January seems like a rather serene month.  There’s lots of white out the window and the colors of Christmas have faded away.  Sometimes I imagine what it would be like to get married right now, or even plan a fabulous dinner party.  Lots of candlelight and coziness seems appropriate yet, but I’m over the glam of the holidays and seek a little more simplicity.

Earlier this month, I shared a few great January flower options.  But I wanted to extend that further, digging into exactly how to use those flowers not only to make a stunning centerpiece or arranmgent, but also a tabletop to go along with it.

I did add a few other flowers, beyond the 5 previously mentioned (in the post here) – white allium, dried bougainvilla, hellebores, kochia and quicksand roses.  I think dried bits and textural pieces are great in any season, but especially right now.  I have a hard time creating a nautral arrangment that doesn’t a least somewhat mimic what’s happening outside.  And outside is very much lacking greenery.

I wanted to pair this combination with blue.  Pink and blue have been a common pairing for awhile now, we saw Panatone choose the two together a couple years back and now blue has once again surfaced as the color of the year – although it’s a much brigher hue this time around.  Perhaps it was the cold weather that has me thinking blue, or just the fact that I love these simple and sleek dinner plates and was determined to find a way to use them.  Either way, I really liked how the white and subtle blushy pink tones of the centerpiece, the deeper blue plates and then adding in some soft blue candles really pulled these entire tabletop together.  The clear glassware and candle holders made me think of ice, another nod the to weather. To top it off, I added in some gold flatware, just dress it up a bit and contrast against the more rustic, whitewash of the wood table.

A couple more thoughts to consider if you’re thinking of recreating this look-

These photos were taken in my studio, which is surrounded by lots of white and natural light.  This could definetely come across a little more moody and beautiful in a darker setting – but I could recommend adding a few more candles.

Navy can photograph lighter – depening upon your photography style.  These plate aren’t a true, deep dark navy blue, but in person read a little more navy than these pictures would have you believe.  The light of the studio reflected off of them for photos and the flowers seem very true to color but not the plates. I’ve used navy ribbon for bouquets in the past and gotten photos back that looked as though bridesmaids were carrying posies wrapped in royal blue.  Just a little note to consider as you’re designing, choosing photographers and pairing colors and settings all together.

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