I know it’s not technically the end of summer just yet, as the coming months in SoCal happen to be the hottest of them all. But we’re definitely heading into fall and I can already see and feel nature gearing up for it.
So with Ecco Domani Wine, I thought I’d celebrate the final days {or months} of summer with a contrasting tablescape that feels just right for the season AND offers you a little how-to guide on turning your grocery store bought flowers into a chic and elegant centerpiece you can use for any occasion. The limited edition Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio wine bottle designed by Zac Posen, my inspiration behind it all, adds a chic, summery style perfect for this tablescape.
After hitting my favorite thrift shops to treasure hunt for a few extra items {you’ll see below} AND THEN heading to the grocery store for my flowers, I made a b-line for home and got busy prepping my flowers and readying my table.
What I’m wearing: vintage dress I’ve had forEVER / vintage hair scarf / Sophie Hulme black box bag / Thierry Lasry – Accessories sunglasses / Loeffler Randall shoes from a few years ago / Tiffany gold initial pendant necklace — Lower: I added a faux flower hair crown I found at Claire’s Boutique.. Check out my easy hair tutorial to get this look!
I generally pull out more items than I need when I’m thinking about a tablescape. I then narrow it down as I go, but I wanted to make sure to include my DIY Leather Flower Coasters inspired by the beautiful Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio bottle designed by Zac Posen, pull in the blues from my Patio Pizza Party & Limoncello Wine Cocktail, and incorporate the sunflowers from my Summer Traditions post last month to tie it all together and really create a seamless summer to fall transition.
What You’ll Need To Create Your Floral Centerpiece…
- FLOWERS! From the supermarket! And about 3-4 bunches of them. Opt for two “mixed” bunches with a few “hero” flowers and then one or two bunches of a solid color or two which will help tie them all together and keep a consistency.
- 3-5 Vases in various heights
- Scissors or flower cutters
- Flower pin frog {optional}
Follow these Steps & Turn your Supermarket Flowers into a Chic and Elegant Centerpiece & Perfect Summer to Fall Tablescape!
1. Remove all the plastic from your arrangements and toss in the garbage.
2. In your kitchen sink, separate your flowers from your filler flowers and leaves and set them aside. I just use the compartments in my sink to keep them separate.
3. Grab 3-5 wide vases of different heights and sizes, fill them about half way up with water and add a little bit of the flower food from the packet that comes with your bunches to each of the bowls. This actually really helps keep your flowers looking fresher for longer.
Since I’m using a potted flower plant {which I also found in the flower section of my grocery store} in the center of my table and set up high on a pedestal vase, I chose to use two round vases and two square vases which I had saved from previous floral arrangements and stagger two on each side of the center pedestal creating a gradual stepped feel {see the final vases I used below}.
4. Opt for your largest flowers first. In my case, it’s the sunflowers, which are trendy right now {hello ’90s!} and have the perfect bright/dark contrast to mix with other colors for a summer to fall tablescape. Decide the height you need for each vase, cut your stems and place them around the edges of your vase.
I like to “lay” sunflowers a little bit rather than stand them up usually, and generally set about 3-4 in each vase, slanted so they’re resting along the edge but spread out equally from one another.
5. Beginning around the edges of the vase and working inward, the next flower I work with are the ones I have the MOST of. In this case, it was my purple carnations. Cut their stems and rest them along the edges in between each sunflower so the colors are staggered. You may have a few left, this is okay, you’ll use them in the top/center later.
6. If you have one or two really LARGE flowers or HERO flowers of sorts, you can use them right in the center. To help them stand up straight and tall, grab a Flower Pin Frog, cut your stem straight, and push it into the pins, then set it in the middle of your vase.
Snip apart the flowers that grow 5-6 to a stem, and place one or two into each arrangement for consistency until they’re gone.
7. Use any left-over flowers around your hero flower or in between the edge flowers until they’re gone.
8. Now grab your filler flowers, snip the stems, and use them to fill in any spaces in between flowers. Grab your prettiest leaves, and use them in the same way AND/OR if you want a bit of a romantic feeling, drape them over the edges on either side of your vase.
I generally don’t use the baby’s breath and pointed filler leaves but I save them until the end just in case I run out of everything else. I was safe here, so I tossed them into the garbage.
What I love is that each arrangement will be a little different but since you’re using the same flowers, the consistency of the look will shine thoughout.
With my potted plant centered and high up, I placed my second tallest vases and arrangements next to it and then my lowest next to that and rather than in a straight line, placed them a bit off center to create a waved look.
I used a few faux flowers in a matching deep purple hue and scattered them along the table in between the vases and below the pedestal to fill the space and added a few {battery operated} tiny candles in tea light holders so I wouldn’t have to worry about flames being too close to my flowers.
Tablescape setting…
I really wanted to create a dark background full of texture so my blues would take on a neutral feel while my flowers would POP – so I stopped by my local thrift shop where interior designers drop off great spools of unused fabrications and textiles and picked up this faux leather piece in a deep gray for $5 and it fit the table perfectly!
I lined the center with my faux wood placemats in “organized disarray” to add more neutral colors and textures while creating a starting point for my centerpiece.
Using white glossy square dishes with matte black plates layered on top added a muted contrast to the background while the blue napkins with summery beach prints and blue glassware gave it that late summer feel. I topped each plate with a small seashell to remind us that summer’s not over just yet and the flowers finished the look for the POP of color. I rested my salad forks at an angle atop my dinner fork to make sure the table remained casual.
To finish my casual but chic end of summer feel, I used my gray striped towels from my Summer Style Pinterest Board and draped them over the end chairs, grabbed a few nautical striped couch pillows to rest on the chairs against the windows, and used my blue and white pouf/ottomans as seating on the open side topped with more pillows for a little height and color.
I flanked the entire table with a few plants atop garden stools to complete the look. The money tree you see in the corner is generally centered on my dining room table when I don’t have a tablescape in the works.
Products Seen…
Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio wine bottle designed by Zac Posen
Rustic orb pendants / Lily Pad mirrored wall art x’s two side by side
Blue highball glasses / blue goblets are vintage / mixed print blue hued napkins / plates / DIY Leather Flower Coasters / geode agate coasters / faux wood placemats
Enjoy these last Summer Months Lovecats!
Don’t forget the little things that upgrade the everyday! They add up to big things over time!
* Find all my Ecco Domani posts here
* This post is brought to you by Ecco Domani. All opinions are my own.
