HOW-TO: Set a farmhouse table (from City Farmhouse Style by Kim Leggett)
Farm tables once desired for their sturdy work surfaces are now making their way into homes as a focal point of design for a dining room or kitchen. The humble style takes many forms, from original period antiques to newly crafted reclaimed pieces. Indicative of the farmhouse style of today, table settings are just as varied as the tables themselves and feature everything from fine china and silver to rustic staples, such as Mason jars. The only rule is to draw inspiration from collections that you love.
- Gather up mismatched plates from flea markets, or better yet, use family pass-downs. For special get-togethers, Rebecca (above) uses an antique Royal Doulton Mandarin pattern. Her father found the dishes piled on the floor in the backroom of a retail shop. He convinced the shopkeeper that the antique plates deserved a better life, so he brought them home to Rebecca.
- Think beyond the usual tablecloth or placemats. Consider using Turkish tea towels instead of placemats and fold the trendy cloth to allow the tassels to hang from the table.
- Skip tradition and favor the unexpected by mixing fancy and farmhouse. Don’t give a second thought to placing crystal marquis wineglasses right alongside simple Mason jars. Mix silver candlesticks and monogrammed napkins with a simple centerpiece bowl of wheatgrass and fresh pears (picked up at a local farmers’ market for less than ten dollars).
Come along on the hunt to coveted country sources and the best secret antiquing spots, and learn how to create country farmhouse style in your city dwelling. Author Kim Leggett is the creator of City Farmhouse, an interior design business, pop-up antiquing fairs, and vintage store. She is also a legendary “picker” and favorite designer to celebrity clients (and country-style mavens) including Meg Ryan, Ralph Lauren, Sheryl Crow, and Phillip Sweet and Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town. In City Farmhouse Style, Leggett offers great style advice, breaking down the design vocabulary that makes for fresh country style (no matter the setting).
The popularity of farmhouse style has designers, homeowners, and fans in search of inspiration to create this look in all its rural glory. City Farmhouse Style is the first design book of its kind to focus entirely on transforming urban interiors with unfussy, welcoming, country-style decor.
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Source: abramsbooks.com
