I like the idea of brining in some of the colors from the picture above. It could be napkins coming out from under the tray, flowers, or a table runner.
Beautiful tea set and table, great start!

I think a hurricane sconce would look nice (maybe silver & glass) hung on the left side of your artwork...I love the soft colors in the print & the framing of that pc.

Your new gift is beautiful! I agree that adding a little color, as mary ruth suggested, would be perfect! TFS! Jeanne S.

I like the idea of a matching set of tall chrystal or silver hurricane or combination holders with candles in a color pulled from the artwork above. :)
Other than that, while I like the one you have now maybe put a larger "placemat" under it in a pink,blue or light green shade pulled from the artwork as well just to add a bit more color covering up some of the white of the tabletop and leaving more emphasis on the pieces themselves.

If it were me, I would hate to cover the marble on the table so I'd probably put a pretty napkin underneath the creamer and maybe a modest bunch of flowers in a tall, narrow vase at the back. English roses or peonies are made for this...something with lots of petals. If you have a small book to lay at the side on the left, that would be cute. Open with pages up or down, like someone was just reading.

I hate to say this, but it may be that the service is just too large for the table to make an elaborate vignette. If you'd like to add sculptures, candles, or any larger items it would be better on a table with more surface area to work with.

It is just beautiful and will look wonderful in any setting.

Hope Judith doesn't mind, but I remembered her having one with a silver set, and luckily I still had it saved.

I have a feeling she probably has more than this one, but this is the only one I have.

Here is JUDITH'S

Thank you ladies for the suggestions!

Mary Ruth, I would definitely like to bring in some of the pink that's in the print. It's sort of hard to see it in my photo, but there is definitely pink in it. I do have some pink napkins, so I'm going to pull one out and see how that looks.

Jeanne, thank you! I hadn't thought about a hurricane sconce, but I bet that would be pretty. So, you don't think I need one on both sides of the picture?

Milosmom, I do have a couple of small crystal candleholders that might fit. I'll go pull them out tomorrow and try them.

Alex, I agree with you. I don't mind covering a bit of the marble, but I do want some of it to show. I love the look of peonies, so I'm going to be on the lookout for some silk ones that look realistic. I have a black thumb when it comes to gardening, so fresh flowers are usually out of the question for me. You're right...an large elaborate vignette is out of the question as the table just isn't large enough. It does need something though and these have been some great ideas.

Yachter, thank you so much for reposting Judith's photo. Hopefully she won't mind. It really helped me alot even though my table doesn't look to be nearly as large as hers. I love how the plates are arranged behind the tea set. Just gorgeous!

Wow, I have DM Tea Service and I love the picture of Judiths that Yachter posted. With all the advise here I may have to bring it out and use it for my Valentines Table. I don't think mine is an expensive set but I do need to wipe it off with something as it has darkened. Is this normal? Don't want to take away from Dreams post but if anyone can help TIA.

I hope you figure out what you want to add to yours.

Punk

Dream, that is a beautiful set, how wonderful that your family got it for you. You are getting some great suggestions here, so hopefully you can just play with it a bit and add some color and texture. Be sure to show us the finished vignette, okay? Luvs

I may be way off base, but I think the painting needs to be a bit lower. I think it was Judith too who once posted a lovely painting that she'd put a swag over the top of the frame. I had thought it was really beautiful that way.

All the other ideas are really good ones and I look forward to seeing what you do. (that table looks a lot like mine from my late grandmother!)

hugs, Karen

I'm with Karen. Lower the picture a bit. I think it will make it more a part of the whole grouping.

This is a lovely service, but what if you showed it off as just a coffee or just a tea set. Take away one large piece, and you will have room for a couple of cups and napkins. You would have lots of color, texture and pattern options to play with then.

I too would suggest lowering the picture. If that would mean a visible hole in the wall, you might see if you could get a decorative ribbon to appear to hang the picture by, but really it would be just covering the hole.

