Step right up, old sport, to a tablescape that’s the bee’s knees! 🎉 This year, we’re toasting the 100th anniversary of The Great Gatsby—one of my all-time favorite books—and I couldn’t resist throwing a little West Egg sparkle into my latest setup for the Instagram tour. Picture this: shimmering gold, sassy pink (because who doesn’t love a nod to Daisy’s dreamy romance?), and a big ol’ splash of Jazz Age decadence, all inspired by Gatsby’s lavish parties and that idealized romance. I’ve poured my heart, soul, and a little Southern sass into every detail to bring the Roaring Twenties to life, with a nod to the glamour and drama that make this story so unforgettable. So, grab a glass of champagne (or your favorite beverage, we’re versatile!), and let’s toast to a table that’s as dazzling as Daisy’s smile—and twice as charming!
When my Instagram friend, Noelle at The High Heeled Hostess (y’all have to follow her @noellehighheeledhostess as well as the other tour stops: Alma @thetablescaper, Ritz @decorbyseason, and Joseph @gcdolceliving) asked if I’d be interested in participating in a Great Gatsby Tablescape Tour, I nearly tripped over my own feet saying yes. The Great Gatsby is my literary happy place. But then I took a peek at my stash… and, well, let’s just say my shelves weren’t exactly screaming “Jazz Age chic.” If I was gonna strut my stuff in this tour, I needed to rustle up some serious Roaring Twenties magic!
Find Your Inspiration…
I started spinning my wheels, thinking about the book’s symbolism to anchor this table. The green light? Maybe a green-and-peacock vibe. The eyes of T.J. Eckleburg? Nah, too spooky—save that for a Halloween creep-fest! Art Deco style? Gorgeous, but my cabinets were coming up empty. This was shaping up to be trickier than a two-step at a barn dance.
I popped on the Gatsby movie, hoping those wild party scenes would light a spark. They were dazzling, but nothing screamed “Bradley Acres.” I wanted to weave in my love for color and pattern—because, y’all, a table without pattern is like a biscuit without butter. I Googled “Art Deco tablecloth” (slim pickings) and then “Art Deco fabric” (jackpot!). I saved a few dreamy options and started pondering dishes. And then, like a plot twist in a novel, fate stepped in.
Cue the “Greatest Haul Ever” at an estate sale weekend! I stumbled across the perfect pattern for a Gatsby table—black and gold, Art Deco vibes, and pure pattern perfection. It practically begged to come home with me, and at a steal! Feast your eyes…
Now, I’m not one for haggling—that’s my husband’s sport. He was out there tossing numbers like a carnival barker, and the estate sale lady was firing back. I overheard a price that made my heart sing and hollered, “We’ll take it!” before he could barter us into next week.
And then—bless—she sweetened the deal with more Ginori: 6 cream soup bowls with saucers in Palermo Black, plus 2 salads and a bread & butter in Pompei Gold. I told my tablescaping crew that if they ever see me with every color of Ginori Oriente Italiano, I’ve either won the lottery or sold the rights to my story. For now, I’m over the moon with this haul!
Select a Color Palette…
Black, gold, and white were non-negotiables—pure Gatsby glam. But I needed a pop of color to make this table sing. First, I had to hunt down the perfect tablecloth to set the stage.
Make it All About the Patterns…
With my Ginori dishes rocking a small-scale Art Deco border—think trumpets, fans, and tiny flowers—I was in love. The estate sale listed it as Palmette Nero, and Google ID backed it up. But then I shared it in a Facebook group, and y’all, the plot thickened! Turns out, it’s not Palmette Nero but Ercolano Black. The patterns are twins—both with palmettes, tulips, and flowers—but Ercolano’s flowers show individual petals, while Palmette’s are solid. I had to channel my inner CSI to crack that case!
Here is the Palmette Nero design…
And here is the Encarlo Black design…
That meant my tablecloth needed a large- or medium-scale pattern to balance things out. I scoured the internet like a treasure hunter until I found a Spoonflower design that stopped me in my tracks. It was Art Deco perfection, bursting with color. Only catch? The Great Gatsby Tour was a few weeks away, and Spoonflower’s print-on-demand setup isn’t exactly Prime. Spoonflower is a Print on Demand service so the fabric isn’t printed until you order it. It isn’t like Amazon with same-day or two-day delivery.
I ordered it, crossed my fingers, and prayed to the tablescaping gods. Miraculously, it shipped early! I raced to the door when it arrived, slicing through the package like a kid at Christmas. But y’all… gasp. Not the good kind. They sent the wrong pattern! Instead of my golden fan-tastic dream with pops of purple, pink, and turquoise, I got a leafy berry mess in red, green, and blue on black. My heart sank faster than a bad Charleston.
