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The ABC’s of Gathering: D is for Dine

March 22, 2016 by Brynne 26 Comments

Welcome to the next installment of The ABC’s of Gathering, “D is for Dine.”

We’ve been working our way through an alphabet of vintage/thrifted/found pieces and decorating concepts (catch up on the previous letters here: A is for Art, B is for Brass, and C is for Chinoiserie) geared to educate and inspire…

Educate – because the best way I know to develop a sort of sixth sense to recognize those special pieces when you find them is to be constantly absorbing inspiration, feasting your eyes on beautiful things, and noting your likes and dislikes and what makes your heart sing.

Inspire – because once you’ve found some treasures and bought what you love, it can be challenging to pull it all together or know how to pull those finds out of the cabinet and put them to good use. Again, there is nothing like having strong visuals mentally tucked away to spark ingenious ways to decorate with your gathered pieces!

D is for Dine

Today’s post is all about using gathered pieces in a dining setting – creating beautiful tablescapes, setting up pretty drink stations, mixing and matching colors and patterns… Not only so that you can have stylish decor, but even more importantly, as a beautiful contribution to incredibly important element of fellowship with family and friends: sharing a meal!

Do you love setting beautiful tables or wish you knew HOW to set pretty tables? This post has TONS of inspiration for using vintage, thrifted and found pieces to create gorgeous tablescapes!

All photos not my own are used by permission. You can visit the associated posts to read more by clicking on each picture or the link in the caption below – please pin from the original source!

*Today’s post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission. You can read my full disclosure here. I hope you all know by now that I do only share things I really truly love!

All About Ambiance

Of course, wonderful meals can be shared on paper plates or on fast food wrappers, or, a household favorite, on the coffee table in the living room in front of the TV.

But I just can’t deny that there’s something special about sitting down to a meal at a beautifully set table with pretty plates and pretty linens. It automatically elevates even the simplest of occasions, adding a layer of delight to everyday or holiday meals alike…

I vividly remember as a child how much better everything tasted out of my mother’s special blue stemware, and looking for any excuse to pull it out. Cloth napkins, napkin rings, fancy china, candlesticks… These were all trappings of celebrations, and thankfully she would let her children come up with just about any reason to celebrate, even when it meant extra laundry and dish washing later.

And really, who couldn’t use a little extra celebration on their life? A little extra beauty? A little extra something to spark conversation and help make a meal so much more than simply eating food?

So whether you’re looking to pull out all the stops or just find a few ideas for adding pretty touches to your table, I hope you’ll find some inspiration in this post!

Setting A Beautiful Table

Where better to start than with a little eye candy from Eddie Ross, East Coast editor of Better Homes and Gardens, author of Modern Mix

, and master of table styling?
Modern-Mix-Table-Settings-via-Eddie-Ross

via @eddieross on Instagram: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

I have to give insane amounts of credit to Eddie for educating and inspiring me over the years on setting a beautiful table – using interesting vintage china, pattern mixing, all sorts of textiles and glassware in bold and unexpected ways, and making me want to snatch up every beautiful piece of dinnerware I come across!

But one of the most inspiring things to me and the reason I decided to begin the post with these images is his focus on setting beautiful tables for any occasion – both the bottom left and bottom right pictures in the collage above were table settings for takeout!

So why set a beautiful table?

Why do we do anything to beautify our homes?

I think it can be boiled down to two reasons: because we enjoy it and because we want others to enjoy it.


So as I considered how best to present this post on setting a beautiful table for our own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others, I decided to break it down into four main elements – textiles, plates and pattern mixing, centerpieces, and glassware/barware – while focusing on gathered examples of those elements – pieces vintage, thrifted, found, inherited.


Textiles

Table linens and textiles are one of my favorite places to start for a table setting. Think outside the box of traditional tablecloths, runners and napkins – bed sheets, blankets and quilts, curtains, scarves can all be repurposed!


