Book Club Table Setting

Oklahoma City events designer Lindsay Gibson shares her ideas for a book club table setting.

Balance out a busy centerpiece by keeping the place setting simple and classic. Lindsay combined her grandmother's formal silver-rimmed china and flatware with quirkier star-etched crystal.

Bring in color with linens. Lindsay wrapped the plates horizontally with white napkins she embellished with DIY stripes (made with the largest zigzag stitch on a sewing machine) and folded diagonally.

Play up your theme. Lindsay personalized store-bought bookplates to mark each place setting and topped off the look with specially chosen vintage books that double as party favors for guests.

Create a separate serving area with mismatched cake stands (put a dessert on one and flowers on the other) and White Russians. Refer back to the dining table by using similar blooms.

Lindsay Gibson (gibsonevents.com) shares her winning formula for a colorful conversation starter.

Gather: Pull together a variety of containers, both glass and metal, in different heights. "I'm always on the lookout for reasonably priced bud vases and vessels," says Lindsay.

Fill: "It's important to have flowers and foliage in an assortment of sizes and shapes," she says. Here, Lindsay combined peonies, garden roses, ferns, sweet peas, and succulents for a mix of colors and textures.

Place: Start by putting the tallest vases in the center. Surround those with shorter ones, and end with a few plants set directly on the table. Balance colors by using containers with tiny blooms and greenery first and then popping in big blossoms where needed.