I love setting an autumn tablescape. Maybe it’s because fall is one of my favorite seasons for entertaining and using my screened-in porch. The weather is a little cooler and it gets darker a little earlier which is perfect for a candlelit table for fall.
Fortunately the weather cooperated for us last Saturday for our dinner party that we held for some dear friends.
Autumn Tablescape Blog Hop
Chloe from Celebrate & Decorate recently invited me to join her Autumn Tablescape Blog Hop. Since I love setting a pretty table and had plans for our dinner party, I was excited to accept her invitation. The biggest challenge was setting the table, taking pictures and then cooking for six, all in the same day.
Rustic Elegance
This time of year lends itself to a more rustic, masculine form of decorating which I have always liked. Think Ralph Lauren. Heavier fabrics, leather and suede, plaids and tweeds, jewel tones. All right up my ally.
I used to love going skiing out west. The resorts were beautiful with their rustic elegant decor with items such as antler chandeliers.
HomeGoods for Accessories
I had a gift card for HomeGoods and decided I would like to get some new accessories for this autumn tablescape. Words can’t express how excited I was when I saw these brushed silver antlers by Tahari. I knew they would help me create the look I was going for.
For a topper, I picked up this plaid throw which was perfect to layer over my black tablecloth. It had great fall colors of gray, camel and black.
HomeGoods had these pretty two-toned camel tweed napkins with fringe. I could vision the tablescape coming together in my shopping cart. I like adding different textures to the table.
As you can see in some previous posts, I have a thing for individual serveware such as shot glasses (click here and here) and mini plates. Following suit, I fell in love with these individual cheeseboards which look darling at each place setting.
Tablescape Prep
Personally I love fresh flowers for a centerpiece. They give life to my table! I found some beautiful flowers that were perfect for a fall centerpiece. Some of the flowers were reminiscent of wild flowers from the mountains.
I especially loved the burgundy dahlias that looked like velvet. Unfortunately, the dahlias weren’t as fresh as I thought and they started dropping petals like crazy. Hence, you don’t see many in my arrangement.
I always gather my tableware on a tray to take out to my porch. It makes it so much easier to set the table without making so many trips to my kitchen.
Because it is fall and by the time dessert is served, it can be a little chilly. I like placing shawls on the backs of the chairs for my girlfriends.
It’s nice to have a bar set up near the dinner table too. We have a baker’s rack in our sun room that I also use for holding the serveware. It’s nice to have the food nearby for those that want seconds.
Autumn Fall Tablescape
I took these pictures during the day and am missing my votive candles that I added right before dinner.
For casual table settings, I like using my stemless wine glasses. The best part is that they can go in the dishwasher!
You can see the missing votives below which I added right before my guests arrived. I’m always adjusting things as the day progresses. I also decided to add my slate lazy suzan as a base for the vase. It added texture and the rich slate color to the tablescape.
By the time this picture was taken, dinner was over and our guests had gone home. My husband was enjoying a cigar and I was sipping on some wine, celebrating a fun night and what we felt may be the last dinner outside until spring.
Autumn Tablescape Blog Hop
A special thanks to Chloe for inviting me to share in this fun Blog Hop. It was so much fun pulling this tablescape together.
Please stop by these other blogs to tour their festive Autumn Tablescapes.
Monday: Everyday Living | My Kentucky Living Blog | Starfish Cottage | Up To Date Interiors | Twelve on Main
Tuesday: Life and Linda | CoziNest | Ramblings of a Southern Girl | The Little Yellow Corner Store | Celebrate & Decorate
Wednesday: Home is Where the Boat Is | Casa Watkins Living | Belle Bleu Interiors | Dining Delight | Rustic & Refined | Sweet Sensations
Thursday: PANOPLY | The Painted Apron | Exquisitely Unremarkable | Flourish & Knot | Little Bits of Home
Friday: Bluesky Kitchen | Farmhouse 40 | Designthusiasm | Red Cottage Chronicles | OMG Lifestyle Blog | Knock It Off Kim
Mary says
I love your plaid throw and shawls draped over the chairs for an alfresco table! Your flowers, antlers and wooden cheeseboards provide such wonderful details and centerpiece for elegant and casual fall entertaining. Great minds shop alike… I found my plaid wool throw at HomeGoods several years ago and purchased the same fringed napkins for my autumn table this week 🙂
Carol says
I love how you used the plaid throw as an overlay on your table. Your fall flower arrangement fits beautifully as a focal point. What I really want are those mini cutting boards. What a fabulous idea for a party. Thanks for sharing on the Autumn Tablescape Blog Hop,
Christine says
Absolutely stunning table. Every detail is just pure perfection. I am totally in love with those antlers you put on the table. I have some silver candlesticks that match those so I may have to make a homegood run today!
Jenna says
Oh so pretty, I am loving the flannel throws on the chair backs, it makes you want to cozy up and enjoy a long meal in the cool fall air! Your colors are lovely, and your new HG finds are perfect. Happy fall!
BonBon says
Beautiful setting. I love the silver antlers and I agree with you that Fresh Flowers are always a winner. Looks fabulous.