I double-checked my order—yep, I picked the right one. With a week and a half to go, I emailed Spoonflower, begging for a rush on the correct fabric. Their response? A big fat “sorry, no can do.” I was crushed. In my publishing world, many companies bend over backward to fix their mistakes, but not this time. They refunded me and let me keep the wrong tablecloth (gee, thanks, but it’s not exactly my vibe).
Back to Google I went, dodging Spoonflower like a bad date. Finding an Art Deco tablecloth that could arrive in time was like chasing a green light across the bay. I finally landed on a solid option—less colorful than my dream design but a perfect match for the Ginori and I had pink elements that would work.
I decided to keep patterns to a minimum—shocking, I know! Just the tablecloth and china. Sometimes even a pattern addict like me knows when to quit.
Pick Your Stack…
The replacement fabric arrived quickly, thank goodness, and its pink tones screamed for those pink velvet placemats from Amazon. Art Deco and Gatsby are all about luxury, and velvet? That’s the bee’s knees, old sport!
Next, the Ginori. I had 5-piece place settings and was determined to use every single piece. I stacked the dinner and salad plates on the placemat like a proper Jazz Age host.
The bread-and-butter plate went top left of the stack. I’ve set a million tables, but I still Google the placement to avoid a tablescaping faux pas. Better safe than sorry!
Then I pulled out the Palermo Black cream soups and saucers. A Gatsby feast has to have all the courses—decadence is the name of the game!
Select the Linens…
For napkins, I had options but landed on crisp white ones monogrammed with a gold “B” from ThreadsandHoney on Etsy. That monogram was pure elegance, like something Daisy herself would approve.
Time for Glassware & Flatware…
Rewatching the Gatsby party scenes, I noticed champagne coupes stealing the show over flutes. My stepmom’s book club read The Widow Clicquot and learned coupes let champagne breathe, with bubbles that linger like a good story. Flutes? I hardly ever look at a flute now, lol.
I chose Revere coupes with pink stems from Glastonbury-Lotus, circa 1930s—close enough to Gatsby’s era to feel authentic. These weren’t an estate sale score, y’all! A family friend was downsizing for a move and dropped off several boxes of treasures for my table. Talk about a tablescaping fairy godmother!
To make the coupes pop, I added Noritake Perspective black glassware. Not exactly period-correct (1974-1983, oops), but they were too perfect to pass up, even if I paid close to eBay prices at that estate sale.
Premier Black by Libbey (circa 1997-1998, again not period-correct) found on eBay completed the glassware.
Bring on the flatware! And of course, I did! All the pieces, or at least all the pieces I have in my sets of Gorham Strasbourg and Birks Louis de France. We are talking dinner knife, salad knife, teaspoon, and cream soup spoon to the right (Do you know the trick of remembering spoon and knife to the right—spoon, knife, and right all have 5 letters).
Then to the left, seafood fork, salad fork, and dinner fork (4 letters in left and fork).
Above the plate: dessert spoon and fork.
Butter knife on the bread-and-butter plate. Sorry no mnemonic device for those!
Centerpiece Magic…
Amazon’s one-day delivery saved my bacon, y’all! With the tablecloth fiasco eating up time, I was cutting it close, but everything arrived just in the nick.
Those Gatsby party scenes had me obsessed with feathers—glorious, colorful, and oh-so-fun. I went with pink and black to stick to my palette. They weren’t as grand as the movie’s, but for my dining room, they were pure magic!
Light pink flowers came straight from my stash.
Trumpet vases brought the drama and height, though assembling them tested my patience worse than a Georgia summer.
Shorter silver trumpet vases added variety.
The Imperial Glass Dolphin/Koi fish candlesticks, tucked away on my shelf for ages, finally got their moment to shine. These crystal keepsakes, handed down from Grandmother E.R. (Elizabeth Rice), brought more sparkle. Topped with pink candles, they gave off just the right flicker for a cozy dinner glow.
The star of the show? A Ginori Ercolano tureen perched on a pedestal bowl ($1 estate sale find that was in rough shape) I sprayed it black and zhuzhed it up with gold rub n’ buff. Talk about a glow-up!
All these elements came together for a centerpiece that’s pure drama—worthy of Gatsby’s wildest soirees.
The Final Touches…
Once that tablecloth arrived, this table came together quicker than whispers at a Gatsby soirée. Time for the checklist!
♥ Height variation? Check! More ups and downs than a Fitzgerald novel!
♥ Colors balanced? Check! A palette as tight as a flapper’s dress!
♥ Inviting and functional? Check! This table’s ready for a party from page one to the last!
♥ Something unexpected? You bet! This isn’t my usual vibe, so that’s surprise enough!
Capture the Look…
This table’s been up for days—highly unusual since I’m usually tearing down for the next one the second the camera clicks. I’m head-over-heels for this setup (might even do another Art Deco table soon!), and I hope y’all are just as smitten. Here’s to a table that’s the bee’s knees and then some!
From My Table to Yours,
Melissa
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