I love the doily you have under the tray, but it seems a bit too delicate. It somehow seems unfairly squished between a heavy coffee service and marble top table. Do you have anything with a bit more body?

That is beautiful, you are very lucky to have such a thoughtful family. I love the table and picture, I'm a big Victorian fan too, even though I have thinned mine out since we moved to our more modern home. I think a tall candlebra in the back and to one side would help fill in and then maybe a large fan opened and displayed against the wall and maybe some roses tucked in some colored napkins or hankies. I also like long narrow table runners on these type tables(they leave the front visable). I know what ever you do will be wonderful. Oh don't forget to add one of those darling postcards you make, a tea invitation.
Syble

I agree with Karen about lowering the picture. I also think Mary Ruth's idea fo adding a napkin or two and some flowers would help anchor the silver set (which is gorgeous, BTW!!). Alex's idea of adding a small book is great, if you have the room.
Lynn

This is why I love, love, love ya'll! I never noticed the picture was too high until it was pointed out to me. I don't want to move it until I decide for sure how I'm going to do the table, but it will definitely be lowered.

I played around with several things today and took lots of photos. Some things I liked, some I didn't. I keep coming back looking at Judith's vignette, which I just love, so I used some of her elements for the table.

Here's some of the photos I took. Please tell me what you think...should any of it stay? Or start over from scratch?

First photo just for excessfroufrou...I thought the idea of making an invitation was fantastic! So I took one of my vintage prints and made an invitation for tea. The print that I used is very similar in feel to the picture hanging on the wall. I'm not sure if you can read it as the photo isn't the best, but it says "You are cordially invited to an afternoon tea..."

This was my first attempt using a mottled pink candle and three plates a la Judith. I also tucked a pink/white napkin under the creamer and pot. This was while I was working on the invitation, so it wasn't on the table yet and I moved the cup/saucer.

I didn't like the look of the mottled pink candle, so I swapped it out for a green one. I had finished the tea invitation, so it's on the table.

Still wasn't too sure about the green candle, so I changed it for another pink one.

I removed one of the plates and added a figurine instead.

Then I moved her up on a pedestal. The candleholder that I used is the tallest one that I have. Right now it's black and gold, but I could paint it if I needed to. Or would another candleholder, maybe crystal, look better?

I'm not loving the flowers I have and will look for some different ones when I go shopping. I had added in some peacock feathers in this photo, but I wasn't thrilled with how they looked. I quickly took them out.

As of right now, this is how it looks since I had to stop and cook dinner. I'm open to all suggestions. Is there too much on the table? What would you take off?

And if you're still with me after all of this...how far should I lower the picture when I get to it?

Hmm..
Being the new kid , I don't feel right judging and maybe the more expert eyes can help better than I can but the statue seems to be adding to much to me in a competing with the one in the art & the ones in the invitation kind of way.
That aside, I love! it (without feathers..lol).

If you decide to leave it all as is, with the height of the plate and the candlestick I don't think I would move the art at all.

I think it's looking really good but I would like to see your figurine moved over between the large plate and candle. If it looks terrible, please don't post a picture.LOL Maybe try her on the other side of the candle also. Look at your first picture and then the ones after. Just brings a big smile to ones face. You go girl!

Punk

Now you have the height on the table, the picture seems fine where it is. I love what you've done in "loading" the table ala Judith! I favor the photo (the kind of dark one) where the lady figurine replaces a plate, but she is NOT raised as in the later photo. I really like the pink candle and pale pink roses. I am finding that lovely cup in the middle of the silver service distracting tho. I'd go for no cup. Or if you want the cup, go back up to your 2nd pix where its in front of the 3 plates and leave the lady out. Or try her in the middle of the silver set..? Or try your gorgeous framed invitation there?
But I think you are creating one beautiful vignette and love all your ideas! Don't start over from scratch!!

hugs, Karen

WOW! What a change! You are doing beautifully! My "2 cents"...love the figurine, the plates & especially LOVE the addition of the framed invitation...like Karen, I would try that in place of the cup. But we all have different tastes...so whatever works for YOU is most important! I love your tea set! TFS! Jeanne S.

