Perfect Bound

Planning a fall menu is perhaps the greatest treat of all. So many decadent meals to consider such as a wild mushroom ravioli with tossed brown butter and red onion confit or a salad of baby field greens with dried cherries, candied pecans gorgonzola and sherry orange vinaigrette. YUM. There is no end to the amount of creativity that comes with fall when it comes to the table. The rich tones of crimson and gold are pulled naturally from nature in the form of apples, pears and grapes. Why stop there when cranberries, pomegranates and pumpkins are all yours for the picking. And selecting the appropriate place setting for a fall harvest is almost as important as the meal itself. Unlike summer, fall is a time for thick fabrics and rich color palettes with strong details and warm undertones. These set ups have left no napkin unturned in their attempts to create a most masterful palette. Above, a fall table personalized with a mix of handcrafted ironstone, antique silver, and delightfully unexpected touches of blue hobnail glass and pheasant feathers via Country Living. A simple yet vibrant table setting from Wild at Heart via {frolic!}.
Above, the ultimate wedding feast from Brides.com. A lavish centerpiece is set in a French urn, flanked by large pillar candles in dramatic hurricanes. Clusters of fresh grapes and Meyer lemons enhance the festive atmosphere. Silver spheres reflect the rich colors and the candlelight. Footed glass hurricanes, tea lights and glassware courtesy of LMD. Pillar candles, $39 each, from Pottery Barn. Centerpiece of purple clematis, blue hydrangeas, geraniums, anemones, cabbage roses and checkerboard lilies, $400, by Lewis Miller. Seventeenth-century French garden urn courtesy of LMD. Small bouquets of bluebells wrapped with lamb’s ears and bound with jute twine, $85 each, by Lewis Miller. Assorted napkins, $66 for a set of four, from John Robshaw, John Derian Dry Goods. Stainless steel balls, $3–$16 each, from Roost, Character. Above, the ultimate wedding feast from Brides.com. A lavish centerpiece is set in a French urn, flanked by large pillar candles in dramatic hurricanes. Clusters of fresh grapes and Meyer lemons enhance the festive atmosphere. Silver spheres reflect the rich colors and the candlelight. Footed glass hurricanes, tea lights and glassware courtesy of LMD. Pillar candles, $39 each, from Pottery Barn. Centerpiece of purple clematis, blue hydrangeas, geraniums, anemones, cabbage roses and checkerboard lilies, $400, by Lewis Miller. Seventeenth-century French garden urn courtesy of LMD. Small bouquets of bluebells wrapped with lamb’s ears and bound with jute twine, $85 each, by Lewis Miller. Assorted napkins, $66 for a set of four, from John Robshaw, John Derian Dry Goods. Stainless steel balls, $3–$16 each, from Roost, Character. A meal like this make a girl want more. I immediately think of Marie Antoinette when I think of extravagant table settings and courageous confections. Sofia Coppola’s film is a great source of inspiration for setting a table worthy of royalty but suited for the hungriest of guests.

{photo credits: Marcus Nilsson, Don Freeman}

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