Oh, y’all, I’ve been itching to dust off my Indies Blue by Johnson Brothers pattern ever since I nearly dragged it out for my “Vibrant Lime Twist Table” (and yes, that lime twist was a wild ride—check it out if you dare!). That table had my husband muttering about my “pattern obsession” again, but this time, an Easter table dripping in Chinoiserie was the perfect excuse to let my inner magpie shine. Picture me twirling through my dining room, cackling like a fairy-tale villain with a treasure chest of plates—my pattern hoarder heart was doing a happy dance, and there was no stopping me!
Let’s cozy up and chat about Chinoiserie—it’s basically my soulmate in design! It’s all about mimicking those swoon-worthy Chinese motifs, straight from the fancy French word “chinois” for Chinese (ooh la la, right?). It strutted onto the scene in the mid-1900s and, bless its heart, it’s never fully packed its bags. Sure, it ebbs and flows, but who could resist its fabulousness? Not this girl—I’m hooked, and I’m dragging you along for the ride!
Chinoiserie’s charm lies in its timeless blue-and-white dance, feeling both exotic and homey. This Easter table was my chance to flaunt it, turning my dining room into a Chinoiserie wonderland!
Find Your Inspiration…
This table was my blue-and-white Chinoiserie playground, a canvas for my wildest dreams! My earliest social media posts show a parade of blue-and-white tables, usually anchored by my trusty Blue Willow by Churchill. I still adore that classic like an old friend, but now I’ve got a posse of variations!
My inspiration often strikes like lightning—sometimes it’s a plate like La Lapin with its leaping rabbit, (those green-and-blue hues still make my heart skip!). For this table, Indies Blue called my name, whispering Easter magic. I wanted to blend that nostalgia with a fresh twist, creating a Chinoiserie haven that even Cinderella would envy!
Select a Color Palette…
I decided to go full classic and stick with that dreamy blue-and-white combo—no other colors crashing the party, just the perfect marriage of the two! I dove into my stash and started hauling out every blue-and-white Chinoiserie piece I own, and honey, let me tell you, I’ve got a ridiculous mountain of it—enough to make my husband groan and my dining room groan louder!
Make it All About the Patterns…
First up… the darling Indies Blue… I was determined to use this pattern, a diva with its central focal pattern and border repeat—pure genius! I dubbed it my medium-scale star and hunted for smaller and larger patterns to play nice.
I schlepped that plate to my tablecloth closet—a chaotic wonderland with a lot of blue options—and unearthed a blue-and-white floral block print from Dillard’s. That print? You might’ve seen it on the Lime Twist table. I had used the napkins in this print. I don’t have very many patterns in both the napkins and tablecloth, but I snagged both because classics don’t quit!
Here is a link (no affiliate) to the tablecloth, but sadly the napkins are no longer available.
For the large-scale boss, I pulled out my trusty buffalo print napkins. If you need a large-scale go-to, here is a link to the napkins from Amazon, but blue isn’t available. Here is another set in blue, but the scale isn’t as big.
When I go Chinoiserie, I go all out—pattern explosion with three varied sizes as my foundation, a Rule of 3 secret weapon. The rest? The cherry on my crazy cake, a testament to my love for layering chaos into beauty!
Pick Your Stack…
Indies Blue was my muse, so I built my stack around it like a fairy-tale castle. First, I grabbed Mottahedeh Blue Lace chargers—blue to frame the tablecloth and plate (and their white background).
Eh, not yet! I added in Kim Seybert bamboo placemats—better, but still not “me” enough.
Then I topped the stack off with Meakin Willow Blue octagonal plates to keep the Chinoiserie train chugging.
But wait—I needed more theme! Out went Blue Lace for Churchill Blue Willow chargers (aka “chop plates” or “service plates” or “round platter”—use all search terms when you’re on the hunt!). Fun fact: they come in 12 7/8” and 12 1/2” sizes—mine’s a mishmash, but that 3/8-inch difference only bugs me when shelf stacking!
PIVOT! PIVOT! PIVOT!…
(Yes, I know I’ve used that Friends reference before, but it’s my favorite episode!) I hauled my loot upstairs to dress the table, but halfway through, I muttered, “Nope, this ain’t it, honey!”
I tinkered a bit—tossed in a table runner and swapped out the napkins—but I was still grumbling under my breath. It was an improvement, sure, but something was missing, like a punchline without the laugh!
Well, what it actually lacked was a third color. Okay, so there’s a reason for the Rule of 3, even when I don’t want to follow rules. Lol. So let’s push rewind.
Select a Color Palette…
Since I’d just shared my Color Theory post, I figured it was time to play with orange or peach and lean into that complementary color relationship—oh, the possibilities! But here’s the catch: complementary colors bring a boatload of contrast, which is their whole gig, and I wasn’t in the mood for a shouting match. For this Easter table, I craved harmony—soft, cozy hugs over loud debates, a vibe that whispers spring instead of yelling it. That’s when I flipped the script from my Color Theory 101. Sometimes I roll like that!
