Celebrate beautiful warm weather by entertaining outdoors.  I’m sharing a light and casual outdoor table setting today inspired by the French countryside. A perfect French Country summer table.

When you are designing your summer tables, don’t be intimidated by color!  This summer, for your perfect summer tables, get creative with color.  Mix and match, have fun, and add plenty of bold color if you love color.  It seems that for a while now, we’ve all been kind of stuck in neutral, monotone color schemes, which is fine if that is what you love.

 

 

The latest design trends, if you care about those at all, are about bringing back color in a big way. COLOR IS BACK! And I am more than excited about it! My French Country Summer table is colorful, this is not a pared down, minimal table, it’s bold, it’s bright, and it’s a little bit “messy” too. But, it will give your guests plenty to talk about and will make them feel right at home.

 

 

Today I’ve teamed up with my sweet and talented friends for the Summer Styled + Set Tour, hosted byLory of Designthusiasm, to share some summer entertaining ideas! This is the same group of designers and bloggers I team up with every holiday, because they are so inspirational and always provide such intriguing ideas. It’s always such an honor to be included in Lory’s tour.

If you came here from visiting Sarah at Life on Virginia Street, WELCOME!!  I am sure that Sarah has wowed you with her beautiful style.

 

 

Summer is magical, and it’s the perfect time to set a pretty table, with lots of bold color – a lot of casual and a little bit posh elegance – outdoors.  It can be in your garden, on a small patio, or even on a balcony. Any outdoor space you have available is a good candidate for outdoor entertaining!

{ps. I took these photos in the back garden, and there are sun spots and shadows on the table settings, which is exactly what happens when you are entertaining outdoors!}

 

 

HERE ARE MY FOUR BEST TIPS FOR SETTING THE PERFECT FRENCH COUNTRY SUMMER TABLE: 

1. FOCUS ON STYLE.

Because I have such fond memories of summers in Europe, I wanted to set my outdoor table in a bold mix of French Country antiques, with a little red, white and blue thrown in for fun.  The colors of the flag of both our beloved states as well as France, red, white and blue are such a classic summer color combination. And with Memorial Day and the 4th of July right around the corner, it’s a perfect fit!

For this table, I wanted it to feel as if you stopped by a friend’s home in France, and joined the family for lunch out in their garden at a table set with all their bits and pieces; their cherished transfer ware plates inherited from grand-mère, the blue dishes they bought on an exciting trip to Japan, the silver they carried home from the flea market one rain soaked afternoon last year.

 

 

No matter what table I set, I like to focus on a style, and I sort of come up with a “story” about who would love the table and why.

You want a table setting that wows, something that will get guests talking, and although I admit I sometimes set an all white or neutral table, those tables aren’t all that interesting – if I’m honest.

 

2. MIX CASUAL & ELEGANT.

Don’t feel like you have to go out and buy everything new. I love to think of new ways to use all the different colors and styles of dishes I already have. On this table, English red Spode transfer plates are layered with Blue Willow plates made in Japan.  I love the more is more look, and the colors of red, white and blue don’t really care what a plate’s pedigree is!

 

 

Monogrammed linen napkins and silver flatware pair with more casual pieces such as simple French glasses and tablecloths that are really lengths of antique French ticking.

 

 

 

 

3. CARRY OUT YOUR THEME WITH GARDEN FLOWERS.

Every table looks more beautiful with an arrangement of flowers. Especially in summer, when flowers are abundant!

 

 

Showcase the bounty of the season with a lush arrangement of white roses, red poppies, white hydrangeas, and green viburnums. Presenting them in antique French canning jars with graphic labels adds just the right touch of French Country.

 

 

The best part of summer is being able to cut fresh flowers from your own garden and use them to design a beautiful table. I had only a few green viburnums blooming, so I added just one to every vase for that pop of chartreuse green I love.

 

4. PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS.

It’s the small details that really make a large impact.

 

 

For this table setting, I loved the mix of colors and patterns, but felt like each place setting could still use a special touch.  A printed menu is an easy, inexpensive way to bring a touch of graciousness to each place setting.

Printing little menu cards like this is easy using your computer printer, after creating it on a graphics program. Or….if you have better hand writing than I do, you can buy pretty cards and hand write your menu out, or a special saying, quote or scripture.

 

 

And for a further little pop of color, just one strawberry on the smaller dessert plates at each setting along with a silver fork hints at the desserts to come.

 

I hope I’ve encouraged you to set your prettiest Summer Tables this season! Bring out your best antique dishes, silver and crystal, and happily mix them with their country cousins for a table that sparks conversation, is beautiful, and expresses YOU!

Thank you so much for visiting me today, I hope that you’ll stay a while, be inspired and share your thoughts with me in a comment below while you are here!  

 

 

 

 

French Fraise Canning Jar | Blue Willow Shallow Bowl | 1920’s Silverplate Knife & Fork Set | White Linen Napkin with Red Embroidery | Vintage French Bistro Glasses

 

Next, please go visit Bree at ZDesign at Home, I know you will love her! She is not only talented, but the sweetest, brightest personality, and has amazing taste. I always feel refreshed after leaving her beautiful blog.

 

 

Then go visit my other friends who are sharing more beautiful and inspirational table settings today.

 

Hosted by Designthusiasm

StoneGable

CitrineLiving

Life on Virginia Street

FrenchGardenHouse

ZDesign at Home

Monday’s posts:

Maison de Cinq | Town n Country Living
Celebrating Everyday Life | Maison de Pax | Zevy Joy

Tuesday’s posts:

Designthusiasm | Shabbyfufu
So Much Better With Age | On Sutton Place

Wednesday’s posts:

Cedar Hill Farmhouse | My Soulful Home | Cotton Stem
Bless’er House | Taryn Whiteaker

Thursday’s posts:

StoneGable | CitrineLiving | Life on Virginia Street
French Garden House | ZDesign at Home

 

à bientôt

Shop for the best in French Antiques, furniture with the patina of age, vintage accessories to delight you and your family & friends, and French Country utilitarian pieces. Treasures that make your home fresh, beautiful, inspirational and uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com