Victorian Table Centerpiece Ideas

Silver tea service pieces convey Victorian formality and luxury.

A centerpiece serves as a formal dining table's focal point and unifies elements of the overall design scheme, a seasonal formal meal or a themed social gathering. During the Victorian era, the centerpiece also functioned as both a marker of the family's class and one of few creative outlets available to Victorian women.

Victorian Centerpiece Linens

Victorians didn't set an unanchored centerpiece in the center of the table, but instead placed an embroidered oval, rectangular or round table linen beneath the centerpiece. Victorian homemakers made and embroidered their own table linens by hand, and often used repeating floral themes. If you have embroidery skills, you can purchase a plain linen centerpiece mat and decorate its borders in Victorian style. Study china patterns such as the Dresden pattern for decoration ideas.

Silver Centerpieces

Victorians took their dinner parties very seriously: Hosts seated their guests by rank, served multiple courses -- each with specific utensils -- and displayed their finest silver at the center of the table as a symbol of their social standing. Silver, filigreed candelabra centerpieces provided plenty of light for dinnertime conversation, and hosts used the bowls on silver epergne centerpieces to serve side dishes, sweetmeats or desserts. Find vintage or reproduction silver epergnes and candelabras at estate sales or vintage décor resale stores. You could also group a collection of large silver spice shakers or tea service accessories in the center of the table for a dramatic, eclectic effect.

Floral Arrangements or 'Tussie Mussies'

Flowers weren't just for decoration during the Victorian era; each type of bloom carried a special significance that sometimes changed depending on the flower's color. Use flowers in your Victorian centerpiece to send a message about your family or a special occasion. For example, if you're celebrating an anniversary, you might fashion a "tussie mussie," the Victorian term for flower bouquet, out of bluebells, jasmine and forget-me-nots, which mean constancy, joy and true love, respectively. Ivy would also be a good choice, as it symbolized fidelity and marriage to Victorians, who often used ivy in their wedding tussie mussies. Arrange your floral centerpiece in a large silver vase, and tie it all together with a large pastel ribbon bow.

Victorian Holiday Tables

During the holidays, Victorian formal dining tables featured elaborate seasonal decorations. Victorians never shied away from bold color choices, and their holiday décor reflected their bold preferences. Augment your standard Victorian centerpieces for holiday use: Fill your silver epergne's bowls with bright red, yellow and blue ceramic eggs at Easter or shiny gold ornaments at Christmas. You could also decorate your table with a short Christmas tree, also known as a tabletop Christmas tree. Create tiny scented ornaments out of crushed, clove-covered kumquats or crab apples; these balls are called pomanders, and were a Victorian favorite.

References

• "In the Victorian Style"; Randolph Delehanty, Richard Sexton; 2006
• "Centerpieces and Table Accents"; Kathy Passero; 2004
• "Victorian Details: Decorating Tips and Easy to Make Projects"; Caroll McKanna Shreeve; 2006
• "The Art of Table Decoration"; Jane Cornell; 1980
• "1,001 Old-Time Household Hints: Timeless Bits of Household Wisdom for Today's Home and Garden"; Editors of Yankee Magazine; 2006

Resources

• Eras of Elegance: Hobbies and Crafts: The Victorian Art and Language of Flower Arranging
• From the Past: Victorian Dining Room Decorations