Coastal Decor: Clambake Themed Table for Summer Entertaining
In this post: Looking for ideas for summer entertaining? Try coastal decor on the table borrowing imagery and themes from a seaside clambake.⇒
I’ve always loved the sound of a clambake.
What could be more summery?
But I don’t really live that close to the beach or even have much of a backyard to speak of.
Still, I wouldn’t let that stop me from setting a summer table based around a clambake theme and that’s exactly what I did for this tablescape.
I wanted to go very casual with rustic and vintage elements, as well as some playful whimsy. My Americana palette began with a sunbaked russet and washed out indigo, reminiscent of faded barns and bluejeans, to welcome the beginning of summer.
I’ve shown these wonderful indigo goblets before, a bit more dressed up in a French Country setting, but here they take on a more seafaring tone, playing off the nearby blues and punctuated with a festive striped straw.
The plate stack is a mix of all these wonderful components, with a rattan charger foundation giving a nod to nature, turquoise alabaster dinner plates representing the sea, and topping it all off, Italian sea life salad plates have varied artwork.
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I was delighted to catch the tail end of peony season at the flower market!
The underpinning of the entire tableau is actually a cotton striped throw that I used as a tablecloth. It has a wonderfully nubby worn look to it that works well with this theme.
For the florals I used vintage blue mason jars at staggered heights, resting on clear glass upturned vases to avoid blocking views across the table. Accompanying the pale blush peonies are russet gerber daisies, bringing out the color in the shellfish on the uppermost plates.
The napkins pair a washed indigo linen outer layer with an aqua linen inner, gathered within a chunky wood napkin ring.
Perky turquoise mini buckets are at the ready to catch tossed shellfish shells.
The coastal vibe channels summer at the beach.
The palette is an offbeat version of red, white and blue, which hints at the July 4th holiday coming very soon.
Resource Guide
To get the look, click on the items below for direct links to the products. Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided similar options. If an item is out of stock but may be restocked, I left it on the list.
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Pretty, Lori! I love the russet gerberas against the blues.
Stunning! Love it and you have me craving a lobster dinner at 8am:) The colors are so beautiful…..enjoy your day!
Beautiful tablescape, Lory! I just adore the beachy plates!! So pretty. And I love how we all ended up choosing blue for June. 🙂
Perfection! I love every little detail from the striped table cloth to the turquoise buckets and the raised flowers in mason jars — simple and beautiful. I’m ready to pull up a chair!
So beautiful! I wouldn’t want to eat … I’d just sit, and stare, and admire, and oooooo, and ahhhhhh. But if you happen to throw in a bit of seafood and some asparagus, well, all bets are off 🙂
I want to come and have a clambake with you! Oh, this table is delightful! I love the colors, the sea-inspired dishes, the little aqua buckets (how cute!) and the tablecloth. You knocked this tablescape out of the park! I leave so inspired.
Very creative and eye catching. Love the colors and textures you wove so beautifully together.
Your photos are super. I am envious of your talent. Looks like you have good natural light with all the windows but you have the gift of styling and working your camera for sure.
Thank you so much, Bonnie!!
Lory, your tablescape is gorgeous! I had just looked at the salad plates, on the World Market site last week, to use with my rattan chargers. You have inspired me to make a purchase. We seem to like the same things, as I’ve noticed in a lot of your tablescapes. You have such a great eye!
Thanks so much, Shenita! Yes, World Market is a recent discovery of mine and I’m really enjoying the store. I featured quite a few of their products in my post about summer entertaining. You can see that one here, if you haven’t already: http://designthusiasm.com/preparing-patio-summer-entertaining/ Thanks for visiting… 🙂
LOVE that tablecloth Lory! Also love all the eclectic mix of elements, great for summer-
I have these same coastal dishes. It was fun to see what you did with them.
Wow! This is really summer LOVE.
What a beautiful tablescapes. Love the goblets.
Greetings from Stockholm,
/CC
Aww, thank you so much!
Oh the Gerber daisies really make this setting come together. I really wish we lived near the coast so I could get some fresh shellfish. Your tablescapes are so unique. I like that you use materials most people have hidden in a cabinet. Have a nice weekend!
Your table setting is beautiful! and I happen to have those same drinking glass but in pink, I was trying to find them in blue at Walmart .
@tisonlyme143