Before we are into New Year's posts, I wanted to do one last Christmas post to show you some tablesettings I've done where I used Christmas tree ornaments to bring in a desired color. Ornaments at each place setting can be given to the guest as a favor at the end of the meal if you wish to do that.
This magenta and white theme on a marble table uses a jeweled ornament from Target to bring out the magenta of the bird on the charger by French maker Alberto Pinto. The magenta napkin is 100% hemp from Williams-Sonoma. It really is magenta [not red or cranberry] as the camera distorted the color. Magenta flash stem goblet from Pottery Barn. Antique sterling is Tiffany's 1898 St. James pattern. Also bringing in more magenta is the cup and saucer in Haviland's Malmaison purple fishing scene.
I used the same magenta ornament here with the Malmaison plates but added the Jungle Leaf placemat by Rose Tree [Dillard's] to update this vintage discontinued china with some punch for the holidays. I have to say that this jungle look is way out of my comfort zone, but it does update tired china patterns. The magenta runner is also hemp from Williams-Sonoma. I am a sucker for romance and loved this pattern because of the husband fishing while the wife sitting on the rocks holds the baby and watches nearby. So French.
On this table I've remixed again swapping out the Tiffany silver to the English King pattern, selected another Alberto Pinto charger [there are six bird scenes] and added the antique English magenta [really, it is NOT red] plate by Spode-Copeland handpainted by R. Wood.
This next remix brings in more of the acid green from the placemat with the French Jacquard Francais napkin, French Raynaud's Festivities dinner plate and a switch out to Gorham's antique St. Cloud silver.
This antique green plate from an English Coalport dessert service is fun to use at Christmas time. Charger is Anna Weatherley Simply Anna and dinner plate is vintage Royal Worcester Ripple, a pattern from the 1960's in a gold glittery glaze finish, which was way ahead of its time. You are seeing this type of finish now from French porcelain makers.
And this green setting is using another antique Copeland/Spode scenic batwing pattern called Compagna. I'm getting tired of that zebra print, aren't you?
Ah, yes, we were talking about ornaments. Back to discussing ornaments.
This is one of my most favorite settings using chocolate and white. Brown beaded ball ornament from Hobby Lobby. Metallic gold thread oversize monogrammed napkin is French maker Jacquard Francais. All china is Anna Weatherley's Simply Anna [made in Hungary] except for the cup and saucer from Italian maker Richard Ginori in the Fiesole pattern. I think the white natural coral and white quilt on the table create a simple elegance.
This ornament, also from Target, fills the entire rim soup and is made of chocolate brown thin round glass with a metallic gold damask pattern stenciled on the glass. Sorry for the bad flash that distorted the ornament's finish.
Here the large beaded ball ornament is used with a brown embroidered placemat by Noble Excellence [Dillard's] atop an antique French marble table, Wildlife Leopard highball tumblers by Slant [Dillard's] and the charger from Paris, France, my all-time favorite porcelain maker Jaune de Chrome. Their glazes are indescribably out of this world. This is the Tortoise Encrusted pattern [they offer it in two gold rim finishes], which when held in the light shows a lilac cast. Fabulous, fabulous maker. I can't say enough about this company's creativity and excellence in making their product. Rim soup is Italian maker Richard Ginori's Fiesole. Irish Waterford Colleen stem and Tiffany St. James silver.
For some reason I like putting ornaments inside the rim soup bowls. Here is a purple blown glass peacock ornament from Marshalls [unknown Chinese maker]. This photo shows the more true color of the Jaune de Chrome china glaze. Stemware is Home James Society amethyst on the left and an unknown maker purple wine glass from Marshall's on the right. I could have also switched out the napkin to a purple one. I'm sure there is another tablescape coming where I will do that.
A simple glitter ball ornament joins natural clam seashells in this rim soup. Usually the ornament appears to have fallen into the plate from the centerpiece where more of the same ornaments are grouped. The china, bottom to top, is JL Coquet Hemisphere Matte Gold charger, Royal Worcester vintage Ripple dinner plate, Richard Ginori Torino rim soup, Chas. Field Haviland Arizona bread plate, Limoges monogrammed side plate and Royal Crown Derby Gold Aves cup/saucer. Waterford Colleen and Simon Pearce Stratton stems.
In this black and white theme with the Anna Weatherley Simply Anna china, we have an ornament from Target that is a black glitter encrusted box in an egg shape. Toile napkin is from Williams-Sonoma. Antique Tiffany 1871 Japanese silver.
This magenta and gold ornament from Target coordinates with the hemp napkin. Salad plate is English Royal Worcester Contrast, dinner plate is Paris maker Jaune de Chrome's Feuille d' Or and charger is by Raynaud in the Horizon Granite Gold pattern.
In this violet and green theme, I've used Anna Weatherley chargers in violet with an antique Minton dinner plate with gold embossed on green. Antique silver is Gorham's St. Cloud. The purple twinkly object on the upper left is a cone-shaped Christmas tree out of view.
This glittery white ornament in Royal Crown Derby's Gold Aves cup is joined by an unmarked English dessert plate from a dessert service in a wonderful shade of green with a scalloped gold edge. Charger is JL Coquet Hemisphere Matte Gold.
I really enjoy doing the mixes of antique, vintage and new to keep it interesting.
I am participating in Tablescape Thursday this week on the blog Between Naps on the Porch. Go here to see all the entries.
http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
All the best,
Summer
Photo Credits: Swede
