{"id":3021,"date":"2025-09-01T23:14:24","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T03:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/?p=3021"},"modified":"2025-09-10T10:27:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T14:27:23","slug":"mini-style-guide-creating-beauty-from-contrast-with-designer-sally-wilkinson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/mini-style-guide-creating-beauty-from-contrast-with-designer-sally-wilkinson\/","title":{"rendered":"Mini-Style Guide: Creating Beauty from Contrast with Designer Sally Wilkinson"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\"Sally<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

We are pleased to have Designer Sally Wilkinson<\/a> back for a mini-style guide on her always unique take on setting a scene. As a continuation of our Holiday tablescape Style Guide with Sally<\/a>, here she shows us how contrast creates harmony to bring refinement to a \u201cnot too perfect\u201d transitional table setting for the end of summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merging sensibilities of her Southern upbringing and training in classical design principles in the US with her present life in London as a designer, Sally<\/a> brings a polished and cultivated aesthetic that is best understood from her quote for Homes & Gardens<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere can be a tendency in the U.S. to favor schematic, structured schemes,\u201d she says. \u201cHere, I learned that embracing a slight sense of imbalance makes for more interesting, dynamic design. There\u2019s no fun in everything looking perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her latest tablescape for Marigold Living<\/a>, our earthy kalamkari Hana napkins<\/a> and bold ceramics are layered alongside airy block-printed Florence linens<\/a> and soft florals \u2014 proving that opposites don\u2019t clash when tied together with care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover how Sally blends textures, tones, and stories into a summer tablescape that feels effortless, refined, and uniquely personal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026it’s all about contrast\u201d<\/strong> <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026<\/em><\/strong>the softness of the florals and linens\u2026balanced with the earthiness of the terracotta and the dark-toned ceramics<\/em>\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n
\"Summer<\/a>
Florence blockprinted tablecloth<\/a> in lilac with Hana kalamkari napkins<\/a> in maroon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Q: There\u2019s a soft, refined energy to this table setting, but it\u2019s far from overly sweet. How do you strike that balance?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: For me, it’s all about contrast – the softness of the florals and linens feel even more inviting when balanced with the earthiness of the terracotta and the dark-toned ceramics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026It is best not to lock yourself into one ‘theme’ or color palette\u201d<\/strong> <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026there is a lot of editing that goes into getting the end result right.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: You\u2019ve beautifully paired earthy, bold accents seen in the kalamkari napkins<\/a>, wall plates and cherries, with softer hues seen in the block printed tablecloth<\/a>, florals and other decorative accents. Many people hesitate to mix these opposite tones, fearing they might clash. How do you find harmony between richer colors and airy pastels?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: Thank you! I try to look for a shared undertone and play around with proportions. For a table setting, I like to play around with several objects rather than locking myself into one \u2018theme\u2019 or color palette and sometimes am surprised by what ends up working together. Even for a small vignette, there is a lot of editing that goes into getting the end result right where it feels good, and not too perfect.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Seasonal food and flowers are always a good jumping off point <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026but avoid the obvious seasonal motifs or a theme\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Summer
End of summer traditional tablescape with Florence block print tablecloth<\/a> and Hana kalamkari napkins<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Q: Do you build your tablescapes seasonally? This feels like summer but not in an expected way. Was that mood deliberate?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: Yes, but I like to avoid the obvious seasonal motifs or a theme. For this particular set up, I started by going to my local market and buying the cherries. Seasonal food and flowers are always a good jumping off point!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incorporate at least one handmade element to bring in warmth <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026collect slowly \u2013 antique plates and objects help a table feel more naturally layered rather than staged.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Summer
Florence blockprinted tablecloth<\/a> in lilac with Hana kalamkari napkins<\/a> in maroon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Q: Nothing feels overly styled or deliberate, yet everything comes together in such a curated, intentional way. Do you have any sourcing tips for those looking to cultivate this unique aesthetic in their own space?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: I think the key is mixing items of various places and times, collecting slowly. Antique plates and objects help a table feel more naturally layered rather than staged. I also love incorporating at least one handmade element to bring in warmth and more of a story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are pleased to have Designer Sally Wilkinson back for a mini-style guide on her always unique take on setting a scene. As a continuation of our Holiday tablescape Style Guide with Sally, here she shows us how contrast creates harmony to bring refinement to a \u201cnot too perfect\u201d transitional table setting for the end of summer. Merging sensibilities of her Southern upbringing and training in classical design principles in the US with her present life in London as a … Continue reading Mini-Style Guide: Creating Beauty from Contrast with Designer Sally Wilkinson<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2953,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3021"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3063,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3021\/revisions\/3063"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}