Dining Table Inspiration

Here Mary Carol Garrity and her staff created a fun and whimsical table
in black, white & lime green.

Round quilted mini check placemats were used, and of course they were black & white!

Mini cloches on stands can be used for a special dessert or take home party favor.

Zinc frogs are dancing gleefully around the table.

Notice the oversized birdcage on the back wall…it is filled with ivy and white pottery.
I think her chargers for this table were framed pictures.

Who says silver balls are just for Christmas? No way!! Calla lillies, twigs from the garden and various silver balls are nestled
haphazardly in the zinc planter with pedestal base which adds a dramatic flair to the table.
Black serving trays with antiqued brass handles are used as chargers. Rectangle and square dinner plates are sandwiched
between lime green napkins. Creamy white soup toureens top off each placesetting.

Above the table is this chandlier with aged brass shades.
Don’t be afraid to use those twigs! Here twigs are wired onto the ceiling and also the existing chandlier to give it
some added character. It looks like she had pots of ferns wired on to the chandlier as well…but I can’t remember exactly for sure.
Wired onto the twigs are clear glass votive cups which resembled an upside down cloche to me. Fill these with clear glass marbles or gems
or simple votive candles in the colors of your tablescape.

Remember to use something that doesn’t compete with the flavor and aroma of your cooking!
I suggest Vanilla or French Vanilla….even better would be unscented tealights in clear plastic not the metal tealights.
I sometimes will save my plastic tealight containers after they have burnt out and then reinsert a tealight that originally came in the metal packaging while discarding the metal.

Blue & White Dishes

Aunt Carol’s sideboard in her dining room is
gorgeous filled with silver, blue & white dishes and baskets.

I love the white urn stacked with blue & white ceramic balls.

Her hutch is filled with lovely treasures.
Lots of eye candy here!

Mary Carol’s dining room

I sure could use a cocktail…how about you?! Is it 5 o’clock yet? I am sure the kids are driving you crazy and after all it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!

A close up of her dining room table centerpiece. Juicy pears, apples, and grapes set amongst polished silver and the ruggedness of moss, ivy and twining vines. See those candlesticks? Well she stuffs the tops with green moss before she inserts the taper candles. So unexpected!
Each placesetting had a small whitewashed garden urn with a live topiary. Those little topiaries sold like hotcakes and I couldn’t get there in time to buy one…DARN!

Tablescape Thursday

Here is a dining room table with the cool beachy colors.

Bronze chargers are topped with white dinner plates, then square robin’s egg blue salad plates followed by white serving bowls and light green bowls. Sheer organza is placed across the middle of the table followed by a iron wall mirror anchors the centerpiece. A brown pedestal raises the blue container of florals such as bells of ireland and hydrangea.

Wine glasses hold the napkins until they are needed. Green and blue rimmed salad plates set under the glass hurricanes which are filled with water and blue beach glass. Surround the table with wrought iron votive cups with tealight candles.

Tuscan Inspired Dining Table

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I did a redesign on the above room and this is the final result. After that, they put it up for sale and it sold quickly!

Love the abstract artwork in the above photo and the padded chairs.
Not sure if I like the deep green on the walls, but look at the gorgeous details on the ceiling! I love the added bench to the seating group.
Try a round table seated for six and a round rug to add some interest in your dining room. Notice the table pedestal, looks like some great ironwork.

Love the cool crisp blue walls with the graphic black & white photos. I would LOVE this harvest table.


Notice the chair rail..a great way to display artwork, plates, and I would scatter votive candles across it for a dinner party. A little trimwork does wonders!


I want these ceiling beams. Very rustic in a formal room.

I am seeing a lot of deer antlers making a comeback in decorating. The natural look is always in with ME!

Slim shelves in the dining room with some added storage below. Looks like maybe leather on the chairs? Can’t tell to be sure.



I have a hutch so similar to this one in my living room. Sometimes it’s in my dining room. It’s a great piece I like to move from room to room.

Notice the transom windows and how much added light they give. I could wake up to this every morning and have my latte in this sunny room.

The beach is calling you….right outside these doors….can you hear the waves crashing? I bet there is a hammock nearby.

Who says dressers are for the bedroom? I think this one is perfect in the dining room or living room with after dinner drinks, appetizers, or desserts.

The iron obelisks give this room some added architectural details. This room has a lot of symmetry going on. Two lamps, two urns, two obelisks, 2 captain’s chairs. The white walls and furnishings makes the dark brown furniture really “pop” in this room.

Mary Carol Garrity is one of my favorites….

How about some classic molding in your dining room with these blue walls? I love all the textures she has added in the room and the pleated seatcovers.

Spring weather makes me want to take a tray full of goodies and dine outside..how about you? Notice the rustic vine tray with the more formal dinnerware, a great combination–rustic & elegant!
Polish off your silver trays and let them sparkle in the warm sun. Pick up a single stem rose—just because!

A perfect way to dress the table for a springtime luncheon. Chocolate, cream and lime green…what a fabulous combination. Notice the bamboo chairs, they are making a comeback in decorating. I am seeing lots of bamboo trays, end tables, mirrors in the decorating world.

Grab your grandmothers crystal cake plate and serve up this luscious lemon dessert. Try one of the lemon recipes from my earlier posts..you won’t be disappointed!

All photos courtesy of Mary Carol Garrity.