Spring Succulent Table Setting The Gathered Home

For this spring succulent table setting, I laid down a vintage bed sheet (previously used as a curtain panel here) and added vintage floral napkins found at a thrift store. The dishes were all thrifted, and the little pot de creme with the adorable peach-shaped knob on top was handed down from my great great aunt (read more here).

Now for my dirty little secret… I didn’t have enough lacy white plates or little pots to set an entire table – shhh!


Valentine's Table via Dimples & Tangles

via Dimples & Tangles

My friend Jennifer is another huge source of table setting inspiration to me – I just love her bold color usage and fearless pattern mixing. She used a vintage table cloth handed down from her aunt as the jumping off point for her color scheme. I love the way she was able to re-use such a distinctly retro piece in a glam and modernized way!


Vintage tea party table setting via A Fabulous Fete

via A Fabulous Fete

Lauren layered soft pastel vintage table linens for this little girl’s birthday tea party. You’ll definitely want to visit for the other vintage details she incorporated as well!

The takeaway: Your table linens don’t need to be the perfect size for your table (and vintage pieces can run on the smaller side). Feel free to layer various pieces of similar (or contrasting!) colors and patterns.


Spring table setting via Simple Details

via Simple Details

Pam found this indigo batik tablecloth at a thrift store for $3.99 and used it as the base for this beautiful spring table setting in blue, white, and yellow.


Nautical Christmas Table Setting via Simple Stylings

via Simple Stylings

All of the fabrics Summer used to create this holiday table setting were found for $1/yard at her local Habitat for Humanity Restore and she used fabric tape to create the placemats and napkins herself!

The takeaway: Don’t forget to check out fabric yardage. It’s very simple to create your own table linens!


Mexican blanket table runner via Primitive and Proper

via Primitive and Proper

Another example of setting a table with a repurposed textile – Cassie used a folded Mexican blanket as a table runner for a very laid back, warm and bohemian vibe.


Plates & Pattern Mixing

Perhaps this is my favorite element of setting a table: layering plates, mixing colors, playing patterns off each other.

Vintage dishware is so accessible and easy to acquire – thrift stores and garage and estate sales are full of once-prized sets, and then there are the family heirloom pieces that often sit unappreciated behind closed cabinet doors.

I personally love buying thrifted china because, while I may have fallen in love with it, it doesn’t need to be too precious to use – chips or breaks are lamentable, but not heartbreaking.

Tip: For more emotionally-special pieces, consider layering them as accents on top of other dishware and then removing them before serving the meal.

Certainly, some of these pieces require careful handling and hand-washing, but don’t they just bring such beauty and elegance to the table?

Aqua China Pattern Mixing The Gathered Home

I just can’t get enough of this pattern combo, composed of two vintage souvenir plates and an Anthropologie clearance shelf dessert plate. Souvenir plates may have fallen slightly out of favor as decor, since I spot them at thrift stores all the time, but their adorned and patterned rims make them perfect to use in a little stack like this!

Aqua-Plates


Colorful Easter Table Setting via Dimples & Tangles

via Dimples & Tangles

Blue Willow china is a beautiful and classic pattern, but layering it with other colors and designs made Jennifer’s spring table setting anything but expected.

The takeaway: Don’t be afraid to mix vintage china with modern pieces and patterns!


Blue willow china table setting via Casa Watkins

via Casa Watkins

More Blue Willow, again anything but overly formal and traditional! It’s bright and fresh here in Stephanie’s cobalt table setting, especially paired with relaxed woven chargers.


Nautical Spring Table Setting via Primitive & Proper

via Primitive and Proper

Cassie’s blue and white tablescape is such a wonderful example of pattern mixing within the same color family – the bowls, both layers of plates, and even the glassware and centerpiece are all different designs and shades of blue, but work together perfectly in her seascape-inspired dining room.

The takeaway: Sticking to one main color when collecting dinnerware can be a great way to always have a cohesive look, even when you’re mixing and matching!


