SET THE SCENE FOR EASTER Joyous

from The English Home April 2022

FROM PATCH TO PLATE: MATTHEW

SET THE SCENE FOR: Easter

Decorate the table for a springtime celebration with pretty pastels, sweet-scented flowers and a scattering of seasonal motifs

Prepare to welcome friends and family for an Easter celebration by dressing the home with seasonal decorations and pretty spring hues. Whether dining inside or al fresco – should the weather be warm enough – Easter is a wonderful excuse to style the dining table with joyous colour. Make the most of scented spring flowers in shades of sugary pink, sunshine yellow, bold indigo blue and vibrant, zesty green.

Branches of pussy willow, catkin or even long stems of blossom can make an eye-catching centrepiece full of height, and spring bulbs such as crocus, hyacinth, paper white narcissus and daffodils displayed in eye-catching planters, ceramic tureens, or terracotta pots will release an delightful scent.

Be inspired by nature’s hues and traditional or favourite motifs such as rabbits, eggs and chicks when decorating the table. Choose decorations, linens and serveware to add colour and interest to an all white scheme and create a tablescape that will appeal to all.

White porcelain tableware, £149 for 12-piece set; White porcelain cake stand, £57; Scalloped napkins, £49 for four; Linen napkin rings, £58 for four; Sparkle high ball glasses, £69 for six; Sparkle wine glasses, £79 for six; Apothecary clear glass vase, from £40; Pink-and-white striped planter, £100 for two, all Sophie Conran

BE MY GUEST

Ensure guests feel welcome with charming Easter place settings finished with decorative details such as eggs adorned with hand-painted seasonal motifs or each person’s name. For an extra-special touch, and to point guests to their seats, tie a velvet ribbon embroidered with guests’ initials or names around a napkin to create rabbit ears. Simply fold a napkin diagonally in half, then roll up and wrap around a decorated egg and secure in place with a bow.

BRANCHING OUT

Use branches of seasonal foliage to make a tree-style centrepiece from which to hang Easter decorations. Catkins, pussywillow or blossom can be displayed in a zinc flower bucket, a large glass vase or a vintage pickling jar. Alternatively, suspend a long branch from the ceiling to run the length of the table and attach stems of real or faux flowers or foliage to it. Decorate with fairy lights, handpainted eggs or other Easter decorations attached by lengths of pastel-coloured ribbon.

MIX & MATCH

Co-ordinating tableware and linen decorated with seasonal motifs will bring spring cheeriness in an instant and provide an element of fun to an otherwise simple styled table. Matching tablecloths, napkins, tablerunners and ceramics depicting illustrations of rabbits, chickens or hens offer up some whimsical charm and are also hugely versatile. Source table linens to protect and decorate the table with and jugs for serving up sauces and creams.

ABOVE Velvet bow, monogrammed or personalised with guest’s name, from £12, The Embroidered Napkin Company ABOVE Pastel Easter Egg garland, £29.99; Warm white battery micro lights, £6.99; Pastel Egg Easter decorations, £16.99 for six, all Lights4Fun BELOW Hare table runner, £27.50; Hare napkins, £16.50 for four; Hare jugs, from £17.50; Bunny & Seed Stone mug, £12.50, all Sophie Allport

PASTEL PERFECT

Pastel shades from blush pink to soft apricot create an appealing scene when layered together, providing a gentle, welcome splash of colour for the new season. Setting the table with ombré-dyed napkins and a co-ordinating tablecloth provides subtle variations in intensity of colour and a striking visual effect. Add a floral arrangement with textural flowers such as frilled ranunculus, ruffled parrot tulips, delicate anemones and the lacy heads of dill flower placed in a small glass jar or a flower frog hidden inside a bowl.

Lavender linen tablecloth, £96; Hand-dyed blush ombré linen napkin, £14; Porcelain tableware, from £44; Florentine handmade glass carafe, £32; Florentine handmade glass, £10; Terrazzo trivets, £11.50; Terrazzo candle holders, £14; Recycled Oyster Shell candle, £14, all Sorbet Living

THE ENGLISH HOME 117

Pretty special

Serve seasonal treats using springtime-inspired tableware and accessories

Chintz Bunny china, Pink, from £8 for a cereal bowl, Royal Stafford

Provence 24-piece cutlery set in Ivory, £305, Sophie Conran

Brushed gold drinks Brushed gold drinks tray, £20.99, Von Haus tray, £20.99, Von Haus

Gabriella Murano tumblers in Pink and Pistachio, £40 each, Rebecca Udall

Adam Lippes Rosarie tea cup and saucer, £50, Oka

Venezia 66-piece dinner set, £1,950, Micucci Interiors

EGG WHITE

White china is a failsafe option for all sorts of occasions. Its simple, pared-back aesthetic provides the perfect surface for serving up elegant starters, luxurious roasts and tempting desserts and allows scope for creative tablescaping alongside colourful linens, decorative serveware and pretty placesetting ideas. For Easter why not introduce fragile elements of nature to echo the delicate effect of a white glaze and textural detail. Make tiny nests out of raffia or straw and fill with a white duck egg or a seasonal pastel blue Cotswold Legbar with each guest’s name written on, accompanied with a feather or sweet-scented flower

BEST BUD

Certain stems of delicate spring flowers need a smaller vessel in which to sit and bud vases are ideal. Use an assortment of designs in vibrant jewel colours scattered along the length of the table or grouped on a cake stand and fill with crocuses, freesias, primroses, fritillaries and miniature narcissus.

ABOVE Croxton dinner plate, £96 for six; Croxton side plate, £60 for six, Handsworth 24-piece cutlery set, £90, all Neptune BELOW Ink bottle vases, from £9.95 each, Sarah Raven

BE BOLD

Seasonal green vegetables can be a surprising inspiration for decorating the dining table, and a great way of adding more robust shades of spring colour as a welcome alternative to soft blossom pink and daffodil yellow. Allotment favourites such as asparagus, globe artichokes and stalks of rhubarb are charming displayed in jugs dotted along the table, and are a table styling accompaniment to earthy spring bulbs such as deep indigo blue hyacinth and paper white narcissus. Source tablecloths, ceramics and accessories in bold, graphic flower- head designs and in vibrant shades of blue and green for a striking and uplifting scene. n

Simla tablecloth in Blue and Green, £224.40; Green Summer Flower ceramic plates: small, £24.19, large, £66; Natural Wicker table mat, £15.84; Simla border napkins, £66 for a set of four, all Penny Morrison