I hope you had a great festive season , I had a rather busy Diwali this time with lots of assignments and last minute travelling for work. But I did manage to sneak in a few Decor Ideas if not too many and make it back home just in time to be with him.
The first being a simple elegant Table setting using only Marigolds. Marigolds are synonymous to Diwali only next to earthen Terracotta Diyas and markets are flooded with them around this time. The bright yellows and oranges spread the festive cheer like nothing else.
But I have to admit have only seen them as Garlands in India or being a part of colourful Rangoli’s and floating around in Urli’s. I always wondered why this flower never makes it to the florists table ever and isn’t even sold respectfully by the stem like its counterpart Chrysanthemum.
So this year I wanted to explore and test its full potential and use them as a part of my Diwali Tablescape but in a not so traditional and usual avatar, with its beautiful stems and contrasting green leaves intact, in a nice vase. Luckily I stumbled upon a Marigold field in the outskirts of Hyderabad around the same time, call this manifestation if you please. Fields and fields of bright yellow and orange under the clear blue sky with white cotton candy clouds. Nature gives you all the inspiration one seeks.
So I bought two bunches from the farmers and returned home very happy to create something the next day.
Choosing the Table-Linen
After much thought on the seemingly appropriate Festive colours in India that hover around Pinks , Reds, Oranges , Fuchsias I chose to stick to the humble white as my base. Well there isn’t much surprise there white is my favourite colour of all and for a moment I thought it doesn’t sit well into the Diwali colour scheme.
But my heart kept circling back to white , in my home state Rajasthan Men often sport the Marigold Orange (Kesariya) turbans with their white dhoti kurta and I feel its such a great colour combination indeed that would make the Marigolds Pop and take centerstage while the white would balance their bold almost neon hues.
Sage green block print placemats complimented the White of the Tablecloth perfectly without distracting the eye and matched up with the sage green vase. The cream beige napkins in soft cotton with fringes just to add that little touch of interest. I tied them in a dreamy knot and placed a loose Marigold atop to balance the colour scheme. Notice how Sage, White and Gold accents are being repeated to tie everything together and balance the colours here. Styling is all about bringing together different elements , maybe a little mismatch thats beautifully balanced if you ask me.
Pairing the Crockery
Sticking to the main theme I kept it pretty clean and simple overall and used my simple white Pasta Plates in matt finish to match the table cloth and some gold cutlery as accent here. Simple clear glass to reflect the light from the candles and that’s about it. This table was going to be used just by both of us that night and no guests were coming up. If you have some traditional brassware I highly recommend mixing those with stoneware for a contemporary look and adding a festive feel.
the final touch with Scented Candles & Accessories
No Table setting is ever complete without Candles, as much as I love the look of taper candles I now avoid them on my Tables after a few fell and burnt one of my expensive and favourite linen. And for Diwali if you have friends coming over with children expect us Indians to get carried away after a few drinks and loosing a few rounds of Teen Patti in cards. I would suggest to either choose Led candles that are child friendly or opt for Jar candles and Tea lights. I used my lotus tea lights in gold for that Indian festive touch , added some mercury glass jar candles in Mogra scent because Marigolds don’t really have the best fragrance honestly.
Here are a few pictures of this simple and doable Tablescape, I hope you liked my subtle and contemporary version of a Diwali Tablescape this year and picked up an idea or two for your next party.
Wishing all the readers a very Happy Diwali. Love and Light to all.
