Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I am very excited that my last year’s Valentine’s table design is currently being featured in an article on iVillage.com. This year I decided to move our romantic dinner from the dining room to our cozy breakfast nook. We’ll be making one of our favorite dinners: fondue! And hot bubbling cheese calls for the closeness and intimacy of a table pour deux. With the new location I felt we needed a new look, so I decided to feature the collection of cornflower blue Fiestaware inherited from my husband’s family. Blue may seem an unusual choice for Valentine’s Day, but paired with a crisp white and indigo striped tablecloth, purple tulips and hyacinths, and berry-colored accents the effect is romantic and springlike. I think it will work equally well for any spring celebration: Easter, Mother’s Day or even an anniversary brunch.
Everything on this table represents a special find or heirloom collected over the years. I have the most fun creating new vignettes out of my collections. The only things I purchased new here are the flowers and candles.
To create this look I layered a white and blue striped table square over a larger blue tablecloth. Then added the Fiestaware, oval accent dishes, glassware, silverware, napkins and a vase of flowers. The key to making a collected scheme work is to stay within a limited palette. Here I used analogous colors (next to each other on the color wheel): blue, purple and red.
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These little hand-painted oval bowls were purchased from an artist during our honeymoon in Florence. I’ll use them to hold a small card or wrapped chocolate.
The silver tray and pressed glass vase are thrift store finds. The striped tablecloth came from a vintage store in Jonesboro, TN. The blue jug was made by a potter in Maine, and I’ve had it forever.
I couldn’t find purple candles that matched the flowers but I think these berry-colored ones work just as well. To tie them into the color scheme, I wrapped them with navy grosgrain ribbon, securing with a little tape. LOVE easy craft projects like that!
The teacup is a little bit chippy – I think it just adds character.
This is our cat Sisal. Cats always know the best spot in the house.
Hope everyone finds someone to snuggle with this Valentine’s Day!
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Tamara Leicester is a licensed interior designer and owner of Tamara Heather Interior Design, LLC. She designs casually elegant interiors with an artistic sensibility, often drawing upon the talent of local artists and craftspeople in her work. Dreaming about updating your space? Learn more at tamaraheatherinteriors.com.