Marsha says
The lovely neutral throw as a quilt really sets the tone of your beautiful table. The use of the soft grey and silver in the other accents really gives a calming effect to the table. The use of the antlers and wood add the natural elements which creates such a welcoming effect. Your neutral selection really allows your centerpiece and food to play center stage role for the pop of color. Beautiful and enjoyable in one.
Shannon@ Belle Bleu Interiors says
Your Fall tablescape is beautiful! I love the plaid throw that you used as your underpinning! It adds the perfect touch to a Fall tablescape. Your centerpiece is beautiful and looks gorgeous in the silver container along with the silver antlers. I’m sure that your guest enjoyed this table at your lovely dinner party.
Melissa says
Beautiful fall decor! Love the bar set up and the votives are the icing on the cake!
Linda Primmer says
Your Autumn table looks fabulous.. Love your little extra touches with the shawls and those darling individual cheese boards. Flowers always brighten any table and those silver antlers are a wonderful addition. i love the night shot. Beautifully done.
sheila says
You did some great shopping with your home goods card! Oh My Gosh! Love the plaid blanket…and the way you set your plates with the wooden appetizer board. Love that idea. I see some Ky bourbons too! yay!
Lory at Designthusiasm says
This is such a beautiful post! First, I love the individual cheeseboards! They lend such seasonal flavor to your presentation. I also love that your tablescape is essentially neutral and only the natural elements of food and flowers add the color. I’m also one to use blankets on the table and just did a tablescape a week or so ago with a similarly colored plaid, so that’s easily a component I identify with. And finally, I just love the way you crafted your post, structurally. Really nicely done and quite inspiring… 🙂
(I don’t typically leave a link in a comment so I hope this is ok, but if you’d like to see the tan plaid blanket setting you can find it here: http://designthusiasm.com/neutral-fall-table-setting/ )
Kim @ CoziNest says
Oh my goodness, where do I start?! I adore the plaid throw as a tablecloth, the antlers, votives at night, the throws on the back of the chairs… the floral centerpiece etc., etc. etc. I love it all! Very pretty and yet, you pulled off the masculine look, too! Great table!
Rita C at Panoply says
Ok, Elaine, I’ll be right over. That looks amazing. Love, love, love the individual cheese board idea….a drink and nosh before the meal, yes please! And then we can plan our next shopping trip and make tablescapes in our carts! Beautiful. I really like a masculine mix to my decor, in general, and fall is a perfect time to pull it off in any room. Happy Fall.
Chloe Crabtree says
I love how you described decorating for this time of year as “think Ralph Lauren”! That is such a perfect description, and your table certainly expresses that in lovely style. I like your silver antlers even better than the gold ones I picked up (but there is always paint!). The throw makes the ideal tablecloth for this splendid Fall table! Thank you so much for being a part of the Autumn Tablescape Blog Hop!
Sandra Garth says
Camel, gray and black is a very pretty palette and lends itself well to the season. The wooden cheeseboards seems to have caught everyone’s eyes including mine. This is such a relaxing setting.
Lori says
What a beautiful fall tablescape! While I love all the details of your tablescape, the actual written post resonated with me on many levels. Firstly, that you said you used to ski out west and like the lodge type look – I’m a skier as well and really gravitate to that type of decor as well. Your silver antlers speak of an upscale version of that – love ’em! Then there is the fact that you designed your table, cooked, took pics and entertained all in one day – we do things like that as well…crazy but fun! And there is your last pic of the tablescape… AFTER the meal – it speaks volumes of how wonderfully cozy the ambiance was and the empty stacked dishware says the meal was delicious. Though they don’t often make the blog, I love to take “after” pics of dinner parties as well. Excellent well written post and one I thoroughly enjoyed!
1010ParkPlace says
Okay… I give. I’ve driven myself crazy trying to find mini cheese boards on HomeGoods or anywhere else for that matter that aren’t cost prohibitive to order eight of them. What’s a good link? xoxox, Brenda
Elaine says
Hi Brenda – I loved the cheeseboards as soon as I saw them – went home to create my tablescape and saw how adorable they looked and decided I wanted to buy 4 more so I had 12 for my supper club. They were sold out. I even went to Marshalls and T J Maxx because they carry the same products. No luck. I’ll do some research for us!! xoxo
Samantha says
Your fall table is so gorgeous and sophisticated! I love your tablecloth! The personal cheese boards are SO cute–my favorite detail!
Elaine says
Thanks Samantha. The cheese boards really are unique and I have always loved small serveware like this.
Rhonda says
Very pretty and inviting! The arrangement in the silver piece is so fresh and lush! And those individual cheese boards are the perfect addition to the tablescape! ~Rhonda
Sarah says
Your beautiful centrepiece really stands out against the simplicity of your table. I just love the modern, clean feel this has. Gorgeous!
Elaine says
Thank you so much Sarah!
Kathy says
What a pretty and fresh al fresco Fall table. I love the inspiration and modern touches with a beautiful and fresh floral centerpiece. It’s just perfect.
Elaine says
Thank you so much Kim for sharing my autumn table.