A Sweet Spring Table Setting
WORDS: CHYKA KEEBAUGH
IMAGES: MARCEL AUCAR
If there is one thing I have mastered the art of the past 18months, it’s how to set up an unconventional dining space in my home!
So if you are bored with your four walls (and I mean, really how can you not be?) then I am giving your permission to really mix it up this week. Let’s bring the effort back into dining and create something special for yourself and your family.
I am heading back into my Mudroom. You got a glimpse into this space a little while back and it seriously is my favourite room in the house. The light is perfect, I adore the wall of cane and baskets and for a space that is really just a walkthrough, it is very versatile. So brightening it up for Spring is a must and I love that it brings more colour into my home at a time when we really need it.
The hero of the table is, of course, the divine Island Tablecloth by Canvas + Sasson. I have created some fantastic tables using their cloths, and this one is no different - it just shines in its beautiful yellow, with romantic, almost vintage-styled florals floating about the design. It is simple, colourful and elegant.
There is something theatrical about draping a square cloth over a circular table. It allows the edges to waterfall off the table and create a voluminous illusion. When choosing napkins to match back, I settled a simple block green. You can see flickers of this green through the design, but you can also see green in my wire flower decorations and in plants in the mudroom itself. I like to stick to a simple colour palette when styling a space so that your eye is drawn to the main attraction, i.e., the tablecloth. If I had chosen a bright or printed napkin, it would have distracted me from the cloth and the overall visual flow of the space.
The unexpected centrepiece of this table is my collection of wire flowers that Bruce gave me for Christmas last year. I fell in love with these tiny wire sculptures created by an artist in Milan, so much, in fact, they have permanent residence on my bedroom dressing table so I can see them every day! But today, they look beautiful in this subtle yet inviting table setting. They make a nice change from fresh blooms in a vase and are a perfect reminder that when styling a table - search around your home for the details. Pull out that printed bed sheet you love and use it as a tablecloth. Grandmas wedding china doesn’t belong in the back of a cupboard; it belongs on the table being loved and used.
Get Inspired by these amazing tablecloths!
When creating a table with so much pattern and colour, it is all about symmetry and simplicity of shape. Keep your glassware simple, don’t overdo it with bright vases, let the flowers sing in basic jars. Don’t overcrowd the table with clutter, let the patterns do all the work. I just couldn’t get enough of the print so I have gone against my norm of using a clashing napkin and gone with the matching set, this works well in bringing down the brightness of the plates.
A Favourite Table from Chyka Celebrate
As much as I live by the adage of 'more is more is more’ it seemed that a little more subtlety was needed when it came to colour for this celebration. And the classic palette of royal blue, apple green and white came to be. Clashing patterns and pops of apple made this table shine, and by celebrating in the unusual setting of a greenhouse, we were surrounded by lush green backdrops.
Let's Create An Outdoor Fiesta
Sometimes all I need is a beautiful tablecloth to inspire me...It can be that simple. Grab enough crockery and cutlery, a drink to keep you at your seat and a centrepiece to tie it all together and your table is set. A Mexican feast deserves to be outdoors and I loved styling up my parent's backyard recently for a little fiesta.
