Fall Buffet

I hope everyone is having a great week!
Here in Colorado it has been getting cooler and cooler.  They had snow in the mountains last night and it snowed on Pikes Peak today!  I live at the base of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs and we are expecting our first freeze of the season Thursday night and Friday night.  Time to bring in my plants for those overnight freezes!  Luckily, or unluckily it won't last long and it is supposed to be in the 70's for the weekend with overnight lows only in the 40's.  Fall and winter just can't get here fast enough for me!

Today I am sharing my buffet.  I've got this hand me down antique buffet from my grandmother, actually I've got the whole set, the smaller version that I call a server (we use it for a liquor cabinet) and the china cabinet and the table with 4 chairs.  None of these pieces has a nail in them, they are all dowel and holes to hold them together.  I love these pieces but hate them at the same time, they are heavy and big, really big and I've got a small space.  If you have been following me, yes, this is the buffet with the broken leg, and yes, it is still broken and held together with black duct tape. 

So the rules that I follow to decorate a flat surface again are.
1 - some symmetry.  I don't particularly like matchy-matchy but you do need some symmetry
2 - vary your heights and your depth- this keeps the eye moving
3 - group thing in 3's as it is more pleasing to the eye
4 - layers, layers, layers.

So here we go. 
I started by laying down an orange runner that I got on sale a few years ago at Pottery Barn.  I then added a lamp on one end.  I set the lamp on some old books that I painted white and stamped.  For some symmetry I added a Yankee Candle tart burner at the other end.  In the middle I put a box I found at Hobby Lobby.

 Next I placed a faux garland down. 

This was my starting point.  I then started adding hale bales, faux pumpkins, more garland, pinecones and rocks to the mix.

The lamp and shade I got at Target last year.  You'll notice an empty iron holder there... I have printed off a fall print, I just need to get a dollar store frame and fix it up.  This is it!  Remember to keep stepping back and look at what you're doing to see if you like it.  You'll noticed I varied the height of things, did a lot of layers and grouped things in 3's.  I've got some symmetry with the lamp and the white pumpkin. 
Let me show you how I did it on the shelf above the buffet.  Here is where the shelf sits.

I added a layer of faux wheat and sticks.

Then I added my fall blocks I made.

Next I added something for height.  I bought this fake silver tray at the dollar store and painted the middle with chalkboard paint.  I wrote some fall things on it.  I added a fall 'face' that I've had for years, a new little fox from Gordman's and a glass jar of rocks I've collected on one of our many hikes.

This is what the entire shelf looks like.

You'll notice I made it more heavy on one end.  This is on purpose as it sits so close to the buffet and the height of the lamp is so close if I made it heavy on the close end it would look unbalanced.  I tried it and I didn't like it!  Remember if you like it then it is PERFECT.

Now let me show you my box on the buffet.  I could make a box and do the same thing but it was on sale so cheap, $2.00 I think with my coupon that I couldn't pass it up. 

All the faux pumpkins are from Hobby Lobby.  I either shop the sales or the end of the season when all the things are dirt cheap.  Also if you have a smart phone each month Hobby Lobby has an online coupon for either 20 or 40% off one item!  They'll take it right off your phone! 
So how did I do this? 
Excelsior.  Now this is messy, I mean really messy but it is a great way to 'lift' things in a box or a bowl. 

I filled the box with the Excelsior then placed my pumpkins in them. 

You could use real pumpkins and or gourds but first make sure you wash them with some bleach so they don't rot as fast.  I used fake.  You use the same idea for decorating your box as you do for any flat surface, layers, vary the height and some symmetry. 
This is what I finally ended up with.

Just keep playing with it, adding or taking away until you get what you like.  I added some faux pumpkins to the front and sides to give the box weight and relate it to the rest of the table. 

I hope you try decorating flat surfaces in your home. 
Next week I'll show you my dinning table, my outdoors and how I bring a bit of fall to almost every room in the house.  Don't confine your seasonal décor to just one room, spread it around. 

If you have any questions just shoot me an email, I will respond promptly.  Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you come back again soon.
Have a great weekend.  Stay safe!
Victoria

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