Autumn – one of the most breathtakingly beautiful seasons of the year. But don’t let the great outdoors have all the fun, tablescape your dining room table so it becomes as inviting to those inside as the vibrant colours throughout the trees outside.
The Centrepiece of Attraction
Of course, you want your home to feel welcoming. The place your family gathers for their meal should be equally as welcoming. It can, through some simple tablescaping.
This can pertain to any table in your home – coffee tables, end tables, bedside tables…you get the picture. However, when we refer to the table, it is often the main table in the home: the dining room table.
Plus, the food you serve next to your tablescape might even have an extra-special flavour for your family or guests. We often use all our senses to engage in flavour – that includes what we SEE. And if what is seen is an exceptional tablescape centrepiece, then everything else is only enhanced. Simply put: if food is drama, then the table is the stage.
A ‘Scape’ by Any Other Name
Keeping with the theatrical analogy, tablescaping can be viewed as the backdrop in a play. As the play (or film, if you wish to be cinematic about it) is “set dressed”, so too can your table evoke a certain feel. Tablescaping has been described as the act of intentionally and creatively arranging a tabletop, so it conveys a specific mood, theme, or experience.
The theme is obvious: fall. The mood and experience are slightly more subjective sensations that are often based in memories. Different as they are, however, the moods and experiences are usually closely linked to whatever theme you’ve chosen. Carefully selected dishes and glassware can go a long way in evoking the desired atmosphere. Always try to include at least one colour in your dishes and glassware that ties together with your tablescape.
From Spooky Seasons and Snowy Seasons to Holidays and Game Days, the memories that arise from moods and experiences are initially created from your theme. And the theme can be as fluid as the memories, capable of changing whenever you like. You can alter, adorn, accessorize, add to, take away from – whatever and whenever and wherever the theme takes you and your creativity.
Essentially: what you create comes from you. It’s as simple as that. The fact that you likely share (or are at least aware of) many of the memories of your family and friends makes the tablescape even more engaging, attractive, and inspiring.
Odds & Ends / Something Old, Something New…
One of the best things about so-called “Tablescaping” is that it can fi t anyone’s budget. You don’t have to spend a lot to make something memorable. Sure, you can go buy a bunch of centrepiece-y seasonal stuff from your local store, and then go home and set it all up. And it might well be quite attractive. At the very least, YOU picked out the items and YOU arranged them, so it has a personal touch.
Remember to keep in mind who your guests are, and tailor your tablescape appropriately. Runners, napkins, coasters, placemats, and even personalized place-setting cards (all the better if handwritten) might be an INITIAL cost. But keep those safely tucked away over the years, and you’ll have them for generations. And you can add along the way!
But remember, although the things you purchase can be excellent accents to your tablescape, you can get a lot from simply mining your mind and/or stepping outside:
• fallen branches
• acorns & pinecones
• flowers from your garden or nursery
• small pumpkins, squash, feed corn, or apples from your local market
• ribbon
• candles – the possibilities are almost endless.
Even small items that hold a special memory for you or those surrounding your dinner table can be a wonderful addition. On the surface, those small items might mean nothing to most people and cost only a few cents – but when coupled with a warm memory, every one of those small items becomes momentous and priceless.
Escape by Tablescape
The simple act of family/friends being together evokes so many memories. With a perfectly scaped table, you make those memories a reality and allow them to leave their day-to-day behind.
Always remember, however, that the tablescape needs to be functional. After all, people still need to sit around it and eat. And because you certainly want your guests to interact, ensure that your tablescape doesn’t impede on their sightlines of one another.
The only limit to Tablescaping is your imagination. Create. Build. Evoke. If you build it, they will feel – ALL the Autumnal Feelings.
Peter Campbell | Contributing Writer
