Tabletops: Easy, Practical, Beautiful Ways to Decorate the Table (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "LEFT: Several days before guests are expected, I like to plan what I will use on the table..." (more)
Key Phrases: sheet moss, floral foam, antique china

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Setting a stunning table need not be confined to special occasions. As renowned author and designer Barbara Milo Ohrbach brilliantly demonstrates, any meal can be made special with the proper visual approach. The ingredients need not be fine china and matching silver; the real key is to develop a creative look for your table. Tabletops is filled with gorgeous color photos and thorough explanations on how to find inspiration, play with color, make and/or coordinate accessories, arrange flowers, and find and add the right decorative touches.

Product Description

Hospitality is the art of generously welcoming guests into your home, and Barbara Milo Ohrbach's Tabletops will make this a delightful experience for all to share.

Whether you are having a party, sitting down with friends and family, or celebrating a holiday, the pleasures of eating at a beautiful table help to make the meal truly memorable. In this book, Ms. Ohrbach, the best-selling author of fourteen books, including The Scented Room, Antiques at Home, and Simply Flowers, brings a fresh and creative eye to the art of decorating tables with flowers, fruits, leaves, and other wonderful objects. Filled with beautiful photographs and simple how-to's, Tabletops offers recipes, clever ideas, and practical solutions for everyday entertaining, parties, and special occasions, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

With her usual clarity and style, Ms. Ohrbach explains how to coordinate linens, china, and silverware so that everything works together. She demonstrates how to accent the table with accessories like candles, napkin rings, and place cards, and includes easy how-to projects, many of which can be done with children. She reveals effortless techniques for taking the mystery out of flower arranging and discusses how to choose the right container for any event. She shares her enthusiasm for visiting places like historic homes, flower shows, restaurants, and farmers' markets that can inspire fresh ideas for creating wonderful tabletops. And finally, Ms. Ohrbach provides a handy international source guide that reveals her favorite places to shop and explore in Europe and the United States. Tabletops will inspire anyone who loves flowers and entertaining, and it is the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys setting a beautiful table.

In Tabletops, best-selling author Barbara Milo Ohrbach reveals simple yet spectacular ideas for decorating beautiful tables for both entertaining and everyday use. Illustrated with more than 275 full-color photographs, Tabletops offers practical tips and easy how-to projects for setting the table and for creating centerpieces and individual flower arrangements for your home, parties, holidays, special occasions, and more.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (September 23, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517703327
• ISBN-13: 978-0517703328
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #66,415 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Check it out at the Library first, September 21, 2001

By A Customer

I'm glad I didn't "buy" this book and went to the Library
first. I was looking for more "whimsical" ideas and the
ones offered in this book seem to be the basic, traditional
ones.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite and original, beautifully photographed, November 9, 1999

By A Customer

I love this book. The arrangements are not merely interesting, but beautiful, and encompass every type of table adornment. It made me become aware of how to put table decorations together. Now, as a hostess gift, instead of bringing only a cooked dish, I bring the centerpiece as well.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best ideas i have ever seen - all in one book, July 6, 1999

By A Customer

i love to set tables. my mother has done this for 40 years and i have never seen such wonderful ideas with flowers and china. i would give this a 6 star rating if they had one. i will my many of these for my friends for christmas