Falling for White, a garden-to-tablescape

Oct 13

Written By

Garden Designer Katie Oglesby and Lifestyle Blogger Mary Alice Myers, both of Lake Geneva, WI, teamed up to create garden-inspired tablescapes for fall. This blog is one of five we are featuring to inspire all of you to elevate your table and bring the garden and outdoor elements in for a cozy, organic feel at your table that impresses your guests and sets the tone for your fall gathering.

There’s no better way to celebrate the seasonal abundance of your garden than by bringing the natural beauty to your dining table. Garden-to-table doesn’t always mean you have to cook or bake. You can also decorate with garden beauty like colorful herbs, seasonal blooms, and even fruits and veggies. Get creative as you infuse autumn into your dining experience and put together unique DIY tablescapes that capture the warmth and beauty of fall.

I knew a very accomplished and eccentric designer who loved to say, “The building block for anything wonderful starts with white.” Almost everyone owns some type of white china and/or white serving pieces. Starting there, combining whites and neutrals in a tablescape is a great way to highlight the beautiful colors of any season.

A buffalo check tablecloth in white & neutral came to mind for the backdrop of this setting. (Amazon). Then, I added the placements with rustic white charger plates (Hobby Lobby), neutral pottery dinner plates (Paper Dolls Home Furnishing, white Cabbage Ware salad plates (Replacements LTD), and vintage milk glass goblets and etched water glasses (Williams Sonoma).

This rustic look was elevated slightly with the addition of a few vintage silver pieces. The idea is to juxtapose different elements to create a visually interesting experience for your diners. I like to add something rustic, and then something elevated, and kind of go back and forth. After I added the silver, I balanced it out with a Ball mason jar flower vase, burlap-wrapped candles, and a few mini wood votives.

A simple glass & wicker cloche (Fontana Home) created a unique accent piece and was a perfect place to tie on the wooden place card. A personalized detail on a place setting is a sweet way to let your guests know you appreciate their presence.

Once the table was set, elements from Katie’s garden served as the accent decor. The dahlias were in full bloom, so the bright pink dahlia flowers became the accent color. We placed a single bloom in a silver creamer for a dramatic pop of color.

The gorgeous freshly picked red onions and white mini pumpkins placed in a low bowl added to the unique mix and charm of this table. Fresh sprigs of eucalyptus placed on the plates, tucked into the napkins and in the vegetable bowl certainly brings the garden to this table.

So, the basic guidelines for a “Falling for White” inspired tablescape:

Start with a neutral background.
1. Mix rustic and high-end pieces to create a unique blend of items
2. Let the natural beauty in your garden dictate the accent color scheme.
3. Step outside the box and decorate with more than just flowers from the garden! Onions are beautiful too!

Need a little more inspo? Check out our other fall garden-to-table-inspired tablescapes here and follow Mary Alice at Home on Instagram for so many great home inspiration ideas!