A Wisteria Garden Table

Welcome! Come join me in the garden room where I've styled a table built around the beautiful wisteria-patterned tablecloth that I received from my husband and my daughter for my birthday. A garden inspired table is always a delight to set, especially this summer when it's just been too hot to actually dine on the deck or patio. 

 

The tablecloth has an off-white background, covered with trailing vines. The wisteria blossoms are done in pretty shades of blue and lavender/lilac. The tablecloth is accompanied by linen napkins in a lovely cornflower blue which they also gave me.

 

 

I've styled the table for a late lunch or early dinner. The place settings begin with rattan chargers that call to mind wisteria's strong vines. Layered on the chargers are blue dinner plates which are encircled by a figural leaf design. The center of the plates feature a basket weave motif. These were also featured in the French Table and in another Garden Table.

 

The top plates are salad plates in a color called 'moonlight blue' that I bought last weekend at the glass show. I love the rhythmic design on the verge! The color is so pale that I placed a solid white plate underneath so that you can see the design.

  

In the center of the table is a simple arrangement of silk flowers in colors that repeat the creams and blues of the tablecloth. My garden had no fresh flowers to offer since it is in its mid-summer lull. (I should have had at least some blooms to use, but the deer finished them off quickly.)

  

I also purchased these gorgeous wine/water glasses at the show. Fittingly their pattern name is 'Wisteria'! I love how the color of their bowls changes with the light and in response to the colors they're paired with. Their classic shape is stunningly contemporary — but they were produced by hand in the thirties!

To introduce a jolt of color, I added vintage candle holders in turquoise.

  

Because it is a garden table, I also added ceramic birds in three compatible shades and

  

white salt and pepper shakers snuggled in a wire nest.

I rather liked the air of wild abundance in the centerpiece, a riff on the tendency of wisteria to blanket the trees on the edge of woods here in North Georgia.

  

I also like the contrast in textures on the table. The cotton tablecloth is smooth, the napkins have an open weave and a heavier hand. The rattan chargers are rough, while the rope detail on the flatware is delicately uniform. The slick salad plates highlight the intricate dinner plates.

  

The interplay of colors, forms and textures is both interesting and relaxing, perfect for gathering with friends!

Table details

Table linens | Couleur Nature 'Wisteria' and 'Palma'

Dinner plates | Bordallo Pinheiro

Salad plates | Cambridge 'Caprice Moonlight' (1937 - 1953)

Wine glasses | Fostoria 'Wisteria' (1931 - 1938)

Candle holders | Fiestaware