to capture the beauty of those dazzling butterflies. You can
bring butterflies to your next party by incorporating them in your decor. Suspend
garlands of monarchs for a dazzling party backsplash or send invitations in a clear
box with feather butterflies (resources can be found in the Feb 2008 issue of InStyle).



Butterflies continue to fly as a interesting tableware motif and since back-to-nature
is in vogue it is a perfect way to introduce elements of nature into the home. Butterflies
are fun, unexpected and their colors are simply stunning.

Pining for simple holiday decor from treetop to tabletop

Pinecones appear seemingly everywhere at our feet this time of year and yet we
hardly notice them. Those with a keen appreciation for nature's gifts know that
pinecones offers a bounty of decorating ideas. Bringing them indoors for the
holidays can give your tablesetting a rustic, homespun flavor.



To create holiday decorations with pinecones, gather cones from your yard,
pick some up at a craft store or purchase a hand sculpted, porcelain pinecone
from Coe & Waito. Alissa Coe and Carly Waito are the creators of these
beautiful pinecones. Through these objects, they hope to express their
admiration of the elegant perfection of nature. So whether you dust them with
glitter or slip cast them in moulds, pinecones will add a real organic appeal to
your tablesetting.



The differing sizes, shapes, and textures of pinecones inspire many possibilities
for their creative use:



Pinecones make a trimphant return to the tree a glittering ornament, welcome
guest with a dramatic swag of pinecones and holiday greens. Dress your holiday
table with a pinecone display in place of a floral arrangement.



When you place these adornments alongside the season's bounty, you'll likely conclude
that nature has come up with some wonderful decorating ideas.

source: Country Living magazine and Martha Stewart Living.

Fall Foliage: decorating with leaves

We are approaching the time of the year when most people are looking
more into the interior of their homes for beauty rather than outside in
the yards and gardens. Even so, many of us are finding ways to bring some
of nature indoors by decorating with fall leaves. Fashioning them into table
centerpieces, wreaths, candle rings and napkin holders are just some of
their uses. (above: Carolyn Roehm, Presentations)



One of the best things about fall is the color palette. I love the warm hues
and earth tones that reflect the changing leaves, perfect for a Fall wedding!
Decorating a wedding in autumn is almost effortless because nature does
most of the work. A variety of dried leaves all in deep autumnal hues, need only
minimal arranging for a lovely effect. (above: Better Homes and Gardens, Acorn
leaf napkin ring kit, $9.99, Martha Stewart crafts)



Did you know that Fall is the second biggest wedding season after summer?
If you’re planning a Fall wedding, incorporate leaves into your 'special day 'with
some of these festive, leafy decorations. (above: Autumn wreath kit, $24.99,
Martha Stewart crafts; Grooms cake, The Knot; Fall bouquet, $80.00, Kate Parker
Weddings via handcrafted wedding; Autumn leaf wreath, Better Homes and Gardens).



According to Martha Stewart, if you are going to be using fallen leaves, gather
them about two weeks in advance. Lay them between sheets of paper towels,
then let them dry between the pages of a phone book. Replace towels every
few days. When real leaves just won't do, you can still use the motif on your
favor's box and wouldn't your guest be delighted to find inside leaf shaped
brownies or chocolate. (above: Country Living magazine and Brides)



A table with pressed leaves is perfect for your escort cards. The leaf motif can
embellish the cards or you can use them as the card themselves. In an entry-hall table
or as a centerpiece, complete the look with nuts and more dried leaves arranged
in a glass bowl.



Wreaths and garlands: Don't limit wreath-making to Christmastime; there
are abundant materials available in the fall for creating lovely decorations
that will last through the season. A colorful collection of preserved leaves
are striking when densely clustered on a wire wreath form.



Start collecting those leaves, make way for fall and winter. Full steam ahead.
If collecting leaves is not for you, above are some great leaf accent plates that
you could easily mix and match with your current table decor.
(above: leaf plates, Roost; decorative leaf dishes, $58.00, Gump's; Harvest
leaf platter, $44.00, Pottery Barn; large foil leaf plate, $4.99, Target).