Enter my latest treasure hunt find: these fabulous velvet placemats from Amazon! I’d scoured Etsy first, but the prices had me clutching my pearls, so I ordered these to test the waters. Now? I’m plotting to snag them in every color—watch out, husband, the credit card’s in danger! When I layered that placemat over the tablecloth, magic happened—that pink with its blue undertone wove everything together like a Southern quilt, turning contrast into harmony.
Back to the drawing board, I decided this was it: a steal versus Etsy’s extravagance, perfect for a pastel Easter glow. Harmony won my heart, and this new color palette was born!
Make it All About the Patterns…
No pattern tweaks—I stuck with my trio of scales and just spinkled in solid pinks for “negative space” for balance and balance is my jam. This table proved it!
Pick Your Stack…
That luscious velvet placemat kicked off my stack—hello, luxury. The Churchill Blue Willow charger stayed and look at that ruffle framing it. Ahhhhhh!!
Indies Blue dinner plate still shining and popping because the charger is providing contrast.
I couldn’t resist sneaking pink into my stack, so I grabbed these adorable pink bamboo salad plates—total charmers! They’re melamine, but I’m all for mixing that with china when they’re this spot-on-perfect. I’ve got them in natural bamboo and blue too, and I’m obsessed! Use the affiliate link to snag these beauties by Two’s Company—go wild, and if you style them on your table, tag me @BradleyAcresDesign so I can swoon over your setup!
Topped with Meakin Willow Blue—now we’re talking!
Much better, right? I admired my masterpiece, feeling like a painter with dishes!
Select the Linens…
I kicked off with my trusty buffalo check napkins, but when I tossed in that table runner, I couldn’t resist swapping them for these fabulous monogrammed beauties from Fancy Nancy (hunt her down on Facebook—she’s a gem!). You’ll notice I hardly ever repeat the same pattern twice—nothing wrong with matching napkins to the tablecloth, mind you, but I see it as my chance to unleash every pattern in my arsenal for a little fabric fiesta!
I raided my napkin closet (take the tour if you haven’t peeked at my dish room chaos yet!) hunting for pink napkin rings, bypassing a sea of blue-and-white options because pink was calling my name. Surprisingly, nothing in the right shade—until I remembered these estate sale finds I’d snagged recently, begging for a fresh paint job to save the day!
And I just happened to have spray paint in the perfect shade of pink.
Isn’t it just fabulous?
Time for Glassware & Flatware…
These new-to-me cobalt glasses were already on the table. Yes, found at an estate sale. Google ID was of no help. Replacements has an identical glass but different color and it’s just an unknown manufacturer. Regardless, I love them. If you can’t find any at estate sales check eBay. I’ve seen lots of cobalt sets there.
The addition of pink called for these Godinger Twill glasses that were a gift from a FB friend. I love the texture and the pink had just the perfect blue undertones.
Because this table was all about pretty and harmony, I pulled out my trusty Birks Louis de France, remember it’s the Gorham Strasbourg twin in silverplate.
Centerpiece Magic…
My Easter bin had a couple of small blue-and-white bunnies and a Mikasa egg in blue and white that were perfect. Then when this table was just a thought in my brain my favorite local consignment shop posted a pic of an assortment of blue and white bunnies. Of course I had to go check them out. There were only a few left but this beauty was one of them and he was perfect!!! And bonus, he was on sale! Do you have a consignment shop in your area? I’d love to know any great ones we can check out in our travels!
The bunny was tall at almost 16 inches. I needed something shorter, and these mini vases from Amazon were not only chinoiserie but half the height of the bunny.
They would be perfect for the white carnations I had picked up at Kroger and some light pink ranunculus from my permanent botanical stash. I added vintage jade from my yard for a filler.
I had also decided to use my tabletop lamps with blue and white shades from my stash but when I switched to pink, I decided to make new shades. Luckily I had the perfect paper in pink and blue. So pretty!
I also had decoupaged eggs from last year and wanted to showcase them in some cobalt cordial glasses (hand-blown in Murano and fabulous) and decided to sprinkle them throughout the centerpiece. Then I decided I need more eggs.
Centerpiece magic achieved!
The Final Touches…
♥ Do I need height variation? Check—bunnies, vases, lamps!
♥ Are the colors balanced? Check—blue, white, pink thrice, Rule of 3!
♥ Is it inviting and functional for guests? Hmmm… okay, let’s think about my Easter menu. See, I do think about food, just at the end. I needed something for bread, so I decided to use my pink cabbage fruit bowls for a bread “plate”. I also added my Mottahedeh pot de cremes because I was serving a lemon custard and could make individual ones served in these for a special touch.
♥ Is there something unexpected? Check—pattern overload, my twist!
Capture the Look…
This final look ditched my blue-and-white dream for a pink-infused masterpiece that blows it away! I’m tickled pink (pun intended), and I hope you are too—let’s make Easter magic together!
From My Table to Yours,
Melissa
