Vignette Week: Halloween Tablescape….

My last three posts have been pretty deep and self-reflecting, so I thought I would lighten it and début my Halloween tablescape.  If you have seen my other tablescapes you are aware that I tend to build backstories to help me figure out a plan of attack and this table proved to be no different.

My imaginary client for this project was Rachel.  An English major in college, she has been able to carve out a nice living for herself editing cookbooks for a medium-sized publishing company.  Having spent a better portion of her career making sure that others have the tools to learn how to cook, surprisingly Rachel had never thrown a dinner party.  Rather than tackle a  high pressure (and high stakes) holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, Rachel opted to throw a formal dinner for Halloween.  She called me to help her create the perfect backdrop to her first ever dinner party.

As with all my projects, I like discuss what the client envisions and if there is a theme they want to incorporate.  Aside from wanting a formal dinner, Rachel was open to suggestions.  When faced with situations like this, I typically turn to asking questions about hobbies, recent travels or collections the client may have to gain insight.  True to her English-major roots, Rachel is a lover of all the great authors including Edgar Allan Poe.  Upon hearing this, I immediately latched to the idea of creating a tablescape loosely based on Poe’s poem “The Raven”. 

I dreamed of Rachel’s table as a place where the Raven of Poe’s poem has gone after tormenting the tortured narrator of the poem.  My vision of Halloween was more gothic than gory with a strong interplay between masculine and feminine pieces.    I stuck to a fairly neutral palette of black, white and grey with the only color coming from the centerpiece.  Texture,whimsy and a touch of femininity were added through the liberal use of feathers on the table including in the centerpiece.  Hefty goblets and masculine flatware were used to balance the frilly nature of the feathers.  In the end, I got a table that I think is more haunting than haunted house. 

With that said, I present my vision of a raven inspired Halloween……..

Tomorrow, I will be breaking down the table and next week doing a tutorial on how I made the feather chargers.  This is my first Halloween tablescape, so I would love to hear your feedback!

Still craving more tablescape goodness?  Check out my Facebook page for additional photos and Twitter feed for updates.

Linking Up to….

The Shabby Creek Cottage Link Party

Hooking up with HoH Link Party

Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursdays Link Party

The CSI Project Halloween Link Party