October, the French Way: A Table in Bloom

October doesn't have to mean orange.

There are so many prettier ways to welcome the season at home. Soft lavender and pink flowers, a few deeper burgundy and brown blooms, old aqua glass and the glow of candlelight create a table that feels distinctly autumnal without following the usual rules.

WELCOME TO MONDAY MORNING BLOOMS

This Monday Morning Blooms is especially close to our hearts as we honor our dear friend Mary, who passed away September 27th. Mary brought so much of her own sweet personality and creativity to every Monday Morning Blooms post.

Her flowers, her beautiful tables, and the warmth she shared with all of us gave us something lovely to look forward to each month. We miss her dearly and are so grateful we were able to share so many years of friendship with her.

For this month’s table, I’m embracing October in a softer way, with color and flowers that feel at home in the season.

A set of 19th-century Sarreguemines plates makes a wonderful starting point. Their hand-painted flowers and aqua borders bring color, history and a little French charm to the table, while round white velvet placemats give the antique china a fresh, luminous setting.

Cognac linen napkins add warmth, gathered with botanical pewter napkin rings with a gorgeous golden glow for a touch of garden-inspired detail. Old French aqua canning jars, filled with loose flowers, echo the color of the plates and bring the whole table together.

I didn't buy special flowers for this Monday Morning Blooms. A friend gifted me the beautiful combination of pink alstroemeria, and little lavender pink pompom mums, together with {my favorite} seeded eucalyptus.

To pull this together with a hint of October for this table setting, I added the Leucadendron Burgundy Sunset and a few oak leaves. 

“The loveliest tables are those where old treasures and new finds come together naturally.” 

— Lidy Baars

Nothing here feels overly formal. That is part of the charm.

This is a table for October dinners with friends, a long Sunday lunch with family, or an evening when everyone stays a little longer than planned. Candles glow, another bottle of wine is opened, dessert is passed around, and before you know it, the conversation has carried everyone well into the evening. These are the moments that make entertaining so worthwhile.

A collected table should feel much the same way a collected home does: personal, layered and filled with pieces that have a story.

The antique porcelain doesn't need much to be as star on your October table. Everything doesn't need to match perfectly. Linen can have texture. Flowers can be loose and abundant rather than perfectly arranged.

The most elegant tables often have a little ease about them, bringing together pieces from different eras and allowing each one to have its moment. Perhaps putting colors together that you wonder "go together" - my thought is that if you can see it in nature, the answer is mostly a YES!

That’s what makes the French way of entertaining so appealing: combining treasures collected over time with new things you love. Antique plates, colored glass, fine linen and silver can sit beautifully alongside new chargers, fresh napkins and a beautiful set of favorite napkin rings.

“The most memorable evenings are often the simplest: a beautiful table, good food, candlelight, and conversation that makes you forget to look at the clock.”— Lidy 

The mix gives the table its character and makes it feel like yours—not something assembled from a showroom.

And when you find a new antique {or a set of plates} that speaks to you, there is always room for one more treasure. That is one of the pleasures of having a collected home: there is always another beautiful piece to bring home, use and enjoy.

So bring out the plates you’ve been saving. Fill French aqua jars with flowers. Add seasonal linens, light your candles, pour the wine and invite the people you love to stay awhile.

A table like this doesn't need an occasion. The occasion is gathering together.

October, the French way. A table in bloom.

Gather Around the Table

A few of the pieces that inspired this October table, along with other French and English antiques for gracious entertaining.

• Antique Plates & China
• French Linens & Napkin Rings
• Antique Silver
• Glass & Flower Jars
• Candles & Small Luxuries

ps. I made the most delicious appetizer for this season! It's so easy and everyone who has had it- loves it.

please visit my friend Pam for her October inspiration. Pam at EverydayLiving

Thank you, as always, for stopping by and spending a little time with me here. I love hearing from you, and your thoughtful comments always make these Monday mornings feel a little more like a conversation between friends.

Mary, you are always in our hearts.