tablescape | Von Gern Home

Create the Ultimate Spring Tablescape: Tips for a Stunning Setup

Mar 13, 2024 | Tablescapes

Transform your dining experience with these expert tips on setting the perfect spring tablescape. From contemporary elegance to romantic charm and eclectic cool vibes, find inspiration to elevate your table decor for any occasion.

Stripes and solids lacquer placemat white turquoise

Contemporary Elegance

Enhance your table with timeless elegance and shimmering gold accents. Explore sleek white surfaces paired with delicate gold cutlery and minimalist brushed gold accents.

Elevate your tablescape with our Blanche Placemat and Rope Napkin Rings for easy sophistication. Whether opting for gold-rimmed dinnerware or intricate patterns in gold thread, create an elegant aesthetic that adds a touch of luxury to your dining experience.

Romantic Charm

Set the mood for intimate dinners or special occasions with charming and magical table decor with a hint of playfulness and romance. Incorporate dreamy pearls with our 3 Ring Pearl Napkin Rings and sleek silver tones with our Dewdrop Placemat.

Enhance the ambiance with candles as a centerpiece and handwritten place cards for a personal touch. Create an enchanting atmosphere that invites guests to savor each moment at the table.

Eclectic Cool Vibes

Embrace an effortlessly eclectic vibe with a mix-and-match approach to table decor. Combine retro and modern pieces in dynamic patterns and bold colors for a vibrant tablescape. Playfully twist traditional decor with unexpected combinations of plates, glassware, and silver cutlery.

We love this festive table setting created by our talented friend and tablescape enthusiast, Monica Ramirez de Hernandez of @latavolacolorata. Monica adds depth and visual layering to the table with our Knot Placemats in cool-toned white and silver. She celebrates individuality with fun decorative objects and seasonal blooms for a lively feast for the eyes.

As the weather warms up, let these ideas inspire your spring gatherings, from lazy lunches under blue skies to intimate evenings with fabulous company. Cheers to delicious food, great company, and unforgettable moments at the table!

Spring Greens: Fresh Ideas for Table Decor

Feb 15, 2024 | Tablescapes

Winter is coming to an end (thank goodness!) and Spring has sprung back on to the table. We are all getting ready for spring, and with Easter being right around the corner after Saint Patrick’s Day, we decided that we would do a Spring Green Easter Table & Decor. Green reigns supreme in decor. It is a grounding color with its natural, tranquil vibes. Green is a color that works all year round in different shades and hues. It symbolizes renewal and hope. At Von Gern Home, we’ve got plenty of fresh ideas to inspire your Spring Green traditions and celebrations.

Nature’s Own Celebration. Enjoy the Greens.

Green holds a special magic. It is the color of new beginnings, representing the cycle of life, abundance, and growth. Spring brings us the magic of transformation within ourselves. Just as nature undergoes a metamorphosis, we too can embrace personal growth and renewal during this season. It is a time to shed old habits, and embark on new beginnings.

Celebrate nature and new beginnings with a fiesta of greens in your home and on your table. Gather your guests and put a springtime spin on your tablescape. Throw together simple salads, an asparagus risotto, a spring vegetable pie, or a spinach fatayer. Serve up your culinary spring delights on our faux leather Reversible Placemats in light green. Pair these modern and practical placemats with any of our napkin rings in stunning shades of green.

Bring it all together with sprigs of fresh spring herbs, vintage silverware, and clear crystal glassware. The festival of spring is in the air, and on your table!

Take Color Cues From Nature.

This spring, the freshest greens lean toward bright, high-contrast shades. Vibrant green lies at the root of our most inspired table settings this season.

Decorate your table with our faux leather Reversible Placemats in dark green and colorful printed napkins. Mix and match napkins and rings. Arrange green vegetables as a visual treat in the center of your table.

Why not consider unpacking your old china and glassware collections in various shades of green? You might not often consider mixing styles and patterns of glass, but when they have a common color, they can easily be successfully combined.

