The glamour of gold and white for a formal table never fails to please.
Add in gold, tuxedo-clad penguins and you’ve got a layer of fun with the formality.
I can never resist penguins. They’re such silly birds – far more graceful in the water, of course, but so stiffly awkward on land. Much like men, unaccustomed to wearing tuxedos at a formal event, come to think of it.
This one looks a bit doleful. Anticipating his hangover, perhaps?
And this little guy looks like he’s ready for a nap.
The inspiration for this table came from a blog written by One King’s Lane, Set a Spirited Scene with These Holiday Table Ideas. Here is their version. Isn’t it fabulous?
What caught my eye was the white centerpiece. It’s a covered tureen by Fitz & Floyd and I’ve had two of them for years, never quite knowing how to incorporate them in a table. They’re part of the Bristol collection, now discontinued. I didn’t have the fabulous panelling backdrop to work with and there are limits to how far I am prepared to go in hauling furniture around. 🙂 So I set up in the dining room and had a go at producing a similar table.
I managed to get this shot by crawling onto the counter in the kitchen and resting the camera on the top of the half wall separating the kitchen from the dining room. Not very dignified but it did get a much wider frame.
Pier 1 supplied the lighted trees, bottle brush trees, penguin plates, and runner (all from this season). The gold lustre chargers are from previous years and often available. They seem to be sold out of them right now, but they have a beautiful blue version currently on sale.
I set the table much earlier in the season and used it as a backdrop for the Sticky Toffee Trifle.
At the time I thought it would make a great setting for New Year’s Eve.
How much fun are happy penguins?
The flatware is Rose Gold Twig from World Market.
I think I’m going to get a lot of use out of those trees over the years. They’re classic.
This penguin looks a bit grumpy. Hmmmfphf!!
And this guy is definitely my favourite. He looks like he’s saying “goody, goody!!”.
I use these gold twist Venetian glasses frequently. They’re from Elise Abrams Antiques and I’ve had them for years.
I’ll leave you with a couple more shots of the table at night.
I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and wish you all the best for the coming year. We are beginning a new decade, not only a new year, so it feels quite momentous. What will the next ten years bring, I wonder? One writer in The Telegraph described the last decade as the “terrible tens”. Rather a bleak summary, I thought, but it’s catchy. Not as fun as the “swinging sixties” or the “roaring twenties”, so let’s hope we can do better with this coming ten years.
I’m sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch.
Helen those penguin plates are absolutely darling – and so elegant in gold! You always set such gorgeous and fun tables. I love your style and your humor! 🙂 Happy New Year and new decade!
Happy New Year, Barb! I can never resist a penguin. 🙂 There are tons of them (different kinds) at the New England Aquarium, and I always enjoy visiting.
Dear Helen,
I actually like your version better. Theirs looks like they did a last-minute mad search for something, anything gold…pagodas and what is that, a cheetah? Yours kept to the theme without unrelated add-ons. I love the Bristol covered soups, which we use often. I wonder how this setting would look with matte gold flatware…too much?
Hope you had a lovely New Year celebration. Our valley was full of fireworks and snow, and we had New Year’s Day lunch in the sun. Best wishes for a great year!
Hi Beatrice,
You’re always so kind! Likely One King’s Lane does try to produce an eclectic effect – they’re purveyors of housewares new and vintage. The cheetah made me chuckle. He seemed to be gazing around saying “Why am I here, exactly?”
You’ve got me thinking about the Bristol Covered Soups. I have a few – maybe set up a table with those and one of the tureens…hmmm.
We had a lovely New Year, thank you. Dinner out at a local restaurant with some close friends. I was highly amused to receive texts from our adult kids, prior to 10 pm: “Happy New Year, going to bed”. It’s amazing the dampening effect parenthood has on one’s enthusiasm for late nights. I used to be the object of their amused derision as I trudged off to bed at 9 pm and they all stayed up playing video games and watching TV. How things change!
Well, you can’t blame them…they have those lovely little ladies to look after now…wait until they’re teenagers!
P.S.: We were just visited by some Star Singers, little boys dressed up in turbans and tunics as the Three Kings, carrying sweet-smelling incense in a censer. They sang us carols and offered blessings to the house, finishing up by chalking above our front door the inscription 20* C+M+B+20 to protect us for the year. This is a rich place.
What a lovely custom, Beatrice; so much fun! You are truly blessed.
Your penguin plates are charming, your table is delightful. I always enjoy your tables and the stories you include with them. On this penquin table and some of your other tables I notice what looks like whole peppercorns in a small server along with the open salt server, both with small spoons. Does it work to serve peppercorns in an open server, or is it something else?
Hi Angelyn. The peppercorns are there more for photographic interest. In real life, I usually pass a pepper grinder. 🙂
Happy New Year! May this decade be as beautiful, fun and festive as this glorious table setting! I love it! ❤️
And to you! Happy New Year, Mary! I hope the year is filled with joy, good health, and prosperity for you and yours. 🙂
Lovely to see a golden gleaming table here. Love the penguins. Glamorous penguins!
I fell for your playful skating penguins on another post. Scored a set of 4 on eBay this morning. Soothing during this record heatwave. I’ll set a Xmas in July table, for sure.
Aren’t they fun? I enjoyed pairing the silliness of the penguins with the “seriousness” of all the gold.
Stunning table setting ❤️
Thank you so much!