A Timeless Table

Creating an extraordinary Easter table is easy with a few unique treasures. Get some tips from an entertaining pro and a master of the art of table setting.

“Décor and menu are one in the same,” says Jacqueline deMontravel, who wrote the new book The Vintage Table: Beloved Treasures and Stand-Out Settings with the editors of Romantic Homes magazine. “The food and the way it’s presented are inseparable, so thought must go into the selection of both.

“A menu is dictated by what is fresh and available,” says deMontravel, referring to the bounty of sweet snap peas, delicate asparagus, tender greens, and early strawberries that are staples for spring holiday meals. “Choose those pieces that complement these seasonal offerings or use neutral white dinnerware punched up with accessories, like great floral centerpieces or beautifully assembled Easter baskets, which add intrigue.”

Intrigue matters and is reason enough to expend a little energy. It’s also why Easter evokes great memories for deMontravel, in part because her mother was “a great celebrator.” “She would go to the best bakeries and be enticed by the holiday offerings. I remember one cake that was in the shape of a baby lamb, with coconut shavings for fur. I couldn’t believe that our guests would actually eat the lamb!” deMontravel says.

deMontravel and her sister were—and still are—given Easter baskets each year. “But not the kind with plastic eggs and shiny grass,” she explains. Instead, she describes beautiful chocolates flanked by little gifts such as a silver keepsake box or a small picture frame. The point is to tastefully pass on the cliché of the season and focus on the timeless beauty of the holiday.

Unfortunately, Easter items offered at many stores are just plain tacky. It’s not that plastic eggs don’t have their place, but hopefully they remain in the garden for children to find during an egg hunt. At Easter, as with all holidays, deMontravel advises entertainers to be careful not to fall prey to those seductive displays of disposable trinkets and Technicolor accessories that will just add to our landfills. These destined-for-the-garbage items are simply uninspiring.

“What is inspiring is setting the table with those pieces you love,” says deMontravel. “Special objects become seasonal when paired with tasteful items, such as filling a favorite glass bowl with Easter eggs colored by your children. German chocolates displayed on a vintage dish are delicious eye candy.”

She suggests checking out garage sales, antique shops, and your family attic for wares. “Anything vintage and one-of-a-kind is what distinguishes a table from no other. For example, a row of silver mint julep cups lined up in the middle of the table is a striking display of beauty and originality.”

If you’re short on these kinds of treasures, don’t despair because old and new mix beautifully. deMontravel suggests using mismatched place settings. Or enlist items you already have and use them differently, such as cutting up an interesting clothing item you seldom wear and using it for napkins or bringing garden elements like urns or outdoor planters into the tablescape.

An appropriate color palette goes a long way toward setting the right tone. “The spring setting is dictated by what’s happening in nature: fresh blooms, the creamy pastels of painted eggs, the soft colors of a new spring dress. All work perfectly for the Easter table,” she says.

— Michele Deppe

Sweet Gestures

Hostess gifts and little presents nestled by each table setting are special. But what to give?

Choose eggs: “I am always a fan of the beauty and simplicity of an egg,” says Jacqueline deMontravel. “Boil a dozen, draw on them with markers, and decorate the box with vintage ribbon.”
Chocolate, of course: “Gather some unwanted teacups and fill them with chocolates in pastel wrapping.”
Celebrate spring: “Seed packets in mini galvanized buckets are thoughtful reminders of the season.”