Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Chinoiserie Entertaining

Amanda Lindroth

I never mentioned this, but we had a cocktail party/open house scheduled for two weeks ago for local friends and everyone in the community where we live which was obviously canceled. I had been working like crazy getting the house all done for it. I wonder when if ever it will be rescheduled. Check out this wonderful party setup. That blue and white Chinese porcelain vase/ginger jar is absolutely enormous! Boy is that dramatic!

The tablecloth is a bit sketchy, I'm afraid. It is too short and too wrinkled, but I love the centerpiece so much it is worth posting! A pet peeve of mine is tablecloths that do not reach to the floor. I also always use a liner - old blankets work great, so the tablecloth hangs well. The liner need not be as long as the tablecloth - it just needs to overhang the top by a foot or more to drape nicely. Who knows the correct term for a tablecloth liner?

(The answer is a silence cloth)

At any rate, I love the idea of a setup like this in the lanai for entertaining and will be searching for a large blue and white tablecloth for when life returns to normal.

14 comments:

  1. I'm with you on the tablecloth...totally unrelated question, how do you plan on surviving the summer heat in Florida?

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    1. I spent a lot of time here last summer while renovating this house. Having lived in 40 years in D.C., I did not find much difference - both are hot and humid in the summer. Sarasota is a bit more north than some spots, and a bit more moderate. I will do my gardening in the morning before it gets steamy. Apart from that, I will just play it by ear. I don't see myself becoming a snowbird, but anything is possible.

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  2. I think this is a good length for an outdoor tablecloth on a bar. While it may look wrong in a photograph, there are practical reasons for having the tablecloth stop short of the ground a few inches. For example, when people crowd up at the table to get a drink, they are less likely to step on it and pull everything to the ground. Or they won't get their shoe straps tangled up in it and fall. Also, when there are a bunch of people standing around the table, it won't be as obvious that the tablecloth is short. Nevertheless, I agree that it looks awkward in a photo.

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    1. I personally cannot deal with this visually for a party. I think the key is that the tablecloth be just grazing the floor/ground and not dragging on it.

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  3. I agree with Bg's comment. From my fundraising days in garden settings, often on uneven terrain (although the gravel is not that) we came to a similar decision. In your controlled environment you know what works for you. The blue jar is magnificent, over the top joy! Glad you like your new home. I could never ever live in Florida. We're hot and humid in Kansas but no alligators...although at times the mosquitos seem that big! Glad you are happy again.

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    1. I love hearing from you. I agree on uneven terrain but not necessary in my lanai which is of course floored. I have mixed feelings about Florida - it would not have been my first choice. But I am adjusting. I'm not sure I knew you are in Kansas - I grew up in Lake Forest, Illinois. As for the alligators, they are actually very sweet and timid. I see at least a hundred animals a day which I adore. It's one of my favorite things about Florida!

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  4. Silence cloth! I love learning old-but-new-to-me things like that!

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    1. Yes - it prevents the clatter of dishes against the table. Such a great term.

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  5. Boy, I wish I'd thought of this before my last Christmas party. I did have a silence cloth, but it only overhung by about 12 inches, and the floor-length tablecloth was a cheap sequined thing I got from Amazon. I didn't realize it would be so sheer, and putting the table in front of the backlighting from a big window didn't help. It looked like a lady in a sheer gown with a too-short slip!

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  6. Its only my opinion but I do not like the tablecloth's colour.

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  7. Try Pomegranate linens. They have beautiful woodblock prints and fun, tropical motif ones too and their online Warehouse sale is amazing.

    Pottery Barn also has a pretty blue and white woodblock print cloth on sale at the moment.

    It kinda looks like the wind hit this tablecloth and it poofed out. I do love the colors and the contrast to the blue and white porcelain.

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