It’s always fun to share travel stories with friends and one of our favorite ways to do this is by hosting a “Sip and See Party.” The key to bringing this experience to life for your guests is by creating a festive, island style tablescape!

Over the summer I partnered with Carnival Cruise Line to write several lifestyle articles surrounding entertaining and home decor. This Island-style tablescape is inspired by my recent article, How to Use Textiles as Travel Souvenirs. I chose two of these vibrant wax print patterns as a tablecloth and the jumping off point for the tablescape design.

USE CHARGERS TO CONNECT THE DOTS

Because the tablecloth consists of two fabrics, it was best that I used the same charger throughout the tablescape to keep it from feeling too cluttered. I was excited to find that these wood chargers were accented with black metal studs! Reminds you of a ship’s porthole window, right?

ADD ISLAND INSPIRED MOTIFS

Bamboo is quite prevalent in island homes and I couldn’t think of something more perfect than this bamboo-stamped flatware! The shiny metal also helped to make my place setting feel more formal than casual.

ADD LAYERS FOR A FORMAL TOUCH

When hosting a small group, I enjoy creating a formal tablescape. One way you can achieve this is by layering your dinnerware. First the charger, then add the dinner plate, and finally top it off with an appetizer or a dessert plate. You could go further and add a printed menu, bowl, or even a party favor if you really want to get fancy.

PLAY WITH PATTERN

Your dinner guests, along with a great combination of patterns, bring tons of festive energy to your tablescape. First, when selecting patterns, stick with shades of the same color. Here, the feature color is a dark navy blue. The blue exists in the tablecloth pattern, both the dinner and appetizer plates, as well as the napkins. Next, select a pattern with a large scale (the tablecloth), then one of medium scale (the plate), and last choose a small scale pattern (the napkin).

CENTERPIECES

When you host your next dinner party, consider using an unusual container for your centerpiece. A woven chest added warmth and texture to our tabletop.

Here, a rustic vase wrapped in tree bark suddenly became refined thanks to an inexpensive bouquet of flowers.

Candlelight, especially for an evening event, will set the tone for the a night of relaxation, laughter, and long conversations! The candleholder is a nod to British exploration of the islands with its handsome leather strapping.

Nightly meals in the formal dining room aboard the Carnival Conquest felt like a date night, every night. My husband and I are still talking about the molten chocolate cake. Many of our friends, like us, could also use a night out to toast good times with friends. While our dining room may not overlook the deep blue sea, our island-style tablescape and Caribbean flavor just may be the thing to tide us over.