Your CartSpring! It’s a favorite time of year! Fresh beginnings, the season of joy and Easter brunches.
WELCOME! If you are here after visiting Randi of Randi Garrett Design, I know you are already SO inspired. Not only is Randi beautiful inside and out, she’s so talented at making things beautiful for her family!
I’m so glad you are here today! I’m joining some of my most talented blogger friends for the Styled + Set Holiday Easter Entertaining Blog Tour hosted by Lory from Designthusiasm. I’ll take you to all the other bloggers who are part of this beautiful Easter Tour at the end of this post so that you can see all of their beautiful inspiration.
Jardin de Campagne Spring Wreath
Easter is such a happy holiday, I always look forward to this day with the greatest anticipation. It celebrates the Resurrection. Spring. and all that is Fresh and Renewed.
If you have been a reader of my FrenchGardenHouse blog for long, you know we host a very casual “annual” Easter Egg Hunt and Brunch after church each Easter Sunday for our family and closest friends.
This year, I’m setting up the buffet at one end of the living room in front of our large French windows, to catch every single ray of the beautiful sun! Since its a holiday where we invite little people {our grandchildren and their friends} it’s not an elegant table setting. I prefer to err on the FUN side.
Embrace the promise of spring, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the holiday and spring weather with a delicious brunch. Whether you are entertaining adults or kids, dreaming up an intriguing table setting or buffet setting lights up everyone’s heart. Adding some table accents that delight is a sure fire way to create a joyful table.
Celebrate the first sweet days of spring and host an Easter Brunch. Here are some tips to help you dream up an intriguing buffet table setting.
1 ADD HEIGHT.
Go UP! One of the easiest ways to add some drama and interest on your table is to add some tall accents for your centerpiece.
Risers can be anything, I used this antique children’s chair to showcase the pink spray roses in their antique French enamelware milk bucket to their full advantage. A little nest filled with chocolate eggs {what else?!} completes this sweet little vignette.
To add just a little height to the large floral arrangement, one of the rustic vintage-inspired metal plateaus is just right.
2. MIX OLD WITH NEW.
Always a fan of the “old” for obvious reasons, when I go to market, I’m always looking for a few great new table accessories our clients can use to mix in with their antiques to make their tables really exciting and personal.
These natural linen napkins fit the bill perfectly. A little ruffle at the top make them just unusual enough to bring extra flair to the table. Here at FrenchGardenHouse I have these in white linen, and natural, to mix and match with our antique linens. I put them in the washer, and dry on delicate, no ironing needed. {Unless you prefer an ironed napkin, of course!}
I love how they look with these rare ironstone floral plates. Butterflies, bees and wildflowers, mixed with natural, fresh linen…what could be more like spring?!
Vintage Inspired French Grey Plateaus
Another all time favorite “new” table accent are these vintage inspired metal plateaus. One is great to add to a table to add height. A few? Elevate all your settings to a whole new level!
3. FLOWER POWER.
We all know that spring means fresh flowers, and that doesn’t always have to be just one bouquet beautifully arranged in a vase. I go all out every year, this year’s flowers? A huge bouquet of hydrangeas with alstroemeria. A big faux blue hydrangea wreath. Small spray roses in an antique enamelware vase. Flower bedecked antique French ironstone plates. Flowers. flowers. flowers. I love it! Do you??
For this year’s flowers, I opted for a large arrangement in an antique French glass apothecary jar. I mixed fresh white alstroemeria lilies in with our {faux} Hydrangea Stems in “Le Lac Bleu”, these silk flowers are specially designed to be able to be displayed in water. I mix them in with other “real” flowers, and no one can tell these gorgeous hydrangeas were not made by mother nature. {shhhh….it’s our secret, ok?}
4. BE BOLD WITH COLOR.
Especially in the spring, I am quite passionate about bringing color to the table. The antique ironstone plates and platters that feature this gorgeous floral pattern along with butterflies and bees just make me happy. Because they are fairly drenched in color, a neutral napkin made sense.
Antique Floral Ironstone Dinner Plates
Antique Floral Ironstone Luncheon Plates
If you want to add a dollop of fresh, bright spring color to your table, these plates are it! Bought in France, they are actually English, so some enterprising French woman may have bought the set while on vacation across the pond. “Yes, dear, I really DO need to buy this set here. They’re shipping it to us at home in France. It’s the perfect souvenir! And what could be more fitting for out country home?” }
5. MIX RUSTIC WITH REFINED.
It’s always about the mix at FrenchGardenHouse. { I think I’m rubbing off on all of you, because even my clients who used to only buy refined porcelain and silver sometimes acquire the more rustic, “every day” French pieces for their homes and tables! }
Using a cracked antique French plant pot as part of the decorations for this table? YES please! It all works together to set a compelling table for the holiday.
French Horn & Silver Salad Servers
Mixing the refined with the rustic, the every day and elegant is at the very heart of our style at FrenchGardenHouse. I am using these antique horn and sterling silver salad servers with the country ironstone and willow baskets, because why not? Set a French Country casual table, then nudge in a few refined elegant elements to really bump up the look!
6. ADD A SURPRISING ACCENT.
Easter is the perfect time to add an element of surprise to your table. Even if you tables are usually on the “elegant” side, this is the time to bring on the whimsy! Our Monsieur Lievre, a large rabbit decked out with his blue gingham country bow and carrying his lavender planted “nest” is wonderful on this table.
I’m serving my spring salad in a vintage Steuben crystal pedestal bowl. Usually reserved for elegant tables, sometimes it wants to play with more casual pieces and relax a little. This is another way to add surprising accents to your tables, mix in a fine quality antique piece with the more casual.
