When it comes to decorating the table for a dinner party I usually use the "less is more" philosophy, I think it makes for an understated stunning look but also helps with time and energy- I can achieve a gorgeous meal and a beautiful table if I keep it simple. I have a lot of china to choose from- my everyday plates I picked up from a second hand store, they were cast offs from a local cafe updating but to my good fortune all white, oval heavy duty plates, cups and saucers, teapots etc for a meager $100 including at least 40 plates. I use these everyday but they also work in an all white or white + colour scheme. They are heavy duty and dishwasher safe so if I am feeding a lot of people including children I tend to use these to lessen the workload later when its clean up time (and lets face it who wants to spend hours in the kitchen after you spent hours cooking and setting up!). I also have an amazing array of antique china much of it used to be my husbands Nan's and part of that collection was a gorgeous antique blue and white china 12 place set that is all in perfect condition! Our philosophy when we acquired all her china (truckloads of the stuff) was to use it. Nan had most of it either hidden away or shoved in cupboards where no one could see and appreciate them, so I use them for special occasions and we wash them up by hand as old china is not made for modern dishwasher temperatures and chemicals. It is worth the extra effort as they are truly beautiful. For this dinner party as it was only for 8 people I chose the blue and white china with the white Belgian linen cloth and napkins. My good cutlery were also a score from an upmarket French cafe and again are worth quite a bit brand new but buying it this way was so reasonable- they have simple rounded bottoms, very solid/heavy duty and good quality but dishwasher safe. (Part 3 will cover the correct way to set the cutlery).
I try not to be overly 'matching' or it may look like a wedding so I use a variety of candles for ambiance and interest. I use any mix of containers to hold tea lights - and what I use depends on the overall look I want but for example I use old jam jars in a variety of sizes, I use any gorgeous glasses I may have for some height and I also have a variety of French candles in their own containers (glass bottles and jars). These may be bunched together or spread along the centre of the table. Lastly I use some sort of flower or fruit as a final flourish. I had to laugh as I hadn't worked out what I would use and as I shop for groceries online I had ordered pears for my fruit bowl, when they arrived they were some weird mini pears?? Viola! a really cute, rustic, provincial looking table decoration and a conversation starter too! Well enough from me- here are some pics to hopefully inspire you xxCorrina Images copy right Corrina Tough 2013
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