Tablescapes

David Hicks, British superstar interior designer, coined the phrase “tablescapes” back in the 1960s. Tablescapes are creatively composed accessories set on a table, each piece specially chosen until the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Hicks has long since passed, but his design flair and attention to detail still inspires designers of today. The attention to detail led Hicks to compose miniature design scenes on tables so meticulous that his tablescapes became mirrors of his overall design concept. The classic tablescape shown in the photo at left alludes to the Greek classical décor behind the table. The simple but elegant ceramics, earthenware, and collectibles is a beautiful way to complement the surrounding room. 

When arranging a tablescape, the guidelines that designers pay attention to are

• the focal point, 

• the various heights, 

• scale, 

• the number of items on the table, 

• how the accessories harmonize with the other items, and 

• the overall color scheme.  

With his classical tablescape, Hicks employs an overall neutral color scheme to complement the classical theme – varying shades of cream and beige and touches of muted sage green and malachite to prevent it from being boring. Hicks also paid attention to the heights of the items, mixing up accessories of low, medium, and tall heights to provide interest on varying eye levels. The scale is limited to small- and medium-sized items so that they don't overwhelm the background artwork on the walls.

The tablescape at left by Rod Winterrowd is located in a very narrow hallway that might have easily been overlooked by a homeowner when decorating his or her home. Winterrowd highlights the small space by providing visual interest at varying levels as well as an exotic and architectural theme. The sphinx at the base of the table and the Chinese lantern reflects the exoticness, the curving staircase and the architectural line drawings provide the architectural theme. Finally, the bouquet of flowers provides the focal point for the whole tablescape as well as softening the hardness of the surrounding objects.

Despite the varied accessories, the overall effect is well balanced and harmonious. Another guideline to tablescapes is to use an odd amount of accessories, e.g., using 3, 5, 7, or 9 grouped items. Winterrowd uses 5 accessories with balancing heights to achieve a harmonious effect. He also creates a vertical axis from the lantern above to the flower arrangement and the sphinx below, resulting in a focus point. 

Designer Sherrill Canet uses the guideline of varying heights to great effect for her tablescape (see above). The viewer’s eye travels up and down from the vase of flowers to the candlestick holders, to the design books, and back up to a glass conical sculpture and down again to the glass spheres. The overall colors are limited to mostly white and glass so as not to distract from the colorful glass plates and the striking striped pattern in the background made from Blue Suede Shoes paint by Benjamin Moore. The only splash of color on the table is the riot of orange tulips that picks up the orange in the throw pillows. 

Tablescapes are a modest way to express your design concepts – they're easy on the budget. The next time you want to give new life to a room, consider creating your own tablescape and personalizing it with your own treasured mementos.