Autumn beauty

Take inspiration from the season. That’s the advice from stylist Meghan Plowman, who created the gorgeous scene above.

“Rather than opt for a traditional spring-like Easter setting, we chose an autumn theme suited to the Australian Easter, ” she said.

“A tonal palette of warm greys, white, orange, deep red and brown, and soft greens with a mix of seasonal items and florals helped to create an earthy, cosy outdoor setting to enjoy during cooler days of the holiday weekend, ” she said.

“If eating outside, provide your guests with cushions and throw rugs to give it more of a cosy autumn feel.”

Get creative

“Experiment with found, collected and handmade objects with character, displayed at different heights, ” Ms Plowman said.

“We collected and arranged old books, quail eggs, pine cones, miniature seasonal fruits and vegetables and hand-painted gold eggs in an array of vessels down the length of the table to tell an autumn story.”

The vintage look

Dig out grandma’s china (or hire a vintage set) to bring a lovely sense of occasion to your Easter spread, suggested Alison Henley, owner of The Vintage Table, who said tea sets, cake stands and silver dishes — perfect for hot cross buns and butter — were great for Easter settings.

Egg-cellent decorations

Stylist Jane Fordham, of Queen of Theme, suggested incorporating classic Easter symbols by using eggs to create DIY candles.

“Remove the top part of an eggshell and empty it, ” she said. “Allow the inside of the shell to dry and place a small tea light inside. Put the eggshells in cups and put them in the centre of the table.”

For gold eggs like those in our scene, Ms Plowman suggested hard-boiling six to 10 regular-sized eggs and allowing to cool, before spray-painting them with metallic gold.

In bloom

Floral touches are a must, according to Emma McCarthy, owner of Table Culture in Subiaco, while Annie Taylor, owner of Corner Store in Fremantle and Claremont, said a floral tablecloth would also reflect the garden and the “Easter egg hunt” feel.

Chocolate chic

Chocolate is synonymous with Easter but that doesn’t mean you need a basket of chocky eggs as your centrepiece. Justine Murphy, co-owner of Kitchen Warehouse, suggested making some chocolate truffles and placing them in ornate glasses or vintage champagne flutes.

Or make a feature at each place setting by including a gift, suggested Ms Plowman.

“We chose mini milk bottles filled with pastel speckled eggs and stamped paper name tags to reflect our rustic theme, " she said.

“This way adult guests and family can have fun too.”

TIP: Synthetic grass is a fun and inexpensive way to dress up your Easter table, said Ms Fordham. “Cut out a length of fake grass to fit your tabletop and then set the plates and cutlery on top, ” she said. “Place a cane basket holding fresh flowers at one end of the table to complete the picnic look.”

 

 

Picture: Vintage French fabric (used as table runner), $110 a metre, and linen napkins, $20 each, from Busatti; Tucky dinner plates, $14.95 each, Tucky bread plates, $12.95 each, Ambrosia tumblers, $7.95, and Salt cutlery, $79.95 (set of 24), from Country Road; cake stand, $69.50, glass candy jar, $20, bowl, $15, and milk bottle, $28.50, from Antedote Living; cast iron rabbit, $48, from Scurr’s; gift jars, from $8.50 each, from Paper Sparrows; Findlay and Smith outdoor table, $948, from Masters; floral arrangements created by Eufloria; other props, stylist’s own. Pictures: Iain Gillespie. Styling: Meghan Plowman

 

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