Set your table with a mix of styles, and see how they coordinate perfectly when all are in one family of colors. Add pops of spring pinks and yellows by adding fresh-picked tulips. Offset all of the green with clear glass pieces as well.

Bold, Bright and Spectacular.

Go all in for a full festival of color! The possibilities for creating a bold, bright, and spectacular tablescape are endless. Add exuberant spring colors and patterns to your greens. Go bold with vivid reds, deep blues and brilliant yellows. Give your table a fun touch with plates and napkins featuring colorful birds or vibrant flowers. Mix and match colors, prints and textures. Create an inviting and vibrant atmosphere of celebration, delight your guests and welcome the season with a colorful and layered tablescape.

Modern and dynamic, our green Lacquer Striped Placemats add sleek brilliance to any colorful celebration. Pair these modern placemats with our Cord Napkin Rings in green. Tie it all together with accessories from our Collections and Trays.

Spring gives us hope and a sense of renewed possibilities. Let your individuality come to life with a tablescape inspired by this glorious season.

New Year, New Table Looks!

Jan 2, 2024 | Tablescapes

January is here. After all the holiday hoopla, this is the month when school swings into super-drive, work revs up wildly, and the weather wreaks havoc on our plans – and our hair. But at Von Gern Home, we’ve got some fresh table setting ideas to take your January from meh to magical. We teamed up with the super talented Monica Ramirez de Hernandez of @latavolacolorata, who created stunning tablescapes to inspire you. Here are three table decor looks to beat the blahs!

Take A Trip – On Your Table!

Dreading the next few months of winter? Leave it! It’s time to put the escape back into tablescape. Monica created this table setting that is all about getting away. She used bright patterns and bold textures to evoke the exotic locale you’ve been longing for.

Monica was inpired by our Aztec Placemats that are perfect for a gorgeous getaway in the comfort of your own home. Their intricate azure and white beading is the epitome of chic, while their unique totemic pattern is utterly edgy. These hand-beaded placemats create a look that’s both luxurious and sexy – a welcome escape from the chilly winter winds!

Style them with our matching Aztec Coasters – but don’t stop there. Add bursts of vibrant colors in the form of glassware, vases, and plates.

Missing the Mediterranean? Meet our Charm Placemats. Their blue and white beading lets us lose ourselves on the sumptuous shores of our favorite island. Pair with matching Charm Coasters – or mix and match with Aztec pieces for a stunning study in seaside glam the way Monica styled the table here. Oh, and add some jewel-toned flowers – fuchsia particularly pops against these tones– and you’ll feel like you’ve just landed on your favorite beach. Now just relax, and toast your favorite coast – and the fact that you spent zero frequent flyer miles to get there!

The Royal Family!

Do you find yourself looking around your empty dining room – or worse, the dreaded kitchen table? That’s a dinner downer. January’s a drag. There are no occasions to celebrate. Why should that stop you? Make your own!

May we suggest feting your family or favorite friends with a festive tablescape just because? Why not give them the royal treatment? After all, they’re the ones who rule your heart!

We turned to Monica of @latavolacolorata to create this look that is about taking your tablescape from regular to regal in mere minutes. Monica used our Textured Reversible Placemats in Gold & Silver as the perfect starting point. Their metallic surface is the base on which the rest of this luxurious tablescape is built. In this tablescape, Monica used deep purples that scream monarchy and majesty. Then she upped the aristocratic ante with gold-toned flatware and gold accents on glasses. You can use silver tones instead, for a more subdued version.

Next, explore simple, lush greenery. Wreaths make a great centerpiece for this look, and you’ve probably got a couple left over from the holidays. Why not re-purpose them the way Monica did? Remove the yuletide motifs, add some gold or silver pinecones, and add some votive candles in purple! Suddenly the same-old feels like a festive feast. Even if it’s a meatloaf you re-heated when the kids got out of practice. Life is short. So survey your stunning celebration of today and say, “Yes, Queen!”

Reverse Those Winter Woes!

Post-holiday burnout? We get it. We’ve also got a fabulous fix to elevate your mood – and your tablescape.

