When you go for the casual elegant lifestyle, you’ve chosen versatility. It’s a style that can be dressed up or down, depending on your mood and the occasion. Kind of like that great pair of dark jeans or the infamous “little black dress.” The jeans, when paired with a soft cashmere sweater and pearls become casual in an elegant sort of way. When paired with a silk blouse and diamonds they are suddenly elegant in a casual sort of way. You can dress them up, dress them down and they serve you well for many various occasions.

The same is true when it comes to your home decor (a topic for another time) specifically, for this post, your tabletop.

By selecting dishes with a casual elegant versatility you expand the options, once again, for decorating your table.

Any one of the patterns above, these featured in Horchow, paired with a nubby linen or woven tablecloth, plaid or striped napkins and rugged flatware will take on a more casual feeling. Add votives of varying sizes in lively colors that coordinate with the linens. Place flowers fresh picked from the garden in colored bottles and you have a beautiful table with a casually elegant feel.

Take those same dishes and place them on a beautiful faux silk (washable, of course) tablecloth in a rich color, damask napkins in a softer version of that color, and you’re on the way to an elegant evening. Add very tall cream color tapers in crystal and silver candlesticks with low crystal and silver vases filled with cream colored roses and you have yourself one stunningly beautiful table, elegant with a touch of casual, ready for the awe of your guests!

For my home and my table I love to create casual elegance. It’s a comfortable, beautiful way to live!