The real show stopper though, is the 1920’s French children’s wheel barrow holding an antique tian filled with colorful eggs, and the antique silverware wrapped in one of my very favorite linen napkins with a small ruffle. The linens are rolled and tucked into the side of the wheel barrow, so that everyone can just take one as they go through the buffet line.
It’s fun, quirky antique or vintage accents like this that make your buffet a stunner! {and fun…for me, any table setting must have at least one element of F U N!!}
As usual, I’m welcoming spring with wide open arms!
And I can’t wait for all the flowers to show off their dazzling selves in the borders, my little people poking through the garden plants in search of eggs to gather in their baskets, and celebrating all that is Easter with family and friends.
I hope you will come back here to visit me {for your convenience, you can get our French blog in your “in box” by signing up on the top right!} but just in case we don’t see each other before Easter, I want to wish you a happy and beautiful one!
Please go visit my friend Sarah at Life on Virginia Street next. She is always such an inspiration!
and don’t miss these other inspirational friends…
Please click below to visit the posts:
If you missed Monday’s posts:
CitrineLiving | Maison de Cinq | So Much Better With Age
Celebrating Everyday Life | Town n Country Living | Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Tuesday’s posts:
French Garden House | Life on Virginia Street | Decor Gold Designs
ZDesign at Home | Setting for Four | Randi Garrett Design
Wednesday’s posts:
My Soulful Home | Cotton Stem | Maison de Pax
Taryn Whiteaker | StoneGable | Zevy Joy | Becky’s Farmhouse
Thursday’s Posts:
Designthusiasm | On Sutton Place | Shabbyfufu | Bless’er House
Sand & Sisal | French Country Cottage | Craftberry Bush
What a gorgeous settings for Easter.
Love your ideas as usual.
Although early Happy Easter Lidy to you and your family.
Thank you Anja! I know it’s early, but a little planning ahead works great for me. Now all I need to do is organize the food for Easter, the egg hunt, and I’m all set to enjoy the day! xo
Just love your Easter setting! Beautiful as ever, Lidy!
Lidy I just love this table! It’s so perfect – and so French:) But the thing that really puts it over the top for me, is that little wheelbarrow filled with the stunning ruffled linen napkins! So perfect!
Happy Spring to you!
Sheila
xo
Sheila, thank you so much, that is so sweet of you to say! Happy Spring to you, too – it’s a joy to be part of this tour with you, as always! xo
Lidy, your Easter buffet looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing your helpful tips. I always love hosting my family for Easter. I hope you enjoy your day!!!
Thank you so much, Shannon. It’s always so much fun to come up with a “new” table setting for Easter.
Lidy, I am swooning over this gorgeous buffet presented so beautifully! The ironstone is fabulous as well as every detail. But the little wheelbarrow is so sweet and perfect for Easter! I always host Easter for my family, celebrating the resurrection is so special to our family!
Pam, thank you! It IS a special holiday, isn’t it? And it’s always a joy to host our friends and family.
Lidy this is darling! You are so so clever! Wishing our family was going to be your guests at this fabulous party! xoxo
I wish you could too, Randi! We have such a fun time….xoxo
Oh my my just so adorable and thank you for sharing
Thank you Norma, I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Lidy your spring touches and beautiful place settings always inspire me!! So fun as always being on this amazing tour with you…I’m honored!! xoxo
Bree, you are so sweet to say that. I feel exactly the same about you!
Lidy, it’s so pretty! I love the glass apothecary ‘vase’ and those plates! You always have the best French displays.
Hugs, Jamie
Your sweet Easter buffet is one that would be hard to gather and partake of the food, as there would be many “holding up the line” as they are standing before the table admiring the beautiful and creative way the table is presented….you not only present to us a gorgeous table for inspiration, you give us a wealth of information on how we may achieve the look that is so admired by us all!!
Lidy, as always, there is so much beauty and inspiration to be found on your table. Every details and every view exposes another treasure! I so love the jar with the French label!! What a wonderful post!
Fun, but elegant as well – simply stunning as always. Love it – the little chair on the table is so creative. Can’t believe it is almost time for your annual Easter egg hunt again! Time flies !! xx
What a wonderful blog you keep. Your Easter buffet table is lovely. Relaxing vibe and beauty mixed with whimsy is so much more inviting than formal settings. This buffet is so sweet and would invite smiles as one dishes up their yummy meal. Easter Blessings.
What a beautiful and informative post. You have really inspired me for Easter, and it’s only a couple of weeks away. Thanks for this, I enjoyed it.
Thank you so much, Pattie! I love Easter, and yes, it’s coming soon! It’s my favorite holiday for many reasons…xo
Hi Lidy,
Loved your Blog on the Easter Buffet. Hope you had a wondeful Easter. Went down to Illinois to spend the holiday with family. I did decorate the B&B for Easter, even though I wasn’t going to be here. I had guests before, that enjoyed all the holiday touches, and will have guests next weekend that can still enjoy them.
Easter and Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. I haven’t commented on your Blogs recently, but
enjoy getting them in my e-mail and reading them . It was Spring Cleaning time at the Bed & Breakfast, so I have been extra busy. I had some surgery early in the year, that has slowed me down a bit. Have a wonderful Spring, I’m looking forward to the garden bursting in Spring bulbs next month here in Wisconsin. Happy Spring Lidy.
Thank you so much, Janice! I hope you are all better now, and enjoying the beginning of Spring. I am sure that your guests always enjoy your beautiful B & B!!
Hello. Where did you find the willow baskets with the handles you show your plates in? Everything looks so lovely. I am crazy about flowers so there can never be too many on my table.
Jacqueline, thank you so much. The baskets with the handles were something we sold a few years back at our FrenchGardenHouse online shop, but unfortunately they are no longer available.
Thank you for the information. Happy Easter to you and yours.