A Farmhouse Style Festive Fall Tablescape
It’s no secret that I love a great seasonal tablescape. High impact tablescapes are inexpesive, easy, and a great way to be creative. So with the help of some powerful inspiration (more on that later) I’m ready to share our beautiful fall table with you!
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Last year on Thanksgiving, as my sweet little family was bumping elbows while we ate our holiday meal, Mr. PDH and I looked at each other knowing it was time to invest in a new table. We have been enjoying our counter height table style since our early years of marriage and decided to purchase another table that was the same height, just bigger. It allowed us to save money on seating and the counter height style is really fitting for our rustic styled modern cabin. We chose a plank style dark gray stained wood table from Wayfair.
How To Style a Counter Height Dining Table
Last winter I spent some time considering design “rules” for a counter height table and decided a few things:
1)Tablecloths don’t really work on counter height dining tables.
2) Table runners are a great alternative to a tablecloth
3) Placemats are a must.
4) Go with your gut for styling. Counter height tables are more casual in nature and there aren’t too many styled photos found online. I’ve started compiling ideas and inspiration on my pinterest board.
My Fall Tablescape Inspiration
This year I gleaned so much inspiration from Seasonal Celebrations: Autumn for our fall tablescape. It’s a special publication from The Cottage Journal publisher, Hoffman Media. It’s full of page after page autumn beauty that sparks so much creative inspiration. The photography, recipes, and several tablescape ideas burst with excitement for the season ahead. My tablescape results are a combination of ideas from the magazine plus items I already had. Let me walk you through the styling of my table.
Tablescape Styling Step 1: Pick A Color Scheme.
I love the earthy, rich, saturated, colors of fall. This year all the mauve, wintergreen, plum, and mustard colors have me weak in the knees! I knew right away I wanted to incorporate some of those colors with a rustic foundation of creamy white burlap. Our gray table reads REALLY dark in our dining room currently. But after cutting some cream colored burlap down to a runner, the table was lightened significantly.
My colors for my Fall Tablescape 2018 are:
- White
- Mint/Wintergreen/Green
- Pumpkin Orange
- Gray
- Cognac Brown
- Gold
Tablescape Styling Step 2: Don’t be afraid to mix textures.
One of my favorite parts about tablescape styling is starting with a blank canvas and creating layers of texture that are inviting and evoke simple celebration around a table.
I used some braided jute chargers as well as braided hyacinth chargers for our placemats. They paired perfectly with the table runner. I used 2 1/2 yards of cream burlap to make my runner. Once you use old craft scissors to cut the burlap (don’t use your nice ones, the burlap will dull the blade) fray the edges of the runner a bit with your hands. Then I layered it with a true natural brown burlap runner iI found in my cabinet. All of these natural elements paired with glass and porcelain combined to create a perfectly balanced hard and soft contrast.
Tablescape Styling Step 3: Pick your centerpiece wisely.
In Seasonal Celebrations: Autumn one table is styled with almost only white and gold. Another table celebrates the bounty of fall; a lantern sits in the middle and is filled with small pumpkins and gourds. I combine both ideas on our table. I am using a medium sized lantern in the middle as the centerpiece. It’s filled with white, green and pops of orange gourds and pumpkins. I have a few cotton stems in it as well to add softness.
The centerpiece of any table serves as the focal point that brings everything together. I’m also pretty particular about practicality for centerpieces as well. We are going to eat at our decorated table for weeks. I want to see everyone at the table while we talk. So my centerpiece isn’t too tall. I also chose a theme, especially for fall; a season that evokes family and togetherness, that is casual enough for everyday but dressed up to celebrate the season.
Tablescape Styling Step 4: Accents colors and decor elements tie it all together.
After the centerpiece and table runner are in place it’s time to have fun with all the accent items and color. After shopping my house I found a few ornamental pumpkins with gold accents on them. So I used another idea from the magazine, I spray painted leaves as my table cards (oak leaves) and a votive candle holders (aspen leaves) on table. I found some great acorns and natural elements that really celebrate the season at the craft store too! My table runner is bedecked with all the beauty of the season now!
A festive tablescape is a simple, inexpensive, and perfect small scale decor project. In the early days of homemaking and marriage it was one of the first projects I tackled with the changing of each season. Renters and homeowners alike can embrace this fun creative project with minimal effort and supplies. Creating intentional time as a family is something worth celebrating and I can’t imagine a better place to do this than around the table. So why not spend a few minutes this season dressing up one of the most memorable places in your home? I hope you enjoy the process as much as I do.
With Intention,
Happy Fall!! If you are curious about any sources (although I did try to link several in this post) ask away in the comments!
