Table Decorations by Rose Seelye Miller, January 1893
PDFIn these days of aesthetic tastes great care is spent upon the table. Its napery, its dishes, its glassware are all the daintiest and finest the taste and finances of the owner dictate and afford. In summing up the dainty appointments of the table I neglected one of the most important factors of the table of today – its flowers. These are considered almost as essential as its other appointments; even our everyday tables are more attractive with the addition of flowers, though they may be few in number.
At a dinner given by a wealthy woman, the chief adornment of the table was a cut glass bowl filled with growing ferns. Not all may be able to afford the real cut glass, that scintillates from every facet like a clear cut diamond, but ferns are inexpensive, and a pot of them neatly adorned might grace the table of anyone in very moderate circumstances. One little woman whom I know grows her flowers in tin cans. These are unsightly, no one can deny, but her ingenuity and aesthetic taste for flowers enable her to manage these inartistic cans artistically.
Not long ago I dined with her, and the centerpiece of her small table was a fine plant of Abutilon rosaeflora. It was beautiful; its tender pink bells, drooping from every possible branch, gave an added grace to the daintily served meal. Her linen was white, so that every piece of china showed off to its best advantage.
The abutilon was placed simply upon a fringed napkin. The unsightly can was covered by a square of white tissue paper. The can is placed upon the center of a fringed square of the paper; the corners are then brought to the top of the can. A pink ribbon of the exact shade of the flowers ties it in place. And a flower piece, dainty, inexpensive, and durable has milady, the hostess.
The cut glass dish that held the growing ferns mentioned above was lined with tin foil. This protected the glass from the soil and it also gave it a brilliancy that would have been marred had the earth been visible through its clear transparency. Even this decoration is not as expensive as some, for most table flowers are evanescent in their beauty. But the ferns growing would adorn for almost any period of time, and lose naught of their beauty. Indeed, this would increase with their growth. The sylvan appearance of this decoration might be increased by placing the glass bowl upon a mirror and placing ferny moss around its edge. If desirable a bit of maiden’s hair fern may be made into boutonnieres with any dainty little flower that is convenient, and placed at each plate.
A Narcissus Dinner table is adorned with Paper White and Grand Soleil D’Or Narcissus. The Paper White is a pure white flower growing in beautiful waxen clusters. Grand Soleil D'Or is a golden yellow with a cup of deeper gold. These two combine in fairest harmony.
Let the table linen be white with yellow border, the napkins to match, or if plain white napery is preferred, the doilies could have a dainty embroidery in wash silks, white, olive and golden yellow. Buttercups would be an excellent design. These could be powdered over the small doilies.
Have three ribbons matching the yellow narcissus in color start from one corner of the table. Let them cross the table diagonally in fan-shape and terminate in handsome bows. For a centerpiece have a piece of china silk laid in loose folds across the table; fern leaves may be scattered loosely and carelessly over it, yet in such a manner as to hold the folds of silk in their position. In the center place a low square glass dish; fill this with either growing narcissus or those cut and arranged as naturally as possible. They could easily be arranged as though growing by lining the dish with tin foil and filling with soil or moss, and setting the blooming bulbs therein. A single cluster of Narcissus biflorus with a tiny bow tied with white baby ribbon may be placed at each plate. The biflorus Narcissus grows in couplets, just a pair of flowers on a stem; the flowers are white with a golden cup. The combination is in perfect harmony with the other decorations. The lamp shades may combine the two colors white and yellow, or be a solid color. If one can have it, china with yellow borders would be very pretty; but lacking this, use that of pure white. White china is always dainty and in good taste.
Another pretty narcissus decoration which may figure for a five o’clock tea is made of the Narcissus poeticus. This is one of the handsomest of the family. Flowers are pure white with a crimson cup, which makes their beauty very striking.
Let the table or tables be arranged with white napery, with embroidery to match the hue of the center of flowers. In lacking this, pure white will not be inharmonious. Let the floral decoration be simply a goodly bunch of the narcissues arranged loosely in a vase of cut glass and silver. China to harmonize adds greatly to the general effect.
A lunch is now frequently given upon a bare table. In this case the table must be a handsome one and highly polished. Supposing it is of polished walnut and the dishes of a rich brown color. Plenty of glass and silver harmonize very prettily with a bare table. In some cases a handsome centerpiece nearly covers the table; in other cases only about the usual sized centerpiece is used.
A very rich decoration is made with a centerpiece of rich red China silk laid in folds, upon which are placed with careless care a number of single dahlias. A tall siver epergne occupies the center and is filled with dahlias in rich browns and reds to harmonize with the table and central piece. This decoration may be varied to suit the season and convenience of the hostess.
Yellow makes a very striking decoration for a bare lunch table if the table is of polished walnut. A handsome centerpiece of yellow-brown silk with ferns scattered upon it, a low cut glass bowl filled with Pearl roses, makes a very unique and rich-looking table.
It is more difficult to set a bare table effectively, as so few chinas harmonize therewith. A polished oak table is nearly covered with a handsome centerpiece of silk in harmonizing hue. Bronze dishes are used, and a floral piece of yellow-brown chrysanthemums occupies the center of the table. Smilax is trailed over the edges of the cut glass bowl and trails its green length riotously over the table. In many cases the lunch harmonizes in main point of color with the table decorations. Pink forms a lovely combination with white, and pink flowers are almost always obtainable in the inexpensive kinds. White napery is chosen for the cloth, this of the finest and handsomest available. A handsome centerpiece of linen with elegant drawn work border is used. Napkins and cloth are embroidered with monogram or initials. The doilies have a carnation pink design powdered over them; carnations are chosen for the floral decorations.
These are used only in the tenderest, clearest pink and pure white. A very pyramid mound is arranged in the center; smilax is used for a set-off. A single white carnation with bit of smilax is placed by each lady's plate, while a pink one arranged similarly is by each gentleman's.
There are endless varieties of decorations if one has a long purse; the variety and beauty of the table adornments can hardly be told. A house conservatory, too, affords ample means for charming table decorations, while even the woman with a few pot plants, if they are thrifty, need not be without an artistically adorned board. These little graces add so much to life; a flower, a pretty dish, a bright face and pleasant word may make the whole day bright. It is worth trying, for I believe children brought up in a well ordered home, seated at a daintily-appointed table are easier taught good manners if all the appointments are dainty; the clean linen, bright silver, shining glass and smooth dishes, with a bit of flower for the center. I think her wee majesty or the baby king soon become used to dainty things and learn a pride in them themselves. Accidents may happen with little folks at the table. Philip may get a drop of fruit juice upon the cloth, or Baby may upset her milk. They will not mean to do it, and will soon learn manners in accordance with their surroundings. If children are given oil cloth bibs, trays, etc., they soon learn that they are not expected to be neat and dainty, and they will fulfill the expectations of their elders by spilling milk, dribbling their berry juice, dipping their fingers in their food and decorating their faces, etc. Let them know that they are expected, not to be little gentlemen and ladies, but sweet-mannered little children, and they will respond to gentle measures. When an accident does occur, but be sure it is an accident, do not scold, but pass it off as cheerfully and with the same gentle tact you would use had it been a loved guest who had committed the error.
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