Winter Décor: The Evening Blues

Typically, we plan our dinner parties, and I have ample time for me to conjure up a tasty meal and decorative setting. But, this was not one of those times. It occurred to me that I have done quite well under pressure, so I wasn’t too flustered when we had a couple of friends stop by unexpectedly.

It all made perfect sense, as they are on their way preparing for a three-month trip away and wanted to personally hand their gifts early to some friends and family. We were one of their early stops, and obviously I had nothing yet, as I’ve not yet started any of my Christmas shopping. But, as any warm and loving friend would do I offered them hot tea, fruit, and an easy frozen treat that I made.

They were catching up with each other and they stayed for a few hours. I made beet ice cream yoghurt with a simple sauce, and my blueberry crumble. It was such a great pairing to balance out everything, and actually less intense than it sounded.

Print Recipe

This brings me to how to prepare for unexpected guests. We seem to have many at times, and we cope pretty well since our friends are pretty much like family. At the Madison haus, you can expect your guest room to be filled with international amenities. Another thing that one might surmise is a home cooked meal when being welcomed. And, although we aren’t near perfect by any means, my version of throwing something together was this simple and inviting setting. Here are a few #mobilemoments caught from the evening.

I had no idea what to do initially, so I let the linens do all of the work. I used these marvellous pieces (also from the new Gudrun Sjödén collection), which added texture and colour to the table.

#1 Use what you have on hand. I always keep fresh flowers somewhere in the home, so I used these mums for a dash of colour. I also had these blue French vintage-inspired bottles and swapped out the silk florals with fresh florals.

#2 Liven up with texture. When there’s no time for elaborate embellishments, think fast! I mixed prints and patterns to liven up our mahogany wooden table. But, if you’re more of a subdued colour lover, texture is key. If you’re not certain what patterns will work, use the colour palette from one piece. I went by my Copenhagen-inspired table runner, and although it had several colours in it, the contrast with the printed kitchen towels and Icelandic plates worked for me.

These prints are actually all influenced by Nordic folklore: the Icelandic countryside, and Danish charm within the textiles. I went for an unconventional look; mixing goose eye stripes with florals, and the addition of the diamond motif was a bonus.

#3 Perfectly Imperfect: the ultimate finishing touch.

This simply means don’t “over think”anything. Imperfection breeds creativity. You’re already doing things in record time, so don’t try to make it all look too perfect. In fact, the ruffling of the cloths sort of happened when I walked against the table, ahem …  admittedly, almost dragging the table runner with me, hurriedly.

I’m sure that has happened to you, no? I decided to scrunch the cloths at each end, add serving dishes on top, and then leave them alone. If your food is delicious, believe me, your guests won’t mind.

Thankfully, it was a splendid evening with friends, although the food was simple gourmet desserts, it was the succulent part of the whole ambiance. But, it was the textured (and colourful) table linens that made the bold statement.

The goods: “Helga” printed Mugs, “Helga” Plates, “Kardemumma” printed kitchen towels in eco-cotton, and Textured Stripe table runner-Courtesy of Gudrun Sjödén, French bottles-Antique store, Beet ice cream yoghurt-recipe, Blueberry crumble-recipe.

What do you think of our fast acting table decoration? Do you ever have impromptu entertaining moments?