My home: Setting the table

I can´t believe that it took me this long to share the first photos of our new apartment in Graz with you. I’ve been quite busy these past weeks, and I couldn’t spend as much time decorating as I would have wanted. Plus, decorating on a budget can really take a lot of time. But ever since the new year rolled in, I’ve been scouring home and antique shops, in search for the perfect furniture and accessories. Since we couldn’t really afford to spend thousands on a whole new furniture, I’ve been working a lot with what we already have. I love the idea of giving a new life to something old. And our awful Ikea dining table definitely topped my makeover list! See for yourself:

Before:

I’m not a big fan of modern and glass furniture, and this table makes me flinch every time I see it. Plus, I really wanted our dining nook look more like a French bistro than a sterile hospital dining room. It took me only a few easy steps, and even if it’s not quite finished yet (the next step will be covering those plastic chairs in fabric and hanging a few pictures on the wall), I wanted to share this project with you.

1. First of all, I bought this beautiful red and white checkered fabric, to make a tablecloth. It was actually the very first thing I sewed on my new Singer machine, and I´m quite proud of myself 🙂 And since I had more fabric than I needed, I also sewed four square napkins. 

2. I fell in love with these placemats from Ikea: I like their round shape, the lightweight structure and the rustic wibe they add to the table. 

3. This dinner set was a gift from my mom. The square shape contrasts nicely with the round placemats, and the colors complement each other perfectly. 

4. I placed the napkins on the shallow plate and superposed the soup plates on top. This way, I

don´t need to leave the table and lay out the plates twice. 

5. This beautiful tray covered in vintage postcards was a love at first sight. It has the exact French vibe I was looking for. It was on display in my favorite decor shop, and normally it wasn’t supposed to be sold. But I pleaded with the salesgirl so desperately, that she finally let me leave with it. And I couldn’t be happier! 

6. This tray offers just the perfect background for the olive oil & balsamic vinegar set and the green salt & spice tray. I’ve added a bunch of candlesticks with red unscented candles for a cozy and romantic touch. 

7. Of course, a bottle of wine and o wine glasses are a must. 

After:

Voilà! Now we can enjoy a little bit of Paris in our Austrian kitchen. I’m planning to make a few more tablecloths in different colors (like orange and green). And I’m looking forward to the summer, because then I’ll be able to add floral centerpiece and a bowl of fresh berries to spice things up a little bit. 

Details:

Tablecloth and napkins: handmade

Place mats: Ikea

Dinner set: gifted

Cutlery: Guy Degrenne (gifted)

French-inspired tray: XXXLutz

Oil & vinegar set: Ikea

Salt & pepper tray: vintage

Candlesticks and candles: Ikea

Wine glasses: vintage