I agree that you have added enough height that now you don't need to lower the picture.

I tend to be a fairly literal minded person. You have an invitation to tea, but only one teacup. The invite makes it seem social, but the single cup makes it seem like a time for personal reflection. Additionally, you have the flowers in the tea pot; you are set up for coffee not tea. I know I lean far more toward practicalitly than these sorts of vignettes are generally intended.

This has been fun to watch. I have a tea/coffee set of my mother-in-laws and it's just sort of plunked down on a cart. Now that I've had this little "class" on creating a tea set vignette, I'm going to have to upgrade my space. Yours looks great.
Thanks!

You go girl, the invitation is just precious. Working from the last pic, I think the picture height is fine, the figurine really ties in with the print, and of course nothing needs to be removed, Victorian is all about excess. Here are some more maybe ideas, since you took out the feathers, you might add some wispy ferns or greenery to the flowers and I like the cup but I think a cup and saucer with some of the darker green would look good. I use a lot of pink and I find that mixing in greenery really helps ground it so it doesn't look so little girlish. Your whole setting is just lovely, really inspires me to put something together for Valentines. Thanks for letting us add our two cents.
Syble

I pretty much always prefer a simple tablescape over a busy one, so here's mine with that thought in mind.
I like the green candle over the pink because I think it balances the green in the plates so wonderfully. I'd go with two plates instead of three and no figurine or feathers. To my eye, it's looking too crowded with all you have there. I like the napkin and the addition of pink flowers. I also agree with Duckie that a cup and saucer, rather than a coffee mug, would be ideal. And last of all, I love, love, love your silver tea set!
Lynn

Thank you everyone for the suggestions! I want to work on it a bit more using some of your suggestions and see what I come up with, but it will probably have to wait until tomorrow.

Tonight is the big game! Alabama vs. Texas and I've been trying to get everything ready for a pre-game party tonight.

The bowl game!!! I'm glad you mentioned it, as DH wants a dinner we can eat while we watch the game tonight and I'd forgotten all about it. Thanks for the reminder, DG!
Lynn

I couldn't be so lucky as to forget about it Lynn. That's all my husband has talked about for days!

Mine too! We're have soup and sandwiches.

Me too, OA! I've just finished making some chicken noodle soup. I'll do some grilled ham, cheese & green chile sandwiches to go with it. I don't get into these bowl games too much unless OU is playing, but I like to sit with DH & DD and enjoy the ambiance.
Oh gosh, DG, I'm sorry about going on about football in the middle of your decorating thread :~(
Lynn

I keep looking at the pictures and reading all the fun ideas, and I'm so glad you started this thread. Its interesting, and for some of us a "learning experience" too. I'm tempted to play with my marble table and get ideas from our gang here soon. Taking Xmas decor down
the last few days and am almost done!
I do like that green candle picking up the green in the plates...so wondered about using it, and removing the pink roses. But then laying a single pink rose by the framed invitation ON the tray?
Did you notice in the photo I liked best with the lady in front of the plates, she almost looked like she was painted ON the large plate. All of it is just so pretty.
I love the excess of Victorian decor and vintage/antique things.

I'm watching the game this evening too, along with DH and my Dad. I was born in Ala, and all my relatives were there. My youngest son, Jason (37) is a rabid fan of the Crimson Tide and he's actually there AT the game. He's so excited he gets to see Ala play in person for the first time!

hugs, Karen

I like the last one, but instead of the bunch of roses in the pitcher, why not just a single rose placed on the saucer next to the cup and (minus the feathers).

The height of the lady statue balances the height of the candle on other side, but I think the feahters & flowers in the pitcher make it too crowded, only because it is a small table.

Woohoo! Finally got all my Christmas decorations packed away!

