This past weekend I held a small, intimate tea party.  My brain has been clicking away for months on a table design.  I really have two designs floating around in my head, but the other is for an event being held in November…so I have to file that one away for later.

I can’t tell you how happy I am that the use of metals are popular in design.  I love the shiny and new just as much as the dull and rustic.  Copper being my favorite metal…but as I said…that’s for a different design (hint hint).  This past weekend’s design is focusing on galvanized steel.  Very popular with the farmhouse and vintage look.   I’ve been gathering pieces here and there for various projects, but for this I wanted to create a vignette of all my pieces put together for a fun, eclectic look.  This isn’t all of my collection either.  I have a few bigger pieces and had thought I’d do some stacking, however the bigger pieces were just too large for the table.

 

 

For the dinnerware, I used my Crate & Barrel everyday set with a mix of cream and grey.   Cups and saucers are from Sur La Table and have become by “go to” set when my design will not work with my mix and match sets.

The flatware is my vintage set that were given to me by my Bedstemor (grandmother).   Can you see the teaspoons at the top of the plates?  (see picture below) These swan head spoons originate from Aarhus, Denmark and were brought over by my Tante Kisten (great great aunt) when she moved to the US from Denmark.   They are probably one of my favorite things I possess.  In fact, both times I’ve been to Denmark, I’ve looked for more, but have yet to find any.  Someday I’ll track more down.

I found galvanized steel initials (Michaels) for each of my guests which I used as place markers on the table.  Wrapped with a little orange twine to add a little pizazz and to pull the color scheme together.

Yellow and orange flowers give the dull grey metal an eye-popping contrast of color.  The sunflowers and solidago are in a corrugated tin container.  I wasn’t quite sure that it was waterproof, so I inserted a bowl with a ball of florist wire (chicken wire).  The wire became my structure for holding the heavy sunflowers.   I use a pin frog to place the marigolds in their container.  This is the first time I’ve used the florist wire and the pin frog in my designs.  I’ll be using them more in future designs in lieu of floral foam.  I would like to move away from using the foam as it isn’t good for the environment.

 

The overall look of the table was fresh, bright and cheery.   A great transition from summer into fall.

 

May your day be filled with beautiful flowers.