Early Fall Elegance: How to Create a Beautiful Tablescape

September is a beautiful time of year in Michigan. It is one of my favorite months in terms of weather because although there are still warm days, the mornings and evenings bring in cool crisp air. It’s not quite summer anymore, but it isn’t yet full blown fall.

September is considered a transition month. It is a short period where I want to hang onto summer, but at the same time I have the itch to start decorating for fall. During this month, I gradually start transitioning my home decor from vibrant summer colors to soft autumn neutrals.

This shift also occurs with my tablescapes. I no longer use the bright summer colors and gently lean towards soft neutrals and earthtones.

If you’re looking to deck out your table during this beautiful changeover period, below are some tips for success:

*First, Choose a Color Scheme: Taking a look outside can help you out with this step. Let nature be the designer here. During this early fall transition phase, you’ll notice the green is starting to fade. This change is due to the chlorophyll in the trees and plants breaking down.

The greens are fading, no longer a deep rich color. You’ll see yellows, browns, golds and even light orange, pink and red shades coming out.

Certain plants go through a transformation during this time too. For example, white hydrangeas turn green with hints of pink, then eventually brown in later fall. Using colors you see in nature, along with warm whites and browns will prove to be the perfect color palette for an early fall tablescape.

The photo above truly exemplifies this season with the use of light greens, golds, creams and hints of browns. Neutrals mixed with the colors featured in nature will do the trick every time.

*Second, Use Items You Have At Home or Items from Nature: In the first step, I recommend looking at nature to nail down an appropriate color scheme for your table setting. In this step, I encourage you to actually use items from nature for your tablescape. It could be as simple as using fruit from the fruit bowl or taking a trip into the backyard with a pair of scissors.

For my early autumn tablescape, I used pears we had in the house from a recent orchard outing. I also clipped some hydrangeas from the yard. The pears and hydrangeas harmonize well with my gold vintage items. All garnished with fresh cream-colored flowers I already had displayed in my home.

Have fun with this step. Take a walk into your backyard or local park. Other examples from nature could be apples or other fruit, little gourds, pumpkins, pinecones, acorns, sticks, leaves, cinnamon, anise, etc.

Look through your kitchen cabinets, take a stroll into the basement or attic. Look for items that are fitting with the fall color scheme. This could be a set of dishes, table runners, tablecloths, decorative accents, figurines, florals, feathers, gold pieces, seasonal decor, etc.

*Third, Assembly: This is the fun part! Now that you have all your supplies, it is time to create an elegant early fall tablescape to wow your family and friends.

*Start with the Base/Foundation: This means putting on the tablecloth and runner if you use one. I used a cream-colored tablecloth and a beautiful sage runner I found on Amazon. Link – https://amzn.to/4grRbdS

*Create the Centerpiece/Focal Point: I always do this first, after the base or foundation is in place. This is considered the focal point of the tablescape. This could be a large floral arrangement, multiple vases, candlesticks, large decorative items or grouping of objects. Below you’ll see that I used an antique jardinière with green hydrangeas for my centerpiece. You are the designer here, take joy in this step. There is no wrong way to do this, just go with your heart and create a show stopping focal point on your table.

*Set Each Place Setting: This means setting the stage for each guest. Dining dishes, complete with chargers, napkins, flatware, drink glasses, coffee mugs, etc. This may be dependent upon the meal you plan to serve. Some tablescapes are designed for photography reasons only. In that case, the sky is the limit with the place settings and how creative you want to be.

*Embellishments: The embellishments are the icing on the cake when it comes to tablescapes. All the little details matter and will create a big impact. This is because the little embellishments provide texture and layers to the table. Your goal is to fill in the gaps and make your tablescape interesting.

This could involve folding or placing napkins in various ways, putting fruit, flowers or other objects on a plate, using unique napkin holders, setting place cards, putting down candles, scattering flower petals or other foliage on the table, etc. The possibilities are endless here. You are the artist, have fun with this step and create a masterpiece.