Classic, Earthy Tablescape for the Holiday & Every Day

Classic & Earthy Tablescape

Can I start with a confession? This was actually my FIRST time ever attempting a tablescape. So if this here amateur can do it, you absolutely can!

As a wedding photographer, I’ve seen (and sat at!) a lot of beautiful tablescapes in my day. There is something about a beautiful, curated table design that evokes a mood. It sets the scene for that meal & gathering, making it even more memorable and inviting.

With some inspiration from a few of my favorite designers (thank you Joanna Gaines, Shea McGee, and Pinterest), I had a fairly solid vision of where I wanted to take my design. Black, white, gold, & fresh greens were on the menu! Swooooon! These are simple, classic colors that will never go out of style, so the items I sourced I’ll be able to use for years to come.

This specific setting was for Thanksgiving, however, this classic palette is perfect for Christmas, New Years, or really any dinner party in the fall & winter months!

For my design, I used a mix of items I already owned, a few items I purchased new, and a few that were sourced outside my backyard!

**All products are linked throughout post, and together at the end of the post.

The tablescape: let me break it down!

PLACE SETTINGS: I purchased these gold chargers from Amazon. They may be one of my favorite elements on the table. The metallic gold really pulls everything together, making it feel cozy yet festive at the same time. The classic white dinner plates we owned (and use daily!). They were purchased from World Market maybe 6 years back! Here are similar ones.

You may have noticed I only set the table with forks. Now come at me if I am wrong here, but if you know you won’t have a use for spoons and knives for the specific meal you made, do you omit? Or do you set anyway for aesthetics?! See…told you I’m an amateur here! Leave me a comment with your thoughts on that!

You may also notice the wine glasses aren’t at every table setting - which is because we have a few underage kiddos at home. I say customize those table settings to the meal and your guests! Speaking of, the wine glasses were also purchased from World Market - a previously owned item because WINE.

NAPKINS & NAPKIN RING: Opting for linen napkins refines this look, taking it from a standard dinner table to a chic and boujee dining experience. These ivory napkins were purchased from Amazon. To bring some interest to the napkin, I decided to tie with jute twine and fresh rosemary. A super simple DIY! I opted for rosemary, solely because we had some left in our fall garden - but eucalyptus, thyme, and sage are great alternatives.

CENTERPIECE: The table runner was an item I purchased a few years back from The Found Cottage. It’s ivory in color with dark gray stripes down the sides. Here is a similar one! With such a simple palette, I love the the fun visual element of the stripes.

Now to the centerpiece! I kept it simple and minimal with fresh greens & candles! The greens were snipped from our Thuja Green Giant trees, but you could source some fresh greens from a local flower shop or even a tree farm! Occasionally they’ll have a pile of branches and clippings from trees they don’t need.

And last but not least, my candles! I scattered flameless flickering tea lights between the fresh greens, and for a little height and dimension I picked up these slender iron Ashford Taper Holders from Magnolia. Goodness I just love them. Beautiful in photos but even more beautiful in person. They are timeless pieces I’ll hold on to for years.

That completes my tablescape, but because I know people will ask, my table was handmade by a family in Michigan and my black spindle chairs are from Poly & Bark!

I hope you’re feeling inspired to design and create your own tablescape for your next soiree!