Nantucket Wine Festival Inspiration

When thinking about a tablescape, I begin by gathering colors, textures, elements and "things" I feel will measure up nicely to the level of the event. Here is an example of me "gathering nuts" for a dinner at our home I was planning for our island's 2016 Nantucket Wine Festival. I like to sleep on it. So I gather and then look at it for a day or so. I love green in spring and pulled from our collection of china, keeping it neutral and pairing it with my love of animal prints. The needlepoint frame would house the menu and each place setting would have a tiny, tea-light lamp with shade, providing the perfect glow for guests who had been wine tasting all day! I planned a small vase of flowers, also a place card holder, to be at each place setting. The flowers would be neutral and the table "art" would be our 30 year collection of Lalique figures. Collections add interest to a table and serve as a conversation piece! This dinner was to be more formal, so I thought the elegance of the Lalique would work beautifully.  Don't be afraid to use your "stuff"! I'm a huge fan of boxwoods and like to incorporate them into everything. And I mean everything. These plastic boxwood napkins sent me over the moon when I found them many years ago! And the baby boxwood plants find their way onto almost all of my tables. You just have to have greenery on every table, no matter what.  Chilled wine would be in straw ice buckets, because I love the juxtaposition of straw and crystal!