Blue & White Inspired – On the Table

What is it about the mix of blue & white that makes it so charming?

It is classic. Elegant and beautiful. And with pretty pink blooms -it speaks romance & storybook charm. I have always loved simple touches of blue and white on the table.

You might remember this blue & white plates wall decor from a *few* years ago.

Most recently, it has been that Spode French coffee press and those chinoiserie napkins. But- you know that love has continued even more since then.

A box full of the prettiest blue & white plates arrived from my friends at Arte Italica recently and of course, I had to play with them right away. I am working on a few large tables with them- but for our color inspiration today- it is all about the loveliest blue & white floral plates and tips for getting the look. I also created this quick video tour for instagram that I am sharing here too.

Blue & White Floral

If there is one thing I love other than blue & white traditional patterns – it is floral patterns. And the florals on these plates are absolutely charming. These are called Giulietta and are by Arte Italica. I love the soft faded color and that these are handmade in Italy- perfection.

Tip: Layer your plates with a napkin in between for a simple, clean look.

Pair them with pretty pink

Pretty pinks are a natural fit for blue and white and warm them up instantly. For this table, I used these lovely dusty pink linen napkins from Crown Linen Designs. They are the most perfect shade of blush and incredibly soft stone washed linen. They are my current favorites.

Mix in some vintage metals

Antique silver is always a beautiful touch on the table- from mix and mingle vintage flatware to water pitchers and platters. But another metal is often overlooked and undervalued- pewter.

What I love about Pewter: Pewter has such a delicious patina and charm- it is less ‘silvery’ than silver and more of a muted tumbled metal which feels very old world and rustic elegant. A tip also is to mix pewter flatware with your silver-plate pieces for a unique look at each place setting and on the table.

On this table- I used pewter flatware and accents to mix in a bit of that delight. stay tuned on a table inspired by mixed metals coming up soon for more peeks at these.

Elegant Vintage Inspired Stemware

A confession. The first time I saw these dainty little embossed coupes- I was in love. They remind me so much of the vintage glasses I used in Inspired Gatherings- but they are brand new. When these Sofia glasses arrived- they were even prettier in person.

I love the matching little dessert glasses- which I am using as water goblets on the table for this. And they have wine stems as well- which I will share another time.

Mix & Mingle

That mix and mingle is a good thing. And for this particular styling- it was all about those new place setting elements with a few vintage touches. The floral candle holders and brass candle sticks are vintage- and with a few dried peonies and fruit slices- they helped create a charming centerpiece.

Of course a big bouquet of fresh peonies is always a good thing too.

For this table- just one big arrangement in the center was all that was needed.

Tip: If you don’t have fresh peonies available- look for another flower with lots of ‘fluff’ for big impact on the table. Flowers like garden roses, hydrangeas, allium- all have big blooms that will really fill up your vase and fill up the center of the table.

Tablecloth or no tablecloth

You might have noticed that I generally shy away from using a tablecloth all the time. Why? I guess because I love pretty plates and flowers with a rustic backdrop like a bare table- dings and all. But of course, if you want to use a tablecloth for your blue and white inspired setting- go for it.

Stay tuned for a closer look at some blue and white layer upon layer tables in the next edition of blue and white love.

5 Things to Get the look

To recreate the look – use these elements to bring it all together:

Patterned Plates – No matter what color you go with for your plates- layer those patterns for your place settings.

Simple Linen Napkins – Keep your linens more neutral when using a bold statement color and pattern for your place settings.

Rustic Luxe- Add in a touch of warm metals for a little bit of old world. I love pewter and silver- and brass depending on the look.

Dainty Details- The etched stemware are perfect for adding those dainty details and a whole lot of vintage inspired charm.

Blooming beauty- from candleholders to bouquets- a table setting with flowers of all kinds is perfection.

Shop the Look

Blue & White Plates | Etched Glasses | Pewter Flatware | Pink Linen Napkins | Faux Peonies |

Happy Monday all.

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