It’s time to turn things around. Literally! Our faux leather Reversible Placemats in Cream & Blush are a great place to start. Alternate shades between place settings, for a gorgeous Winter Wonderland feel. Keep it richly neutral with an ecru tablecloth. Add white plates with off-white candles and simple fresh greenery. Pine is particularly evocative here – it smells like the snowy splendor of the scene you’re creating! Quiet elegance is served!

Now how about something a touch….richer? Like when you low-key opt for delectable half-and-half instead of almond milk in your morning coffee. It’s all about the texture, here. We’re thinking smooth, creamy crocodile. Our Croco Reversible Placemats in Light Brown (the flip side is a sumptuous cocoa Dark Brown) are a great place to start. They provide the same monochromatic base as the leather pieces, but with an added depth. Keep your tablescape cozy chic with the same neutral accents as before. Perfect for everyday use, these placemats are easy to care for; simply wipe them down before storing them. See? We told you we’d turn your winter frown upside down!

Halloween Decorations: Scarily Chic Tablescapes

Oct 3, 2023 | Tablescapes

Halloween Decor Ideas That Are Scarily Chic

It’s October! What does your table want to be for Halloween? Sure, we make the kids pick one costume and stick with it (insert tantrum or storm-off here). With our dining décor, however, we can be a bit more lenient. We’re so in love with these three looks, that we’re doing them all! So here are some Tricks and Treats for your tablescape that will thrill …and kill the Glampire Games.

Pumpkin – the timeless Halloween decoration

Oh, Orange and Black – the time honored color combo of Halloween – until now. Let’s lean into the orange, and pair it with white! Suddenly we’re in a lighter, less sinister palette.

Think organic settings, here. Use sculptural natural branches, real pumpkins and gourds, flowers in the gorgeous rich tones of autumn. Want to use trick or treat buckets as accents? Replace the hard plastic pumpkin ones with spooky black cat heads, crafted from papier mâché.

As for place settings, keep them equally bright in tone and earthy in texture. Our Woven Fringe Placemats are the perfect pieces for this look. Hand-crafted in woven twine, they serve insouciant, festive style for a total Hallo-win!

Witchful Thinking

Now that we’ve paid homage to orange, let’s give her a rest. That’s right. Black is back! And paired with white, it’s starkly stunning.

This tablescape is less trick-or-treat, and more All Hallows’ Eve. Imagine Edgar Allen Poe’s vision board: ravens, witches, cauldrons, and candelabras. Sinister suggestion rules this look. Think opaque black glassware. Love a skull? Make it metallic. Want a finger bowl or a candy dish on the table? Choose one with spider legs. Paint a wreath black and festoon it with bats.

Now, ready to serve some serious shriek? Our Splatter Placemats, Zen Placemats & Coasters; and Woven Fringe Placemats & Coasters, all in black and white, will cast a spell on you. Their elevated glamour serves Haute Horror at its best. See? It’s right here in black and white….

(Trick or) Treat Yourself!

We might be too old to dress up and beg for it, but that doesn’t mean we don’t crave candy. So let’s celebrate the bewitching sweets that have us under their spell.

This look is all about festive fun. The skulls are smiling here. Think Scared Silly! Stir the rich bright tones of autumn into this color cauldron: orange pumpkins, forest green leaves, yellow gourds. Add Halloween cupcakes, candy corn, and marshmallow ghosts to up the adorable ante. Day of the Dead Cookies? Absolutely.

How to bring this Hallo-whimsy together? Just add sugar! Inspired by the colorful coating on our favorite confections, our beaded Sprinkles Placemats elevate this esthetic to elegant. And you know what that means. You’ve still got room for dessert!

3 Looks You’ll FALL For!

Sep 5, 2023 | Tablescapes

Fall Table Settings You Can Set in Minutes

Autumn means back to school. No real vacations until December (sigh), so time is of the essence! That’s why Von Gern Home is serving up 3 different styles you can set in mere minutes. From stealth elegance to bold and bright, these looks offer something for everyone, just like the season itself.

