Buffet "tablescape" ideas??!
We're planning a holiday cocktail party where the food will likely be served buffet style. How do I decorate the center island buffet?
Thanks for the ideas.
mari
Answers: Anytime I serve dinner buffet style, I just sort of set out the food on platters on the center island in our kitchen. It looks awfully dull and boring. I'd like to jazz it up by putting the food at various heights with different things like flowers and candles in between. I just don't know how to do it. I tried putting some small boxes/canisters at various locations on the island and then covering the whole thing with a tablecloths and it just looked dumb.
We're planning a holiday cocktail party where the food will likely be served buffet style. How do I decorate the center island buffet?
Thanks for the ideas.
mari
Try using books instead of boxes, like large text books. Lay one table cloth over the counter or table. Then set a few books in the middle at different heights and cover with another table cloth. But not flat across, kind of bunch up the cloth around the bottom of the books. This is the way I present my hor'dourves. Check out Sandri Lee's semi homemade for some amazing tips on tablescapes.
We have an island in our kitchen and we go through the same problem. Try finding tiered serving dishes. The look amazing with finger foods and little desserts. Another thing we do is use all shapes and different sizes for the plates and serving plates. It gives it a puzzled look. Some other ideas could be to use mirrors, glass beads, glitter, shaped confetti, and candles to fill the spaces. We even use fake foliage, the vine looking ones so it can be twisted and ect. Around autumn we use lighted leaves to just give it a fall look. Or use holly or ivy to give it a wintery look. Good luck.
Do what you do... boxes or books covered with a cloth...but use a main color cloth (like red) and then get a fabric that is more gauzy with a pattern on it (like plaid or flowers) and drape that around the table (not over all of it, but drape it so it goes over part of the table. Then go to your art supply store and get fake green leaves and flowers that go with your theme and put those in the spaces between tall and shorter areas.
I would really caution you on candles. They can be pretty, but be sure to buy UNSCENTED candles... because a scented candle around food will just ruin the taste....