Tablescape 101: A Table For Two

Styling & photography by Manvi Drona-Hidalgo | Stationery by Fig. 2 Design Studio | Market Picks: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

I'm so excited for Manvi and I to bring you the first column in the Tablescape 101 series for 2012. With Valentines on the horizon we thought we'd work around the theme of romance but with a new twist. So, gone are the tacky pink and red hearts and the gratuitous declarations of love, replaced by an all together more sophisticated and balanced affair that we're calling, A Table For Two. Over to the lovely Manvi to guide us through it (be sure to let us know your top tips for romantic dinners in the comments below!):

Happy 2012 B.B readers! I hope the year is off to a fabulous start for you. My husband and I avoid the craziness of crowded restaurants on Valentines day and much prefer to celebrate with cozy and intimate meals at home. For the 'Table For Two' look I wanted to create a bold and graphic table that maintained a gentle and romantic vibe. I'm not into heart shapes and wanted to skip the over-used pinks and reds, instead pulling inspiration from an old Chanel ad. The result was a modern black, white & gold colour palette with splashes of amethyst. Claudia of Fig2Design did a play on ampersands for the invites by creating sleek, black business card-sized invites embellished with a gold ampersand and encased in black and white ampersand patterned envelopes. While invites are not required, they go a long way in getting your partner excited about the day. I'm all about the details, details and details!

For the table itself I chose a jazzy, cursive fabric from Ikea which reminded me of the moments passed, and precious times partners spend together. Layering it with a plain white fabric underneath brought out the pattern and with a quick iron and fold the table runner was complete. For the centrepiece, I created low arrangements of white and purple anemones, white ranunculus and white roses which I placed in graphic tumblers also from Ikea. Then for each placesetting I re purposed gold chevron drawer liners, which made an excellent backdrop for the black and white Kate Spade plates. I tied the table together with amethyst accent hues in the tumblers and flatware, both of which echoed the anemones. So this Valentine's day surprise someone special with a delectable dinner for two. To me its simple gestures like this that speak louder than words. What are your tips for the perfect dinner for two? - Manvi