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A Colorful Summer Party

July 2, 2015 by Kate 1 Comment

Colorful '80s table setting

Here in the USA, we’re preparing for a long 4th of July holiday weekend! If you’re searching for colorful tabletop ideas, today’s post is for you. I’m sharing the photos from my latest Mirror80 shoot, which combines retro flair with the current abstract art and Memphis-Milano revivals. While the color scheme will definitely work for the 4th of July, this vibrant tabletop is perfect for any summer party, especially since tropical plants are involved! Below you’ll see my inspiration for the tablescape: a radiant 1980s interior design motif involving colorful modern art, checkered floors and an abundance of houseplants. Learn more about this design style here.

80s checkered floor inspiration

The magic formula for getting the look: vibrant prints + checkered tile + lots of plants = design perfection! 

Marble tiles make a big impact

Step 1: Purchase tile from your local flooring store and arrange it in a checkerboard pattern to create a centerpiece. 

Checkered tile centerpiece base

I selected a combination of marble and slate pieces, which I picked up for less than 70 cents each at my local Floor and Decor. I thought about using this snake plant to top it all off, but it covered too much of the checkerboard that I wanted to showcase:

Experiment with centerpiece options

So I plucked this lovely succulent from the garden window in my kitchen. The small pot meant more of the checkerboard was on display, yet the fullness of the plant and its height were perfect for just the right amount of centerpiece drama!

Black and white checkered centerpiece

Step 2: Add color through bright placemats, patterned napkins and homemade place cards.

Colorful summer party table setting

I picked up these yellow woven placemats at Ross Dress for Less, which has a home section where you can always find a good bargain. I paid $6.99 for four! The floral napkins are from Party City—another bargain buy. I love collecting designer paper napkins, but sometimes I find unexpected little gems at Party City (as you may recall from my recent Pretty in Pink party). The stripe and geo napkins are both summer 2014 IKEA finds.

Colorful tropical napkins

I made the place cards by printing out the names of my guests on simple white printer paper, then gluing them to cardstock in shades of blue and red. I embellished them with abstract forms (also cut from cardstock).

Custom place cards add personality to this party

Step 3: Serve light and refreshing food and beverages that showcase the colorful produce of summer.

Iced tea is the perfect summer party drink

There’s nothing like iced tea on a summer day! I always offer a decaf option made from steeping 5-7 bags of my favorite orange tea (Wild Sweet Orange by Tazo) with a few bags of Tazo’s Refresh Mint. Once cool, I pour the mixture into a pitcher, add more water and let it chill in the fridge. Garnish with sliced orange or lemon and you’re set!

Tropical plants and summer food

When it comes to food, go for color! Whether you serve up a taco bar with fresh garnishes or you roast tomatoes with thyme sprigs in your oven, pick in-season produce that celebrates all that we love about summer.

Tropical 4th of July party

Step 4: Cover your party table with plants!

Checkered tabletop

Plants bring this party to life. Don’t feel the need to spend a large amount of money on your tablescape. If your party is outdoors, let nature’s greenery enhance your table. Or grab some potted plants from your living room and bring them outdoors!

Palm fronds are the perfect accessory to this party

I picked up these palm fronds from my local Central Market grocery store. I usually find them in the “extra foliage” container, which often features tropical greenery for $2 apiece. Not to mention, the garden centers of home improvement stores such as Home Depot offer snake plants and other small indoor plants for a few dollars each at this time of year.

Tropical summer table

And there you have it—an easy-to-create, colorful summer party table filled with retro-modern flair!

Wishing you a lovely 4th of July and a relaxing summer filled with great food and retro-fabulous style…

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Comments

  1. Amanda says

    March 2, 2016 at 6:07 pm

    I love the card stock idea with gluing the guest name it! That looks great and is cheap! I also love adding plants as center pieces or accent pieces. Great job!

    Reply

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Mirror80 is a blog that celebrates the intersection of modern design and retro style. I'm Kate, and I enjoy exploring the look and feel of the "recent retro", with a focus on the late '70s through the early '90s. Welcome to Mirror80. Read More…

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