Don’t just set the table—set the mood! Setting a stylish table!
Planning the ultimate dressy dinner party? Or something more laid-back and casual?
There’s an art to tuning your table to the occasion and House Beautiful Tablescapes helps you master this often underappreciated skill—whether it’s for a Sunday supper, freewheeling garden party, or extravagant holiday soirée. Lavishly photographed, this book explores a stunning range of decorative possibilities utilizing every kind of tabletop décor imaginable, from an elegantly curling sterling candelabra to jaw-snapping alligator napkin rings to a whooping troop of porcelain monkeys.
Pretty, stylish and one for every occasion, House Beautiful Tablescapes ensures our dining is perfectly dressed and a talking point for every guest.
I loved this book. from an intimate lunch to a formal party, Lisa Cregan takes us on a journey of dining, with stunning centrepieces, beautiful glassware, and that little je ne sais quoi that gives an impressive edge.
The photography is exquisite, and while all of us may not have the rooms that are breathtakingly laid out within the pages, we can all learn how to add a small but delightful something that adds to our table.
This book would be a beautiful gift. I just spent days looking at the pictures and reading about the seating plan, the flower arrangements and the wonderful quotes from well known people, past and present that are scattered throughout.
Did I say how beautiful this book was?? well, I will say it again. It is a divine piece of art that is useful, beautiful and engaging.
House Beautiful Editor In Chief, Sophie Donaldson, describes tablescapes as a “microcosm of style“. In House Beautiful Tablescapes: Setting A Stylish Table, you can learn many ways to put your personal stamp on any table.
As any good chef will confirm, presentation is everything. Someone once told me that you could be given the most delectable steak cooked to perfection, but if it were served on a garbage can lid, you would not want to eat it. And while that might be a little extreme, a beautiful table does enhance the experience.
House Beautiful has put together three incredible chapters to help you create whatever mood you want for your meal. Chapters include:
Chapter 1: Very Civilized Affair Chapter 2: Keeping It Casual Chapter 3: The Abbondanza Buffet
Starting with the Ultimate Dressy Dinner, Chapter 1 continues on with the Simply Elegant Evening, then the Extravagant Holiday Soirée.
Sunday Supper opens Chapter 2, followed by Weekend Lunch With Friends, Twilight On The Terrace, Morning Glory Brunch, Garden Party, and An Unapologetically Uninhibited Theme Party.
Chapter 3 includes a Festive Open House, Drinks 30 Under The Stars, When It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere, and a Dessert Party.
Exquisite Photography And Gorgeous Ideas
Throughout the book each of the individual scenarios is exquisitely photographed in an overview, some again in detail. Others are a close-up shot of a different take on a similar theme.
Sprinkled throughout the book are also sayings from famous people, all of them of course entertaining are food related, which really enhances the book.
The descriptions for each of the pictures are short and sweet, simply pointing out the unique aspects of each. This book isn’t about copying the look identically, it’s about highlighting the ways you can enhance your own table with what you have.
If you never use any of the suggestions in this book, it would still be worth having for the sheer beauty of it. It is a coffee table book which would be enjoyed by all.
The end of the book includes two pages with designer credits and photography credits. This sheer army of people who created this book is impressive and well deserving of acclaim.
See the full review and my favorite tablescape at The RecipesNow! Reviews And Recipes Magazine. This review is written in response to a complimentary hard copy of the book provided by the publisher in hopes of an honest review.