Simple Meaningful Thanksgiving Table via My Fabuless Life

via My Fabuless Life

How beautiful is the pairing of these floral plates with the buffalo check fabric on Jenn’s tablescape? She did such a beautiful job of blending meaningful heirlooms (the plates from her mother, the silver from her great-grandmother) with simple, modern accessories.

The takeaway: I’m challenging you to pull out that special, family china pattern! If it’s your style, wonderful, and if not, find a way to add accessories that do fit your aesthetic – there’s something so special about carrying on and connecting with family traditions!


Vintage teacup wheatgrass place setting via Simple-Details

via Simple Details

The napkin and salad plate in Pam’s spring table setting boast strong modern designs and might seem a surprising choice to pair with vintage china, but the tea cup filled with wheat grass shares the same color palette and ends up working perfectly!


Rustic Bohemian Table Setting via Thoughts from Alice

via Thoughts from Alice

A very classic transferware pattern meets retro-with-a-modern-DIY-addition in Alice’s rustic Bohemian tablescape. Black + brown together? Absolutely!


Centerpieces

Let’s talk centerpieces, another great way to add gathered style to your table settings! From new spins on traditional pieces to found objects turned table decor, hopefully these ideas will prompt you to have fun with the middle of your table. Room for food? Overrated!

Easter Table Setting via Dimples & Tangles

via Dimples & Tangles

Jennifer used a thrifted birdcage as the foundation for this elegant Easter table setting, placing candles inside and surrounding it with pretty vessels full of flowers.

The takeaway: Think big! And outside the box. What unique found objects could inspire you to set a beautiful table?


Thanksgiving Table Setting via the Gathered Home

Thanksgiving Table Setting via the Gathered Home-4

Here on The Gathered Home

This Thanksgiving tablescape is one of my favorites I’ve ever put together. It all started with that incredible thrifted tie-dyed tablecloth, but since we’re focusing on centerpieces at the moment… I pulled out a vintage brass banana leaf tray and filled it with mini pumpkins and silk flowers and flanked it with thrifted candlesticks – easy, yet eye-catching.


Candlestick Centerpiece via SoletoShare

via @soletoshare on Instagram

Has anyone else ever carried a mental image of crystal and cut-glass candlesticks being stuffy and prim? I don’t any longer after seeing the way Rafael (@soletoshare on Instagram) clustered them together with fresh blooms and a brass candelabra for an incredibly glamorous and stylish centerpiece!


Thanksgiving Table Setting via With Heart

via With Heart

Jen paired simple brass candlesticks with fall foliage, mixed metals, vintage glassware and brass deer in this warm and nature-inspired Thanksgiving table.

The takeaway: I spy similar candlesticks all the time at local thrift stores! Their elegant and basic shape makes them perfect for grouping together or scattering down the length of a table.


Eclectic Fall Tablescape via Domicile 37

via Domicile 37

I’ve swooned over Jess’s moody fall tablescape ever since she first shared it. She gathered up an ensemble of glass bottles to use as a candleholder centerpiece, corralled in a thrifted brass tray. (On a thrift store tablecloth, with thrifted plates – this is a true gathered table!)


Drinkware | Barware

Finally, we can’t forget the wonderful world of drinkware and barware, whether rounding out a table setting or creating a charming hosting area for party libations.

From my point of view, life is too short to have boring glassware. I love that my kitchen cabinet is full of unique pieces – from kitschy wheat-printed juice glasses to vintage Mount Rushmore souvenir lowball glasses with gold details. We use them daily, I run them through the dishwasher, and if and when something breaks, I find fun new pieces to bring home!

Here on The Gathered Home

These tortoiseshell acrylic glasses were a thrift store find as a set of eight for only a few dollars. I think they absolutely made this Thanksgiving table, with the way the light shone through them!


Vintage Thrifted Bar Tray via SoletoShare-2

via @soletoshare on Instagram

Collect your vintage barware on a tray for an instantly classy little cocktail area, like Rafael (@soletoshare on Instagram) did here. I am dying over the humor of that little brass plaque (an estate sale find)… Whimsy always makes a good addition!


