I visited Paris in 2012, and I literally fell in love with the ambiance. The Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Arc de Triomphe were all stunning, but all the charming cafés really drew me in. The delicious coffee, tea, desserts and decadent pastries served in fanciful settings were complete heaven. Drinking coffee and eating a baguette, while gazing at the Eiffel Tower was an experience I’ll never forget.
I definitely have the itch to go back one day, but until then I literally make Paris come to me when the mood strikes. It could be as simple as making a cup of tea or coffee and drinking from a vintage teacup. Or partaking in sweets, like macarons, eclairs or meringues.
If you are interested in creating a French inspired café table like you see on the streets of Paris or when scrolling through Pinterest or Instagram, below are some tips to success:
*First: Color Scheme – For the tablecloth, linens, dishes and any accessories, be sure to use neutral tones and classic shades. No loud colors. Think soft and delicate with the use of pastels and soft colors. For patterns, you could use the famous black and white stripes, which is considered a cultural symbol in France. And you’ll never go wrong with the timeless Toile DeJouy. The use of metals, like gold and silver, are also highly encouraged. This is because the French Rococo style is known for its opulence with the use of gilded gold frames, mirrors, decorative accents, etc. Silver is associated with wealth and status, therefore adding silver will contribute to the overall Parisian aura.
*Second: Table Settings: Shop your home first for teacups, dishes, fine china, glassware, cutlery, etc. The items do not need to come from France, they should just look the part. Not everyone has a set of Limoges china sitting around. Think pretty, delicate, fanciful, Marie Antionette, Rococo, etc. If you do not have things like this in your home check out garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, Ebay, Etsy, Facebook Marketplace or even grandma’s attic. You do not have to spend a lot of money to pull this look off.
*Third: Food items – Coffee, teas, pastries, macarons, little cakes, breads, meringues, tartes, etc. are all great options. No worries, if you do not have access to actual French delicacies. As long as the little treats appear fitting with the theme, there is no issue. Lots of items you see at the local bakery or grocery store, when placed upon a beautiful plate or silver platter will look high end. Hint: Little Debbie offers a lot of great options.
*Fourth: Embellishments: The icing on the cake is to enhance your café table with accessories to get an uber chic look. It could be pretty ribbon, bows, flowers, candles, trinket dishes, jewelry, little figurines, etc. The world is your oyster here. Have fun with this step and create something tres magnifique.
Now that you have the steps to success, have your girlfriends over for coffee and wow them with a Parisian experience worthy of Pinterest or Instagram. They’ll think they stepped right into a scene from Emily in Paris or Marie Antoinette’s drawing room!
Below are pictures to provide you with some Parisian inspiration:
Below are links to the products or related products you see in the photos:
- Gold Trinket Dish – https://amzn.to/4a4hnrX
- Paris Scarf – https://amzn.to/4fNvYcG
- French Meringues – https://amzn.to/3Ph1hSu
- Blind for Love Scarfhttps://amzn.to/4fGUFro
- Macarons – https://amzn.to/4fGtcGg
- Cappuccino Cups –https://amzn.to/3DOMKe2
- French Country Runner (Black and Cream) – https://amzn.to/4fGEXMU
- French Country Tablecloth (Blue and Cream) –https://amzn.to/4d4f3lN
- Gold Flatware – https://amzn.to/4j2dGaE
- Black and White Dishes – https://amzn.to/3C1jBfh
Enjoy!
If you are interested in more ideas like this, check out my other blog posts: Bridgerton Inspired Tea Settings, French Toile de Jouy Tablecloth – Shop The Look and Elegant Table Runners – Shop The Look.
For more Rococo related inspiration check out Rent.com’s post https://www.rent.com/blog/rococo-interior-design/.
