BRING A TOUCH OF PROVENCE TO YOUR SUMMER TABLE
It’s no secret that I love true Country French style – especially after spending a week in Provence a few years ago. I learned a few things from that trip, and a big takeaway was how the French set a beautiful, casually elegant table for entertaining. The colors of Provence in the images below were my inspiration for the outdoor tabletop I’m sharing with you today.
Over the years, I’ve styled a few French Country tabletops for magazines – including one of my first photo shoots back in 2000, which was a French Wine Tasting Party for Better Homes & Gardens “Outdoor Casual” magazine.
Below left is an outdoor tabletop I styled for Country French magazine in 2016, photographed by Tria Giovan. The lovely and talented Houston designer, Nicole Zarr (below right) and I selected “very French” tabletop props to style the space – including antique linens, French demijohn green bottle (more on those later), wicker baskets and – of course – flowers. Everything is casual, but still put-together.
OUTDOOR “COUNTRY FRENCH” STYLE
Perfection is not the goal when setting an outdoor French table. In fact, a mix-and-match approach to plates and silverware is a hallmark of this style. Also, an element of “antiquity” and patina is often found on a French tabletop. Informality and simplicity are key to creating a beautiful French-inspired tabletop (especially outdoors).
COUNTRY FRENCH OUTDOOR TABLETOP
Below are images we photographed for an outdoor French-inspired dinner party at my home. My color scheme was neutral taupe and white, with pops of blue-green (in the demijohn bottle), green (pears and olive branches) and purple (lavender flowers). I’m including links to all the products featured in the photos in the shopping gallery at the bottom of the post.
For my French-inspired tabletop, I started with a neutral-toned embroidered tablecloth. Table linens play a key role in making a “very French” table. I love the size of these striped linen napkins (and you could also use French cotton dishtowels as napkins). A sprig of fresh lavender and rosemary from the garden add a welcoming touch to the center of the plate.
FRENCH TABLETOP ELEMENTS
Key components to “getting the look” are as follows:
- Table linens
- Wire basket for French bread
- French “demijohn” bottle
- Pots of fresh lavender
- French wine (of course!)
- Kitchen-to-table serving pieces (I bought the white covered terrine dish at a kitchen shop in Provence. Here’s a similar one from Emile Henry).
- Beautiful plates (mis-matched is fine, too)
- Wine glasses and water glasses (I’ve never seen melamine or plastic used on a French table, even outdoors!)
DEMIJOHN BOTTLE
What makes this tabletop French is the large demijohn bottle. What’s a “demijohn”? The word demijohn (pronounced deh-mee-jaan) is used to describe any large, narrow-necked bottle that holds liquid (usually about 3-10 gallons).
The name came from a French glass blower in 1347 who named a bottle he created after the visiting Queen Jane (Countess of Provence). Demijohn is French for dame-jeanne, literally “Lady Jane”. They gained in popularity throughout Europe and were used to store wine (they sometimes have wicker casing around them to protect the bottle). Antique demijohns can be very pricey, depending on their age and provenance (a quick search on 1st Dibs showed demijohns ranging from $400-$650, and I found a few on Ebay for around $200-$350). You can find a good reproduction for around $120 here.
These are quintessentially French and make a beautiful focal point to your French tabletop. The one I used on my tabletop is available here. These also look great indoors, grouped together as a collection on a sideboard or in the kitchen.
LAVENDER + OLIVE BRANCHES
You can use potted live lavender plants which I found at Trader Joe’s for $5 each. If you can’t find potted lavender, you can substitute dried lavender bundles in aged zinc metal pots. I also added a few olive branches from the tree in my back yard to the demijohn bottle (but you could also add a few artificial olive branches if you don’t happen to have an olive tree in your back yard).
MY FAVORITE FRENCH TABLETOP BRANDS
I discovered these brands on my visit to Provence, and am always on the lookout to add to my French collections:
- GIEN faience plates, which are made in the Loire Valley. I love these Gien Fromage plates, which would make a lovely addition to this French tabletop.
- LAGUIOLE flatware, which comes from a 200-year old family-owned factory in France. I love the casual elegance of the handles, and it’s okay to mix Laguiole steak knives with everyday silverware. Or you can order place settings in a variety of colors (I love the set with the ivory handles).
- EMILE HENRY oven-to-table pieces. Founded in 1850, and located in Marcigny, a small town in the province of Burgundy, France, Emile Henry has established a worldwide reputation for manufacturing the finest quality ceramic ovenware, gourmet cooking products, and bakeware products. I also love the color selection, and these make wonderful housewarming or hostess gifts.
- GARNIER-THIEBAULT table linens. Created in 1833, Garnier-Thiebaut is the oldest producer of French linens in Les Vosges, a Region in the East of France. They offer a wide variety of colorful kitchen towels and elegant napkins.
- LA ROCHERE glassware. La Rochere has been producing artisanal glass in the heart of France for more than 500 years, making it the oldest continuously running glass factory in Europe. The company is recognized around the world for designing and producing authentic, high quality glassware with French style – and best of all, their glassware is dishwasher safe. I love their Périgord line and they’re also known for their iconic Bee and Fleur de Lys patterns.
FRENCH FARE
It wouldn’t be a French dinner party without cheese and wine! You can read more about my favorite French cheese in my post about Styling A French Picnic.
MORE ON FRENCH ENTERTAINING
Here are a few of my favorite books on French entertaining, outdoor style:
GET THE FRENCH LOOK
CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO TAKE YOU TO THE PRODUCT LINKS:
SUMMERTIME ENTERTAINING
I hope this post has inspired you to Make Your Every Day More Beautiful® with a French-inspired outdoor dinner party this summer.
And for more wonderful information about all things French, please visit Janine Marsh’s fabulous website, The Good Life France (and subscribe to receive her wonderful quarterly magazine!)
À bientôt!