Valentines Day Tablescape: Simple & Elegant
Valentines Day... I know this holiday can have a mix of emotions for both single and married people alike. BUT, holiday feelings aside, this can be a fun thing to do for a family Valentines celebration or you could do a little brunch for all the lovely GAL-entines in your life! Let’s be honest, every meal is more fun when you drink out of a champagne flute! Now for the pretty stuff…
White Dishes. First things first! Just like in home decorating, I encourage you to invest in good neutral “foundations” with your furniture (sofas, tables, paint) & have your trendy or seasonal be pieces be things that are less expensive and easier to change out (pillows, throw blankets, wall decor, etc.). The same goes for tablescapes. My dishes, vases, stemware, etc. are all white/clear/neutral and the seasonal/fun things are all things that are easy to switch out. My husband and I have been married 11 years so a lot of this stuff I have “collected” over the years, but I also make sure that any “big ticket” items I purchase are timeless & classic. All of our “everyday” dishes are white which makes them super easy to mix and match with any season. I also have a range of “accent” pieces that are everything from small dessert plates to decorative bowls & cake stands. Most of these pieces I have picked up at Homegoods or Ross over the years- it’s fun to have a variety of sizes that you can mix into your tablescape.
Color Palette/Inspiration. Whenever I plan a party or a pretty table, the first thing I always do is decide what color(s) I want to use! I am loving blush right now and I knew it would be perfect for Valentines day! I started with these napkins as my inspiration. Since blush is my primary color- I snuck in a little gray and gold also as secondary colors. The important thing is to just have a few accents- no need to overdo it.
Shop Your House. The next thing I do is hop in my car and buy everything I can at Target… oh just kidding... (I wish, LOL). It’s amazing how much stuff you already have on hand, but you just need to look at it with “fresh eyes”. I gather everything that I think could possibly work on a table that’s in my color scheme- candle votives, table runners, chargers, coasters, etc. Put them all in one place & start to “play”- sometimes you will be surprised as to what goes together!
Fresh Flowers. This is my favorite thing to be creative with & granted you are at the mercy of what is in season- it’s a fun way to try new things. My favorite places to get flowers are Trader Joe’s and also my own yard! Winter, I know that gets a little trickier, but I’ve done some fun arrangements & centerpieces with sticks and fir tree branches that haven’t cost me a dime!
Think outside the box. I wanted mini cupcake stands, but couldn’t find the right ones so I ended up using coasters & I think it turned out darling! I needed another gold accent to “liven up” my white dishes and ended up using a trivet for decor rather than just function. Also, never in my life would I have a linen bench at my table with 3 kids, but how cute was this for this one event? (It lives at the end of my bed most days).
Trial & Error. Once you have everything together sometimes it’s just playing around until you get it “just right”. I think I had 4 different versions before I found the one that worked for me! I didn’t originally plan to use my gray table runner, but it ended up being the perfect thing to tie in the napkins! I also never planned to put wildflowers with roses, but that's what was available and I think it turned out pretty great!
Here’s your checklist for your Valentines tablescape! Make sure you tag me @linenandivory so I can see how cute yours is!
Valentines Tablescape Checklist
- Neutral Dishes & glassware
- Vases (2-3 different heights)
- Cake stands, serving plates, bowls, etc.
- Neutral white/blush flowers (or whatever color you decide on)
- Candle votives
- Table Runner
- Napkins
- Pillows for added depth, texture
- Food: white cupcakes, chocolate covered strawberries, heart shaped cookies, white conversation hearts.
ALSO- Please note I am not a photographer! I completely winged this and shot everything with my iPhone & used these presets which have literally changed my (photo editing) life!
!
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