This exercise started with one of the gorgeous aprons available at Anthropologie. I spoke before about the art of mix and match. I decided to put my rules in action starting with the sky blue and red Bird-In-Hand Apron.
By simply coordinating patterns I created an inspiration board for a bridal shower, a dessert event or a lady tea party. I did not only mix patterns, I also combined styles and cultures.
The key elements that unite my board
The first key element is the red and blue color palette. The second one is the flower garden theme.
Because the flowers are quite present in the tableware, flower arrangements become unnecessary. Display fruits or vegetables instead. A bouquet made of artichokes will complement the whole scheme. You can go with yellow or orange nutriments if you prefer a cheerful mood.
Harmonizing food and decor
If you want to serve an unpretentious stylish salad, think outside the box. Take a look at the Brussels Sprouts 3 by Laura Calder from French Food at Home TV series. It is easy to make and absolutely delicious. Brussels sprouts would harmonize well with the artichoke centerpiece idea.
For dishing up the food, try to emphasis the floral and curvy shapes. It can be done through the way you are displaying the food in the serving plates or the way you plate the food itself. One great example is the flower look of the salmon and chill hors d’oeuvre assembled in shooter glasses by Couture Cuisine & Event Artistry.
The floral and curvy shapes can be achieved through the use of cylindrical containers. Anyone can make individual cones with fine paper of coordinating colors. The next time you throw a casual party, feel free to toss cashews, dessert bite-size pieces, caramelized popcorns or French fries in homemade paper cones.
Which are the items that I picked at Anthropologie?
The Asian Inside out bowl collection cleverly mingles snowflakes, stripes, diamonds, fiddlehead ferns and daisies. Serving bowls are available. The Bjorne Fruit dishtowel is livelier that the rest. A potholder, oven mitt, full sized apron and half-apron compose the Bird-In-Hand product line.
The Apple blossom cake stand exhibits crimson butterflies flit among delicate Wedgwood blue branches. To pair with the cake stand, I selected Bluebell from the Parfumerie dessert plate set. The salad plate from the Melon Flower dinnerware line completes my board.
Sourcing:
Buy online: Full aprons at Anthropologie
Buy online: Plates, bowls and cups at Anthropologie
Recipe: Brussels Sprouts 3 by Laura Calder from French Food at Home TV series at FoodTV.ca