Bar Cart Styling via Britt Kingery

via Britt Kingery

Brittany’s bar car pulls together vintage decanters, glassware with gold details, and even a fun brass pineapple into the perfect one-stop place to mix a drink.


Thrifted Glasses Bar Tray via The Gathered Home

On top of my own little bar area, I used a painted thrifted tray to hold a mix of vintage (the world map highball glasses and etched dandelion lowballs) and Target barware.


Vintage Barware Styling via Swoon Worthy

via Swoon Worthy

Creating a swanky bar area can be as simple as displaying some pretty glasses and liquor bottles in a tray like Kimberly did here. Seriously, how gorgeous is this? Yet it’s something you could easily pull together, perhaps even with things you already heave in your home!

The takeaway: It’s not hard to create pretty vignettes when you buy pretty things! Why not treat yourself to some beautiful gathered glassware?


Well there you have it, friends. Four elements of setting a gathered table and all sorts of different things to keep your eyes open for in your treasure seeking!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

  • Take a look at the dishware/glassware/textile pieces you already have and brainstorm a fun new table setting, either for an upcoming event or just for kicks. Go ahead, pull them all out and try out some new combinations!
  • Itching for some new finds? Take a trip to a local thrift store, flea market, or antique/vintage shop to add your collection!
  • Then, share pictures with the rest of us on Instagram using #ABCsofGathering #DisforDine!

How do you set a gathered table?

Brynne


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If you enjoyed today’s post, I’d love for you to give it a pin!

Do you love setting beautiful tables or wish you knew HOW to set pretty tables? This post has TONS of inspiration for using vintage, thrifted and found pieces to create gorgeous tablescapes!

Filed Under: ABCs of Gathering, Decorating Tagged With: D is for Dine, vintage

Comments

  1. cassie @ primitive & proper says

    March 22, 2016 at 9:07 am

    WOW! so many beautiful examples, brynne! you are not only good at collecting awesome finds, but also collecting awesome cohesive images. thank you so much for including me!

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      March 29, 2016 at 9:16 am

      Thank you so much, sweet friend! I just love getting to enjoy and share my talented friends in this series – your Mexican blanket tablescape is one of my all-time favorites!

      Reply
  2. Brittany says

    March 22, 2016 at 1:29 pm

    Aw, Brynne, thank you so much for including me! <3

    I just love this post. I'm one of those people who eats standing up half the time, and setting a table is something I want to become better at. So much inspiration here! A meal at any of these tables really would be special.

    Reply
    • Maggie @Maggie Overby Studios says

      March 23, 2016 at 2:27 pm

      I’m with you Brynne my sort of “entertaining” usually involves paper plates so these pretty place settings make me feel like I need to step up my game (or maybe get fancier friends :P)

      Reply
      • Maggie @Maggie Overby Studios says

        March 23, 2016 at 2:29 pm

        Sorry too many “B” names. That was supposed to be Britt.

        Reply
      • Brynne says

        March 29, 2016 at 9:21 am

        Hehe, all the “B” names do get confusing – like being married to a “Bryan” and sharing the first three letters of our name! 😉

        I typically go the paper/plastic route for entertaining as well! I’ll make it a goal to change that up sometime soon!

        Reply
    • Brynne says

      March 29, 2016 at 9:18 am

      We almost never eat at our table either, but I’m thinking it might be a fun challenge to set one pretty table each month this year and then actually sit down for a meal there!

      Reply
  3. Jennifer @ Dimples and Tangles says

    March 22, 2016 at 4:51 pm

    Brynne, you are so incredibly kind to include me among these gorgeous tables! This is such a great series, not only for all of the beautiful images, but all of the information you include is so educational, too!