Simply Marvelous!

‘Tis the season of warmer hues, heavier fabrics, and earthier textures… or is it? Why not mix it up with a refreshing change of pace? Instead of the typical harvest palette, surprise guests with this nod to quiet luxury. Use uncommon colors like cool blue and silver (seen here in our Split Reversible Placemats and Rope Napkin Rings) as a base.

Set against a tonally similar tablecloth. Then sprinkle in accents in the vibrant hues of fall: shiny gold or green fruit, the warm browns of challah and herbs, or the rich reds, magentas, and purples of wild flowers. This creative take on Autumn is chic, unique, and utterly charming!

Weather Forecast: Fabulous!

The start of Fall is a delightful combination of sweet warm days and crisp, cool nights. Let’s celebrate that perfect contrast on the table as well! Start with your neutral. Focus on faded blues, for example, with gray and brown undertones to keep it from feeling summery. Then garnish your tablescape with foods, flowers, and glassware in the bold tones we love about this season: green, magenta, pumpkin, ochre.

The final touch? Our Pearl Placemats and Coasters. Crafted from layers of cracked shell, they offer a bold texture and multifaceted color, bringing the cool and warm tones together in perfect harmony.

Easy Autumn Elegance

Who says looking great has to take forever? Here’s how to turn the glam up to ten, in under five minutes! Choose pieces that perform a function and elevate your décor simultaneously; like our Celestial Placemats and Coasters. These stunners slay at double duty. Named for the luminous wonder of the heavens, they reflect brilliant color as the light hits them.

With one exquisite statement piece for your table, your prep time is slashed! Style with dark, sturdy plates, to ground the look in Autum. Then sprinkle in flowers and accents in deep reds, dark purples, and rich earth tones. Take it from us: your fall décor will be divine!

Your Best Trip Yet? Summer to Fall!

Aug 14, 2023 | Tablescapes

As the season transitions from summer to fall, so do our table settings.

Summer might be ending, but that’s no reason to stop celebrating! Bring new adventures to your table by mixing colors and fabrics in new ways. Choose looks that blend the sunny fun of summer, with the darker sensuality of autumn. At Von Gern Home, we offer an array of accessories to transition your tablescape in style.

Mix it Up!

Our Woven Rattan Placemats make any summer sing. But here, shown in black, they effortlessly bridge the gap from casual beach day, to upscale luncheon. Styled here with vibrant autumn flowers and sturdy glassware, they balance the darker hues the new season inspires. Want to keep the earthier tones feeling casual? Choose a light, eclectic tablecloth print, seen here.

Sparkle And Shine!

When traveling the bridge between two seasons, a touch of sparkle is just the thing! Our Graphic Sparkle placemats feature petite glass beads, mixed with gold or silver. Styled here with neutral and metallic accents, they take your tablescape from the sizzling allure of Summer to the robust glamour of Fall. Our Horn Napkin Rings use texture to achieve this blend with grace and ease. Carefree pops of color offset the solid feel of horn. With pieces like this, saying so long to summer, isn’t so sad.

Life’s a Beach, With Our Destination-Inspired Tablescapes!

Jul 13, 2023 | Tablescapes

Create Easy Destination-Inspired Tablescapes

Summer Vacation is here! Yours may be an elegant jaunt to an exotic island, a quick day trip to the closest ocean, or a casual stroll to your toddler’s favorite sandbox. Whatever your summer looks like, you can travel from home, with Von Gern Home. With our Ibiza and Capri Placemats and Coasters, you can bring the beach right to your table. Without all that sand to clean up.

A Toast To The Spanish Coast!

Our Ibiza Placemats bring the reds, oranges, and yellows of the island sun to you! Our Quatro Napkin Rings play these tones against warm, earthy wood peekaboo corners to create a stunning tablescape. Mix with a bright, eclectic tablecloth for a fun fusion of pattern and texture. Style with colorful vases and juicy fresh fruit, and take your table from sunny lunch to sexy supper!

