Spring is finally trying to arrive but the winter is clawing back with these few wildly freezing days in late March. It's been a tough winter this year in New York City but we survived and persevered with our strive for spring sunshine serving as a bright beacon in a distance. I really cannot wait to have day outings in the Central Park and rejoice with the beautiful rainbow of seasonal flowers awakening, and to enjoy the spring produce once again.
This year our Easter table décor was quite a departure from the traditional pastels and trappings -- no basket stuffed with candy and bunny displays. I set the ambiance and décor with jewel-toned color combinations and effortless sophistication. Deep fuchsia, dusty pink and golden-colored eggs are streaming down the center of our Easter tablescape while simple blooming plum branches finished this decor. Here is how I did it.
Enchanted fabulous buffet
Set up the buffet on your credenza, console table or kitchen isle using nature as your inspiration and greet your guests in style with bubbly champagne or chilled Californian wines. Use the abundance of spring flowers and green moss available now and improvise with objects you have at home like antique books, wooden boxes and jars to create a visually inspiring Easter decor.
Bring in some exuberance
Spring flowers are my absolute favorite. These seasonal florals with their saturated vivid colors perfume the air everywhere you go. Sun-kissed Narcissus, fragrant Dutch Hyacinths, rainbow of Ranunculus's shades, Tulips and other varieties create an explosion of colors, textures and smells when mixed together. These were also my choice for hors d'oeuvres and drinks buffet display.
Build your party essential pantry
Have glass bell jars of varying shapes, sizes and heights in your pantry at all times. Those can be used throughout the year for holiday entertainment to display Halloween candy, pine cones or Christmas decorations.
Personalize each glass bell jar (and you can have as many as you like on display) with your favorite teacups and saucers stacked one on top of the other inside. My pretty, colorful teacup set was a present from my adorable flower girl which are very sentimental to me -- even back then she figured that I'd have a penchant toward elegant home entertaining.
I filled Apothecary Jars with natural green moss which symbolizes spring awakening and spray-painted eggshells for some Easter spirit and ambiance.
To be honest, I'm not at all that crafty but love to put together an elegant table, that is absolutely one of my favorite parts of planning and hosting a dinner party for friends. If I can do it without time consuming DYI projects, so much the better!
And now elegant Easter table decor for this year's upcoming holiday!
Effortless and elegant arrangement
There is something so graceful and simple about spring branches studded with little blossoms. As our Easter table centerpiece I chose light brown curly willow and plum branches with light fuchsia-colored blooms. They looked magnificent and impressive, yet are low maintenance and very inexpensive. This arrangement really added a dramatic visual element to the table busy with more traditional (albeit sophisticated) Easter trappings.
Pussy willow with their furry little catkins, yellow studs of forsythia branches, blossoming lilacs in purple, white or pinks; magnificent magnolias, fragrant cherry and apple blossoms are among other branches available on the market right now and could be your choice for Easter table decor.
Bunnies on the plate
Caskata's vintage-inspired interpretation of romantic English countryside is captured in their Yorkshire Hedgerow Collection with refined "bunny-design" in soft black and slightly off-white colored dinnerware plates. Those bunnies, so tastefully depicted by Caskata's artisans, truly capture the spirit of the Easter holiday in a cultured way and in part served as an inspiration for this elegant tabletop décor. Hem-stitched napkins from Sferra in pansy color compliment the blooming pinkish plum flowers and some of the eggshells' shades. Simply roll up the napkin and thread it through a ring, like this inexpensive metal gold leaf napkin ring from Bodrum which are tied in nicely with the gold-painted eggshells.
Tips and timesavers
What came first, the chicken or the egg? This rhetorical question which for centuries raised eyebrows of many philosophers and curious minds alike is finally answered here. The eggs -- and lots of them, at least when it comes to our Easter table décor. What's yet more impressive than resolving that age old riddle is the fact that you can purchase clean hollowed-out eggshells on eBay, thus saving tons of time and effort. They come with a small hole on the bottom, neatly packaged and in various sizes and natural color variations. For my elegant Easter table décor I ordered two dozen brown chicken eggs, two dozen light green duck eggs, two impressive oversized goose eggs and two dozen brown-speckled quail eggshells. While it may sound like a lot, keep in mind that you will probably break more than just a few of the fragile shells along the creative process. You will need three things to transform the eggshells into an exquisite table décor accessory -- a non-toxic spray paint, rectangular floral foam and thin wood skewers. Protect your work area with paper towels or newspapers and wear a paper respirator mask to keep away the fumes. Insert the skewers into the foam maintaining a two-inch separation between them. Place the eggshells on top of the skewer through a small hole on the bottom of the shell. Shake the paint well and spay the eggs using smooth, even movements of your hand from a 12-inch distance to ensure uniform coverage and shiny finish. Avoid the "spray-and-stop-and-spray again" practice to prevent run-ons and globs and please, please, do it OUTSIDE for those of you who live in the apartments!
Jewel-toned Easter eggs
Checkered teal-colored tablecloth set the tone for the décor. Deep fuchsia, dusty pink and golden-colored eggs are streaming down the center of our Easter tablescape. Those colors are pleasantly intense and are quite the departure from traditional pastel colors we're so used to seeing everywhere for Easter. At the end of the night, give the eggs to your guests as party favors; they will become a nice memento of your occasion for years to come.
Antique elements
Bring in some cool antique pieces into your Easter table décor. I used Victorian mother-of-pearl steak knives and silver plated egg cup holders that I found in the amazing antique stores in New Orleans' Royal and Magazine Streets for my oh-so-devilish smoked salmon eggs with osetra caviar (the recipe is on my blog).
Recently I've been really fascinated by antique shopping experience -- I look for interesting tabletop accessories, cutlery, serving spoons and anything else that can be an interesting conversation piece preferably with an exciting provenance.
Heavenly sweet, heavenly sunshine
For dessert, I served these individual lemon tarts with whipped cream and blueberries. The recipe is coming up soon.
I hope you find this elegant Easter table decor inspiration. What is your color-scheme this holiday season: something bold and different or soft pastels? Share it with me by posting a comment.
Happy Easter, everyone!
For more home decor ideas and recipes, please visit http://artdefete.com/.
Where I shopped:
Hollowed-out eggshells on eBay.
Spray-paint at Michael's or Home Depot, in stores only.
Natural Moss at Michael's or Pottery Barn stores.
Apothecary Jars Tall and Short and Glass Bell Jars at Michael's.
Flowers- Plum (3), Curly Willow (1) Branches, Narcissus (2), Parrot Tulip (1), Ranunculus (1) at Whole Foods store.
Tablecloth is available by special order though Art de Fête. Please contact us with the length/widths of your dining table and we will provide you with the pricing and estimated time.
Napkins in Pansy color from Sferra at Gracious Home or company's website.
Hand-cut crystal glass, refined with gold "Juwel" Wine Glasses from Theresienthal at Michael C. Fina store or online at company's website.
Water glasses William Yeoward Amethyst Tumbler 9 oz. at Gracious Home website or in stores.
Dinner plates and Dessert/Salad plates from Caskata's Yorkshire Hedgerow Collection at Gracious Home or company's website.
Antique Sheffield Stainless Steel Steak Knives Set of 6, mother-of-pearl handles at As You Like It Silver Shop in New Orleans.
Antique Silver Plated Egg Cruet on Stand, ornate wit clawed feet at Keil's Antiques in New Orleans.
Leaf Gold Napkin Ring from Bodrum at Gracious Home stores.
Photographed by Gary Flom.