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      March 29, 2016 at 9:24 am

      Oh, thank you Jennifer! Your tablescapes always amaze and inspire me – your use of colors and patterns is INCREDIBLE! <3

      Reply
  4. Gretchen says

    March 22, 2016 at 5:05 pm

    So many great ideas and beautiful photos! Upping my game with table settings is on my self-improvement list for this spring/summer, so this is very timely for me 🙂

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      March 29, 2016 at 9:26 am

      Thank you Gretchen! Me too – I’d love to challenge myself to one pretty table per month that we *actually* sit down to eat at!

      Reply
  5. Stephanie @ Casa Watkins says

    March 22, 2016 at 6:49 pm

    You’ve outdone yourself AGAIN! I seriously look forward to this post. Such a wonderful collection of tablescapes and the tips are fantastic. You should write a book about it at the end. I’d buy it. 🙂 Thanks for including my tablescape.

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      March 29, 2016 at 9:29 am

      Aw, you’re so sweet Stephanie! I’m so glad these posts are actually useful – I always hope so, but it’s wonderful to hear that people are enjoying them and finding them inspirational! 🙂

      I loved the chance to include your beautiful tablescape – the way you use blue and white in your decor is so fantastic! It’s a color I don’t tend to use in my home, but now I’m seriously wanting to start a new collection…

      Reply
  6. Jessica says

    March 22, 2016 at 8:15 pm

    I love me some Eddie Ross! Every time I go to the thrift store to look for dinnerware, I always think of him. This was a great article and well put together with a ton of information and lots of REALLY great tables capes!

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      March 29, 2016 at 9:30 am

      Thank you Jess! Yep, I play “What Would Eddie Do?” when it comes to pattern mixing and choosing dinnerware! 😀 I’m so glad you enjoyed the article!

      Reply
  7. Julia@Cuckoo4Design says

    March 23, 2016 at 8:35 am

    SO many great examples. I call Jennifer the Queen of table settings!

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      March 29, 2016 at 9:31 am

      Thank you Julia! Yes, she so is the queen of table settings! Love her!

      Reply
  8. Crystal @ ClearCutCrystal says

    March 24, 2016 at 7:52 pm

    I am learning so much from you! Thanks for the awesome inspo pics! I’ve always loved Eddie Ross. And now I need to follow Dimples and Tangles!

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      March 29, 2016 at 9:33 am

      Yay! I’m so glad I was able to introduce you to her – she has the most amazing, unique bold & colorful style!

      Thanks Crystal! It’s great to hear that you are enjoying this series!

      Reply
  9. Melissa George says

    March 24, 2016 at 8:42 pm

    Holy comprehensive advice and inspiration Brynne! It was so helpful having both the great written “why” and all the gorgeous photos.

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      March 29, 2016 at 9:34 am

      Aw, thank you Melissa! I’m so enjoying putting these posts together and it’s wonderful to hear that they are actually useful! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Amber @ Wills Casa says

    March 28, 2016 at 10:48 pm

    Gorgeous!! I’m fighting the urge to find fancy vintage china on ebay!! 😉

    Reply
    • Brynne says

      March 29, 2016 at 9:35 am

      Thanks sweet lady! We’ll just have to go on another thrift store excursion together – save on the shipping AND we get to hang out! 😉

      Reply
  11. Pat Dowd says

    April 1, 2016 at 8:08 pm

    I just had to let you know how much I’m enjoying, and learning from, your series, the ABCs of Gathering! It’s an inspired, and inspiring, idea! I look forward to the rest of the series and send thanks to Jennifer of Dimples and Tangles for sending me over here to you. Kudos!

    Reply
  12. Dena says

    April 4, 2016 at 12:04 pm

    My favorite so far but loving this whole series!

    Reply
  13. Laurie says

    April 5, 2016 at 7:31 am

    Very creative table settings, I love the variations in color and pattern. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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I believe the best kind of home is a gathered one, full of treasures with a story to tell. Join me in celebrating a lifestyle of finding and making beautiful things, right where you are. Read more...

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