Setting a Warm Winter Table...Just Because!

We are in Week 11 of our kitchen and master bath renovation. It has turned the whole house upside down and inside out. We've retreated to the lower level that we finished a little over six years ago. The game room/garden room where I've been designing tablescapes is the only room in the house which has escaped the chaos.

I've always found setting tables to be both creative and relaxing. Needed all the more as power tools echo above my head! I hadn't yet come up with a design for this week's table when Greg walked in the door with a dozen roses — just because!

January is made for relaxation and introspection. The holidays are behind us and winter finally settles in (well what passes for winter in Georgia!). My thoughts turn to warmth and comfort foods, and long nights devoted to good books and great chocolate.

In January colors have muted but aren't completely gone. We have a variety of evergreens which are a nice contrast to the barren deciduous trees and shrubs and dormant grass. Red berries are still to be found in the garden however. So I was inspired to set a warm winter table with the colors of winter, with the beautiful roses as the centerpiece.

Evergreens and birds are a natural combination.

The sparkle of antique silver shakers gives a bit of zest to the center.

Birds are found in the centerpiece, on the napkin rings and on the plates. (As you know, I readily feature birds year round.)

The roses are a lovely ombré, more wine-colored than the pink they appear in the photos.

I felt the table needed a bit more of the warmth of silver.

The table linens are muted, but echo the January garden. A wonderful gift, they were also used in January's Winter Greetings.

I came across the candlesticks at an antique mall, though they're neither antique nor vintage. A better view of them can be found here.

Pine cones have to be included -- they're ubiquitous in North Georgia.

I love the line drawings on the plates, the light shadings of color, and the feathery needles.

I tried an evening shot, but the flash didn't quite give me the mood I was looking for.

A warm winter's table, photo-bombed by Jake.

I hope you welcome January as a time to refresh and recoup.

Update: I loved the look of the morning sun on the table this morning so I added one more photo!

Happy New Year!

 

Table Resources
Plates | Lenox 'Winter Song'
Flatware | Mikasa 'Italian Countryside'
Stemware | Marquis by Waterford
Placemats | Crate & Barrel