While I was taking a break yesterday from packing up stuff, I played around with this table a bit. I really would love to have a lamp on this table, so I brought in this one that was originally my grandmother's. I removed one of the plates and the figurine to be able to fit it on the table.

I'm on the hunt for a different demitasse cup/saucer to use that has more of the green in it. Even though the blue in the invitation ties in with the blue in the print, I may change it out if I can find a print that I like with more of the green in it too.

I meant to try the suggestion of removing the roses and just placing one on the try, but forgot to do it before taking these photos.

So what do ya'll think about it with the lamp?

Now, another question...across the room is my buffett. Since I took the village down, I haven't really gotten around to putting anything back on it yet. This is the lamp that ususally sits on it.

It's totally different from the one I put on the tea table. If I decide to leave the green lamp on the table, would it look horrible to have these two very different lamps in the room? What do you think?

I really really love it the way it is now (without the roses probably).
The lamp added just the right amount in height and fits in very well I think.
Love your buffet as well but I would probably take the lamp on it away since they are so different in styles.

DG, do you have more silver you could tie in w/what is on the table? Maybe a tray to lean up against the back, along with other pieces~candy dish, candle sticks, etc.?

I would definitely use a scarf on the top of the buffet since there's more space than was on the table.

IMO, if you like the lamp, leave it. I believe in mixing styles up a bit. ;o)

The two lamps may be of different style, but I think they seem to be from the same era, and so work. Additionally, the buffet lamp seems to co-ordinate well with the invitation frame and the large picture on the wall. A touch more silver, pink, green, and/or roses and you will be fine.

It looks good but I miss the girl. I have my silver set polished and I will be using it for something in the near future. Will post when I do.

Punk

Beautiful lamp, and family heirloom. I also really like the one on your buffet. Tho like Punk, I miss the girl figurine. Wonder how she'd look in place of the cup on the tray, and still try just a single rose on there? Leave the invitation where it is by the lamp. Otherwise, she and the other plates you had might look wonderful on the buffet in a vignette to carry the theme on over.

hugs, Karen (who's really enjoying all your stuff)

Hi everyone! I've been busy the past few days trying to get some housecleaning done, but I needed a break, so I decided to play awhile.

This is how the tea table has ended up for now. I removed the roses and the cup. In place of the cup, I put a small picture of 2 little girls having a tea party with their dolls.

So, what do all of you think of how it looks now?

Then I tried to carry this over to the buffet as Karen suggested. I'm still in the playing around stage with it. Since I have both silver and gold on the tea table, I wanted to do the same on the buffet. Guess where the roses ended up! I'm going to probably take them out though and do something different in the epergne.

The print that sits on the buffet is one of my favorites that I own. It's a 1920's calendar print titled "Garden of Golden Dreams" and is by the artist L Goddard.

The buffet is on the other side of the dining table from where the tea table sits. I pulled out two more lamps to try on the buffet...opinions on them please. Would either of them work better than the first lamp I tried?

The lady figurine makes another appearance, this time on the buffet. I also put my free, as in I love free stuff!!, carafe on the buffet. Pay no attention to how badly my epergne needs to be polished!

This first lamp has cranberry shades and it makes the room have a really rosy glow at night when I turn it on.

This second lamp is a cherub waterfall lamp with prisms and pink glass beaded fringe.

Oh, I forgot to add something! I bought a runner to go on the buffet from a seller on ebay. It shipped today and I'm hoping it will be here by Saturday. Here's a link to it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Table Runner with Pink Roses and Green Leaves

I love the little tea party picture on your table. It all looks so pretty. Glad the girl is on your buffet, looks good there. And I really love the thing the roses are in!
I like them there by the way. With all the rose accessories you have, I think they should be used too.

