My visit to Claude Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny at the beginning of the summer greatly inspired me to use summery floral tableware, which I don’t use as often as I’d like. As I rediscovered Monet’s paintings, I thought I could combine these green plates with their small dotted lines, reminiscent of the Impressionist style, with a more floral motif. The fresh, pastoral feel of Giverny’s gardens had a strong impact on me, and I returned home determined to extend the experience by setting a summer table.
Indeed, on the very evening of my visit, I rushed to the china cabinet to try out this combination. I always look forward to creating new table settings, especially when they give me the opportunity to experiment with new combinations and fuel my imagination.
A cheerful and convivial summer table
In summer, we often enjoy our meals outside in the garden, and it’s quite simple to set up a summer table without too many constraints. Flowers can easily be found in the garden or picked directly from the meadows and arranged into pretty bouquets to place on a rustic wooden table with vintage crockery—the result is often delightful. Speaking of flowers, since I’ve been growing my own in a small corner of the garden, I rarely visit the florist because I find everything I need right on the spot. When I do venture out, I put on my boots and often find what I’m looking for in a meadow just a few minutes from the house.
For this summer table inspired by Giverny, I wanted to create a joyful, convivial atmosphere that stimulates the senses. I aimed to maintain a natural feel while adding a few bright touches to liven things up. The blue napkins and green candles accomplish this effect perfectly.
When I began planning this table, I initially considered creating lots of small bouquets with different colored flowers. However, I decided to save that idea for another table (which I’ll show you very soon) because the plates were already visually busy, and adding colorful bouquets might have made the whole setup a bit overwhelming.
A combination of different patterns
Simple bouquets were therefore essential, and I chose large white flowers of the Annabelle hydrangea variety. I recently read that this is a very popular variety among gardeners, but I have to admit that I prefer the Alice variety, which has beautiful oak-like leaves that turn magnificent colors in autumn. We especially cherish it for autumn wreaths or table decorations.
I hadn’t originally chosen these checkered placemats. On the contrary, I wanted to maintain a rustic spirit and simplicity in the table setting, but something seemed to be missing; the table felt too ‘bare.’ So, I simply added linen placemats with check patterns (I love checks!) in soft shades that could also be used for an autumnal table. And that was it.
Ultimately, this is a simple summer table to recreate, as the key lies primarily in the combination of different patterns, a few small bouquets of monochrome flowers, and the vibrant accents found in the accessories.
For the menu, we served a feta salad with melon and watermelon (no feta for me, though!)—similar to this one—drizzled with balsamic vinegar and mint, and chicken skewers with peppers. For dessert, strawberry-rhubarb sorbets purchased from a nearby farm were a hit. It was a seasonal meal on a bucolic al fresco table that made for a very pleasant family lunch.