Stunning While Sunning: Serving Capri!

Celebrate the warmth and elegance of the smoldering Italian Coast with our Capri Placemats in yellow. Our 3 Ring Pearl Napkin Rings shout out the jewels of the sea, bringing the feel of the island right to your table. Make the tones pop against a bright ocean blue tablecloth. Double down on delicious with tart lemons as accessories! However you style them, these gorgeous pieces are a special delivery of sunshine.

The Italian Job: Bringing The Beach To You!

Dive into the stunning Mediterranean with these Capri Placemats in blue. The azure of the water meets the white of the sand, taking your tablescape straight to the sun-kissed islands! Nail nautical chic with our 3 Ring Pearl Napkin Rings. Pair with crisp white napkins serving saucy sea creatures! Dressed up or down, your beach day – or night – is sure to sizzle.

Calling all Colors!

Jun 9, 2023 | Tablescapes

Two hot takes on Colorful Tablescapes, just in time for Summer!

THE MUST-HAVE COLOR FOR YOUR SUMMER? ALL OF THEM!

The future’s so bright, you’ll need your shades, and with our Woven Fringe Placemats, you can wear them all together! These bold, playful pieces are the perfect way to kick off a summer of fun in the sun.

With this rainbow of vibrant textures and hues, more is definitely more! Our ocean blue, key lime green, hot pink, and lemon yellow woven placemats create a festive, casual table setting that’s as exciting as a summer vacation, right in your kitchen or back yard!

And don’t stop there. Pair these vivid, rich woven placemats with equally bold dishes and Floral napkin rings. Mix and match this kaleidoscope of colors, prints, and patterns to create an eclectic, energizing summer table setting.

SUMMER IN THE SHADE… OF CITRUS!

Table setting with a twist – of lime, orange, lemon, or grapefruit! Our Citrus Placemats bring a touch of tart, a hint of sweet, and a burst of bright color to your summer tablescape!

When it comes to fun, flirty, fruity treats for your table, double down on decor! Who says flowers are the whole centerpiece? Why not cut up some of your favorite citrus as an exciting addition to your table setting? Extra points for table decor that doubles as seasoning for salads, twists for cocktails, and a fabulous scent that complements any meal!

Can’t get enough of this tasty theme? Neither can we! Try a citrus patterned tablecloth and our Citrus coasters! Once again, more is more when it comes to these splashes of flavor. Summer has never tasted so good!

Table Decor Tips to Boost Your Mood

Jan 9, 2023 | Tablescapes

How Your Table Setting Colors and Patterns Can Influence Your Mood

With the holiday season officially ending at the New Year and frosty winter weather in full swing, January can bring a feeling of the winter blues. One of the best ways to combat that depressive feeling that can come about this time of year is by using color and pattern psychology. We share two decor tips that will elevate your mood and make you feel instantly happier in even the gloomiest of weather.

Table-Escape to an Exotic Destination

January is the perfect time of year to think about taking a tropical vacation, but not everyone has the opportunity to travel. Instead, you can bring that exotic destination to your table setting and make every meal feel like you’re abroad!

To get that vacation feel that will instantly boost your mood, use tribal geometric patterns in your table decor. Complement those striking patterns with colors that remind you of natural beauty, such as deep greens of rainforests or vivid blues of ocean waters.

Try styling your table with the Aztec Placemats or Charm Placemats to turn your tablescape into a Mediterranean getaway. The bold patterns and delicate hand-woven beadwork will transport you to a native landscape that will make you want to dance barefoot in the sand. The bright blues will inspire feelings of calmness and will rid of any anxiety that might be lingering from the holidays. In fact, doctor’s offices will often paint their walls in light blue hues because this color has such a calming effect! By balancing the patterns and the colors in your styling, you will create a tablescape that is relaxing and enchanting, the ideal antidote to feeling down in the dumps.

Bonus tip – try adding bursts of bright warm colors to this table setting for an extra boost of feel-good color psychology. Warm colors inspire enthusiasm, passion, and positive energy, so little embellishments of pinks, reds, oranges, or yellows will add extra mood enhancement to your decor.

