Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Striking Tablescapes




Creating the perfect tablescape can be a difficult task. It takes a certain amount of skill to create the "right mix" of objects. There are many things you need to take into consideration when creating a tablescape: Do you have objects of varying height? Do you have a mix of colors that is pleasing to the eye? Is there visual interest in your combination of accessories?

The godfather of tablescapes was of course David Hicks. In fact, it was Hicks who coined the term "tablescape". Hicks was a master of the art of arranging. His tableaux usually included interesting flowers, artifacts, and bits of his collections. Below are a few photos of tablescapes that I find to be pretty close to perfection!


Tablescape by David Hicks

Design by Anne Coyle Interiors

Design by David Netto


Design by Miles Redd

(Tablescape at top by David Hicks)

8 comments:

  1. I have a serpentine-front chest at my house which is backed by a mirror. I have a lamp, my mother's wedding photo and some candlesticks on it. I used to have a selection of old silver, but that was all stolen, so the Ikea candlesticks are stand-ins until I figure out what to do next.

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  2. Fairfax- that chest sounds wonderful! And I like your selection of accessories- the photo, the lamp. I'm sick about your silver, though.

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  3. I'm so glad you chose to write about this. A tablescape is an incredibly complex thing, taking in so many factors, yet the final result is something that the eye catches on and knows is pleasing. One element not fulfilled can throw the entire balance off. The Zen of Tablescapes.

    I would add "seasonal" as a factor. I just took my normal foyer tablescape, whose primary pieces are a 17th-century Korea chest with an early 19th-century French mirror over it and adding a pale vase my husband described as the color of "moonlight,"(but in truth is a luminous pale yellowy green,) and I added flowering spring branches. I had to go back and buy two more branches. Again. Balance.

    I love fidgeting about with tablescapes, and I've loved seeing them on your blog. You can study each photograph and consider what's been done, in detail. I look on them as contained educational tools in teaching so many, many design principles.

    And a postscript, once again it is Miles Redd who blows me away. Every. Single. Time. The man is a master.

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  4. Washington Cube- Good point- seasonal should definitely be a factor in creating a tablescape. It certainly takes finesse to get it right. Yours sounds stunning! And yes, Miles always gets it right!

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  5. Lovely eye candle. I, too, like seeing tablescapes featured. I've never attampted one but you never, ever know...

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  6. A fantastic post topic POC!! I love arranging tables with collections of things! The tablescapes you have included are gorgeous!
    XO
    Anna

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  7. Love the design by david netto. The console table is fantastic. cabriole legs..
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  8. David Hick's spirit is in David Netto and Miles Redd, without a doubt! Fresh, yet rooted in classicism, these boys know how to bridge style, periods, and more. A most-cosmopolitan potpourri that is functional, fun, and totally suitable.

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