When I start planning the decor for any dinner or party, I always begin by finding my color inspiration. The obvious place to start was red or pink for Valentine’s, but I wanted to do something a little different. I found this orchid picture that felt very romantic with shades of purple, plum and pink. Inspiration hit! I am not using orchids in my tablescape, your inspiration does not always have to be literal. It was the combination of colors that was inspiring.

I chose a dark grey as my neutral; plum, purple, with accents of blush pink and gold as my anchor. Now that I had my inspiration, it was time to plan the tablescape.

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Decor

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THE DISHWARE:

I always begin my tablescape by incorporating as many of my existing dishes as I can. As I say in all my Entertaining with Style articles, start with some basic white or black dishes and you can purchase a few additional pieces each time you host. You will be surprised how quickly you will have a collection of dishes, flatware, serving pieces and decor that you can incorporate and use with a variety of parties and themes.

This year, I added this beautiful white dish with gold trim that looks like a flower. It was the first piece I chose to add and I built the table from there. I also purchased a new set of gold flatware. I have been coveting these for a while now. I finally splurged and add these to my collection.

The other pieces I am using I already own. I am using my basic black dinner dishes (no longer available at CB2, but these are a nice substitute) and beaded gold chargers .

Here is the final place settings for my table. I decided to distinguish the hosts’ seats, at the the ends of the table, by using a blush color accent for my DIY menus. I used a grey damask for the other four seats.

THE GLASSWARE:

The only thing I love more than making a delicious cocktail is shopping for the beautiful glassware to serve it in. I was in need of some replacement glasses actually. Part of hosting a party with alcohol, is you will eventually loose a glass or two from  your collections at each party. It was time for me to replace a set of martini glasses and I have never owned stemless wine glasses. I purchased these two FABULOUS glasses. The Bennett Martini glass which is a fabulous smoky grey and with an amazing price tag! I, of course, have been obsessed with gold accents these last few parties, so I went for a stemless wine glass with gold rim details.

I just recently replaced my everyday water glasses (gift to myself for Christmas) with the bea cooler at CB2. I decided to put those to use for this party since they are a grey rather than my clear water glass option.

DIY MENU & PARTY FAVOR:

It is traditional to give your loved ones a box of chocolates on Valentine’s day. So, I decided to make my party favors a decadent chocolate bar. I also decided this would be a great opportunity to add some pattern and color to my table. As you can see, I wrapped the bar in a damask grey paper from my local craft store. To add a bit of elegance, I did some gold foil printing of the menu to wrap around the paper. I will be posting my DIY later this week with all the details on how to do your own gold foil menu at home. You can also use a regular printer, with black or color ink and create the same feel, but for my table, the gold foil was a beautiful finishing touch.

THE CENTERPIECE:

I always prefer to use fresh flowers for my centerpiece. This was also the perfect opportunity to bring a “Valentine’s” feel to the table by using roses and incorporating my accents of blush pink. I did a beautiful dome-shaped arrangement with pink roses, inspired by ideas from the gooseberry hill florist. I actually used this terrarium from West Elm as my vase.

THE TABLE DETAILS:

Even though this is a dinner that includes married friends and single friends, it’s still a romantic holiday. I wanted to include ambient lighting with tea lights and of course, two tapered candles a la Lady and the Tramp romance style. I chose grey taper candles to use with my Bronn gold holders I already own.

I purchased these amazing tea light holders that I am certain I will be able to use for a variety of parties. They are classic and sophisticated, but simple and create an easy elegance, for an easy price tag.

I also wanted to bring some additional fresh flowers to the table. So I decided to do two small accent arrangements of deep plum colored lilies in a basic clear vase. I love the smell of fresh flowers. Anytime I am hosting I like to activate as many senses as possible. Dining at a table with fresh flowers always puts everyone in a fabulous mood.

The last touch was to work in some gold accents to the center of the table. Well, what goes better with Valentine’s than chocolate. I found these Hershey Kisses Deluxe in a gold wrapper. I put them in two coordinating candy bowls at each end of the table, finishing off the details of the center of the table.

THE DETAILS:

Now usually I print art and decorate the surroundings more than just the table when I am hosting a large party. However, this is a small dinner party for six, so I decided to keep the decor simple and let the table speak volumes in creating the ambiance. Anthony’s home is decorated beautifully, though I am a bit bias as I was his interior designer, but it is very masculine. This holiday itself tends to lend itself to feminine touches, so the only added decor I did was this fun LOVE marquee. I happen to walk by it at Micheal’s while shopping for paper and decided it would add just a little bit of a feminine touch. It’s industrial looking which works with Anthony’s industrial modern decor, but it still adds a feminine touch and additional ambient lighting.

THE RESULT:

The final table will be a fabulous and an unexpected tablescape of plums, blush pink and gold, that creates romance, drama and hopefully an evening where my close friends, who I love, will enjoy a delicious meal and evening of love and laughter together.

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Hopefully, this table scape will inspire your Valentine’s Dinner decor ideas. Check back for more inspiration as I reveal the menu and the platters I will be using for serving this fabulous meal.

What are your plans for Valentine’s? Have you decided to host your own romantic dinner? If so, share your ideas and photos with us. I love being inspired by others, just as much as I enjoy inspiring our readers with my ideas. If you are sharing on your social media, be sure to tag #livingadesignedlife so we can see your ideas!