Crown Your Table as Royalty

Another way to offset that “blah” feeling that can arise this time of year is to improve your self-esteem by making yourself feel like royalty when sitting down for an intimate family dinner.

Just because the holidays are over and there is no extended family and friends to entertain doesn’t mean you can’t style your table for yourself and your immediate family in a decadent way.

You don’t need to do too much to create a magnificent and noble tablescape. All you need is the right colors and textures! Smooth silky fabrics (try satin!), brilliant and bright purples, and shiny metallics are all you need to create a table setting fit for a king and queen!

Purple is the color of royalty, so finding a simple tablecloth – no fancy patterns – in a deep violet will create the perfect base. The warm-toned color will surely inspire a positive state of mind.

Add some metallic embellishments, gold for that extra refined touch or silver for a slightly more subdued look. The Textured Metallic Reversible Placemat in silver & gold allows for the versatility to play with the different shades of metallics and get the look that you are most comfortable with, whether it’s the added flourish or the more subtle touch.

Celebrating Everyday Moments with a Creative Tablescape

Oct 26, 2020 | Tablescapes

We should be celebrating everyday moments now more than ever. A creative tablescape helps do just that.

2020 has been many things, but there’s never been a stronger contender for the Year of Staying In. Confined to our homes by something largely out of our control, we’ve spent more time than ever at our own dinner table (or kitchen island, or breakfast nook). We’ve turned to Seamless or easy weekend recipes when restaurant meals became distant memories.

Cancelled festivities and virtual holiday meals may be putting a damper on your creative table setting efforts. But we’d encourage you to reconsider. In fact, there may be no better time to indulge in a thoughtfully-laid table. Here’s why …

Styled - yellow and white fringe placemat

Turning Home Into a Destination

Like all the best creative pursuits, laying a special tablescape involves a certain amount of dreaming, pulling disparate sources of creative inspiration into one new story. In turn, a table laid with a deliberate array of linens, plates, glasses, and accessories invites its guests to dream. It transports them from the dining room, if only for a moment.

So, at a time when leaving the home may be a luxury, why not turn the table into a destination within its walls?

This doesn’t have to mean splurging on matching sets or dusting off your grandmother’s fine china. At Von Gern Home, we believe in mixing the tablescape with elements of fun. Scatter hints of seashells among blue-and-white plates for a visual trip to the beach. Conjure the deco era with graphic patterns. Brighten up the haze of a rainy day with kicky-colored placemats and floral accents (that won’t wilt!).

Make your table pretty enough that even the most banal takeout becomes an experience. Who needs Michelin stars anyway?

Establishing Routine

As anyone who entered a new state of working-from-home this year can attest, it’s easy for the lines between work and life (and school, and socializing, and so on and so on) to blur. Without the delineation of designated spaces, it all becomes tedious and dull.

Instead of pushing your laptop to one side of the dining table to make room for a paper plate of dinner atop a pile of papers, create an intentional experience out of your meals. You have to eat, after all—why not enjoy it? Pausing to set the table and purposefully engaging in a meal on its own (not while typing, skyping, or studying) creates a sense of routine in the day. It will also give you renewed energy for the work that remains afterwards.

Plus, if you opt for tabletop accessories you love, you don’t necessarily have to undertake the additional chore of stowing them away when mealtime is over. Stored in a bowl on the table, beaded napkin rings can make a permanent centerpiece. A stack of fringed coasters add a colorful accent to a coffee table while staying in easy reach for meals or cocktail hour.

Finding Gratefulness

When the world feels turned upside down, pausing for a meal might be the best way to remind ourselves of what we do have. If you’ve got a table—no matter the size or location—and food to eat on it, there’s certainly no better time to feel thankful for those simplicities.

Some may call the kitchen the heart of the home, but we say it’s the table. Ultimately, setting creative tablescapes for the ones you care about—whether it’s a family of eight or just yourself—might be the best way to show that gratitude.