Staycation Ideas: Set an Artisanal Table for a Pampered Vacation at Home

In this post: Looking for relaxed and refined staycation ideas? After a trip to the farmer’s market, how about setting an artisanal table for a pampered vacation at home?

Have you ever taken a real staycation?

I don’t mean those few days you took off to get your errands and paperwork done and maybe threw in a massage.

I mean an actual, pre-planned, delightful vacation at home with all the amenities you’d find at a fine hotel.

The benefits of a staycation are obvious. You don’t have to pack, you don’t have to deal with flight delays and scheduling, and you save money on hotel rooms. And if you’re lucky, the accommodations are tailor made for your taste!

Picture this. You wake up to a glorious sunny day, pour your favorite coffee or espresso, sit out on the terrace and relax into the day. Maybe you read the paper, maybe you listen to music. You definitely don’t check your email.

You have the kind of empowering workout that only a vacation can provide, then dress and head to the farmer’s market to find lush flowers and the freshest of local produce and foods.

You’re actually inspired to prepare a healthy meal, so you come home to a beautifully set artisanal table and enjoy cooking together. Dinner will be a relaxed affair enjoyed with family and friends, before heading out for an evening of entertainment. You head to the wine fridge to uncork your favorite wine…

You know, the one you don’t usually splurge for.

This summer, we’re doing exactly this!

Caring for aging parents has made it difficult for us to travel too far and we already did a quick getaway in the spring. So I decided to create a spa environment at home, clear our calendars of responsibilities for a week and indulge in the very best at home.

I’ve been wanting to refine our healthy menus and make cooking fun, so we’ve enrolled in a cooking class that we will be enjoying together.

I’m also delighted to be partnering with my sponsor, Bed Bath & Beyond, who provided the items featured here from their exclusive Artisanal Kitchen Supply product line. The line I selected from offers timeless pieces and versatile cooking tools that are exactly what I needed to upgrade my everyday kitchen.

(While I was compensated for this post, my love for the product is completely genuine and the opinions all my own… :-))

So, to present and enjoy my enhanced cooking skills, one of my staycation ideas includes setting this lovely table. It’s the kitchen version of a spa bath, clean and crisp and very zen.

At the heart of the look are the white dishes and I love this particular set, with curved lines that add interest and a soft gleam that makes the food all the more appealing. Rattan chargers are the ideal foundation, a touch of nature that offers a nice contrast to showcase the white.

I used copper accents to hint at an atmosphere of celebration, as seen on the stems of the wine goblets. They also come in martini glasses and champagne flutes.

The copper mixes well with white marble and these espresso cups are my absolute favorite pieces!

For napkins I chose a grey linen hemstitch, the quintessence of understated elegance. The contrast here is a twisted wire napkin ring in brushed gold.

I often believe what makes a table unique, even when working with classics, is to pair unexpected contrasting elements, so rather than selecting silver with grey, I enjoyed mixing in the warmer metals.

This collection has a wonderful range of serving pieces available and here I’ve used a cast iron skillet for my turkey pesto panini.

The sweet little marble salt cellar is a lovely way to serve artisan salt.

I love to add a pretty underpinning to pull the components of my tables together. This charming runner in natural linen does a wonderful job of marrying the beiges and greys, artfully merging the warm and cool tones that are the essence of this table.

The 3-piece dip server is wonderfully versatile, perfect for an hors d’oeuvres spread, but also comfortable on the dinner table. Depending on the condiments needed for the meal, it can be used in a variety of ways. 

I used copper flatware, below, for another infusion of quiet warmth.

Other serving pieces that work nicely for pre-dinner treats are the handled paddle board, cheese knives and marble lazy-susan. But for the main event, nothing beats an enameled cast iron dutch oven. Perhaps I’ll share the recipe of what’s hiding inside soon… 😉

I haven’t given up on traveling and I still love to explore the world. But how nice it is sometimes to pamper yourself at home! With the right attitude and planning, these staycation ideas can be just what you need to recharge.

And if all else fails, don’t think I didn’t plan some time for that massage!