Mushroom Fête Décor
I recently collaborated with an amazing company called Gourmet Mushrooms Inc.(Mycopia brand), they are pioneers in specialty mushroom cultivation and continue to be the leading brand in that sector. I created a menu where their delicious fungi took center stage! For our Mushroom Fête , in addition to the menu, I designed the tablescape and invited our friends to share the experience and enjoy the incredible, delicious mushrooms!
To go along with the theme, the décor of the table was all about foraging, nature and the everlasting renewal of the seasons. Hopefully it can be an inspiration for your Easter Holiday table or any other family gathering this spring – the season of rebirth. Here is how I did it…..
Foraging landscape
For the tablescape I wanted to create a “foraging” theme, thus a carpet of moss, mushrooms, and natural elements adorned the center of the dining table.
Birch slices of various shapes and sizes from tiny to pedestal-like added degrees of changing elevations, enhanced the pastoral image and helped the guests imagine that they’re in a forest clearing in early September, resting under the cool tree canopies after day-long mushroom picking. It was simply enchanting!
Tableau Noir
Take a small stylish blackboard and using chalk, write the name of mushroom varieties you want to displayed inside the bell jars. The meaty Trumpet Royal mushrooms will easily stay fresh and firm through the night of entertaining. Find them at your local Whole Foods stores.
Fungi as a centerpiece
Since the entire menu was based on mushrooms as the primary produce element, I thought that it’d be fun to have them as a centerpiece along with freshly planted narcissuses.
Put clusters of Trumpet Royal, Brown or White Clamshell mushroom varieties into small clay flower pots and place them on top of birch slices at the table then cover with glass bell jars. Tip: Leave a small opening between the birch base and the jar for the air otherwise the jar will “sweat”.
Moss balls
The decorative moss balls of various sizes add a degree of dimension to the moss carpet. I used small, medium and large for this display to vary the heights.
Moss balls are also versatile and useful throughout the year, you can store or displayed them in glass canisters or vases to make a beautiful backdrop for the console table or the dinning area in your home.
Greenhouse effect
Each one of these Hermes salad plates from the Jardin des Orchidées collection has a depiction of a unique orchid that complimented the themed tablescape so well. However, even the regular white plate will work equally well if you embellish it with single cut flower, branch or leaf. Use your imagination!
Good steak knives is a must
For the main course at our Mushroom Fête dinner, I served a succulent Duck Breast with Purple Cabbage and of course, Mushroom. A good steak knife is a must when serving any meat. These knives are one of my recent purchases. I first saw them and other utensils from the same brand at a boutique cutlery store in Paris. Alain Saint-Joanis has been manufacturing French cutlery since 1876 and the company is rooted deep in tradition of manufacturing the highest quality product. They use various unique materials such as ebony, rosewood and boxwood as well as various resins to assemble each piece by hand in France. Pick the collection which will complement your dinnerware all year round, like these classic off-white stainless steel steak knives.
I hope you find some inspiration for your spring table décor and happy planning!
To create this Mushroom Fête Décor you will need:
share your thoughts