I've had more fun watching you play, LOL. I should try it sometime.
hugs, Karen

I think your tea table has reached perfection. I just realized after this thread, I don't even own a tea pot anymore. Maybe I will look for a nice china one (yours is really nice), I don't treasure the idea of more silver to polish. Your buffet is terrific and is coming along nicely. Even though that pink beaded cherub lamp is just awful and you should take it down and pack it up and send it to me right away. Just kidding, but I do think the lamp with the cranberry shades is the best fit for your buffet. When you get your new runner it will help anchor everything. Maybe a few shorter items with the lamps and epergne, they kind of look a little leggy, gorgeous legs never-the-less. I just love the Victorian look and you do a great job with it.
Syble

I agree with Syble. The tea table has certainly reached perfection.
I like the rose glass lamp for the buffet. It pulls the pinkish glow from the roses in the lamp on the teatable I think.
The runner will definatly help to, but there seems to be a blank spot in front of the roses as Syble mentioned. Maybe another smallish plate in front of it, not to cover it but to fill some of the "air" space?

Gorgeous gift and I agree you've really achieved a wonderful vignette with it! I like the little photo and the printed invitation and will use both those ideas. The picture height is now perfect with taller items to tie it to the vignette.

I've only been here off and on so missed this earlier. Such a fun thread. You ladies are encouraging me to pack Christmas away so I can start playing again.

Your new table runner will be perfect on your buffet. I know you will show us when it arrives.

Love that old postcard/photo.

Oh, I forgot to say how much I liked the lamp with the cranberry shades too. I think it is perfect for your display.

hugs, Karen

I agree with the cranberry shade lamp. After looking at the buffet for a while, I do think this one looks best.

I need to hunt through the house and find something else to fill in the "blank spot". It needs to be something smallish I think. I'll have to see what I can find.

Excessfroufrou, I had to laugh at your comment about the cherub lamp. Everyone in my family hates that lamp! I've had it for years and in all that time, I've never managed to find a spot for it that I thought it looked good. It usually stays stuck back in my closet.

I was so hoping my runner would come in yesterday, but it didn't. Hopefully tomorrow!

Dream...it's all very DREAMY now! LOVE IT! Love the antique-y look...and your very gorgeous pcs...all started with that wonderful gift tea set! I love that you used framed works...your original invitation to tea & that precious print of the tea party! ENJOY! I did! Jeanne S.

dreamgoddes, very nice, you have alot of good setups here, I'll comment on your last one specifically.
I love the Victorian theme you have going here.
I would remove the tall candlestick because I prefer my eye to travel down from one taller object to the shorter objects in a trianglar sort of way. Your eye travels from the tall lamp then going down to the next taller item (dish in this case) traveling on down to the other items allows my eye to travel smoothly and pleasingly.

I would also put the pretty post card picture of the ladies having tea replacing the one that you have already have there on the left. (I like the gold frame mixed with the silver, it also brings out the yellow in the yellow rose in the dish).

I would add back in the pretty teacup with the flower on to the silver setting. My reasoning for bringing back the flower/teacup is because (where the photo had been) the teacup brings in the theme of the flowers from the other items surrounding it on to the silver part of the vignette, the teacup is totally fitting in the theme of the tea service. I think you could remove the doily under the silver tray, the white marble in itself is a lovely background.

Please let me say, that this is only my opinion, it happens to be what is pleasing to me, so nothing against what others have said. Doing a vignette is a highly personal thing, it has to resonate with you first and formost, follow your heart and a few rules and you can't fail.

Great job, you really have a treasure of items to work with, a vignetters dream!
{{gwi:1403891}}

Dream, do you have some sort of Victorian looking little box to put on the buffet in your blank spot? And if you wanted it open, some pretty jewelry in it with pearls 'spilling' from it.
A friend of mine had this idea on her dressing table and I always thought it was so pretty. She had a beautiful, filmy scarf under the box and kind of bunched up.

hugs, Karen

dreamgoddes, can you let me know where you found the lovely frame for the invitation. It is so lovely and would go lovely in a victoria home. thanks