How to use the tabletop to test your interior ideas
Most design publications, whether in print or digital, often feature tabletop designs. It's a natural extension, since most people who are focused on the home enjoy entertaining. As someone who designs patterns and artwork for kitchen and tabletop products, and as an interior designer, I see the tabletop as the perfect testing ground.
When you aren't sure about a color, pattern, or texture for a room, scale it down to the tabletop to try it out. It might sound crazy, but hear me out.
Flower Magazine
One of the biggest mistakes I see homeowners make is deciding and purchasing materials before seeing them all together. Finding a fabric, tile, or countertop you like doesn't mean it will work with the other materials you still need to select to achieve the desired look. You can definitely accomplish this by getting samples of everything together in one place. However, if the design is a bit risky or there is an element that you think you may want to incorporate but you are nervous to do so, a tabletop allows you to design in proportion to what you might have in the room: a touch of this fabric (napkin), but a lot of another (tablecloth). If there is a paint color, pick a solid placemat. Consider adding napkin rings similar to the hardware, and dinnerware that emulates a tile or stone finish.
F. Schumacher
The investment in a tabletop design is considerably less than a full room, and it allows you to see something between a stack of samples and an entire room. If you are having trouble making the leap, a table design is the perfect middle ground. Tablecloths, placemats, and napkins are simple to sew, and most seamstresses can take them on fairly easily. The rest of the pieces can come from your existing collections or, for the sake of "trying on", look at World Market, Home Goods, Ebay, or even Etsy. It does not need to be an expensive endeavor, but it can be. If you absolutely know you will love the look for future parties, invest in pieces you'll want to keep and will feel proud show off.
Tabletop designs can get away with unique color choices and bold pattern mixing. This is the place to figure out how to make two prints work together, or how to use multiple shades of blue in one room. The table will show you what is not working and make it clear what needs to go. It will also give you the space and creative playground to figure out how to make a more complex design scheme work.
Flower Magazine
Since we can get away with a bolder design on the table, even if you decide you don't want to live with it, you can still pull it out for special occasions. If it's something you are seriously considering for your home, you will most certainly still love it on your tabletop, where it can be tucked away when the mood doesn't strike you.
If you're not a little bit nervous about how your design will look when it's done, you need to take more risks. Trust me, you'll be happily surprised, especially if you try it out on your tabletop first.
