Just before being confined in Paris, we spent our last weekend in the countryside as usual—little did we know we wouldn’t be allowed to return! When I think of the potager and all the plants we bought and planted… On that beautiful last weekend, we enjoyed the camellia and magnolia trees in full bloom. The weather was wonderful, spring was arriving quickly, and I was inspired to use those gorgeous flowers for a blue-and-white-themed table setting. See my mood board inspiration for this table setting below.
The patterns of the plates and the pearl tablecloth felt perfect for a romantic French dinner. I don’t know why I had never really considered a blue-and-white theme before. I know Americans love this color combination, and I should have tried it sooner—adapting it with a French twist.
The large blue-and-white plates from Gien that I’m using here were among my first ‘grown-up’ home purchases. I found them about ten years ago at a country brocante in a rural French village.
Initially, when setting this table, I had a different tablecloth in mind—one with a bold pattern—but it felt too overwhelming. So instead, I chose this lovely pearl-colored one and gently ruffled it for a more dramatic effect. I must admit, this way of arranging the tablecloth isn’t always appreciated by guests, but in my opinion, it adds a charming touch to the table.
I also used one of my mother’s vintage vases, which turned out to be perfect for this theme, and added a few dark blue candlesticks (previously featured in this post), white camellia flowers (which I absolutely love), and small dried branches—and just like that, the table was complete!
At this time of year, I would also suggest adding white hellebores. There are none here simply because they aren’t in the garden yet, but I plan to plant some for next year. They look so beautiful arranged on the table in small vases of varying heights!
