The inspiration for the table setting came from many different sources. The first piece I found was the beaded fuchsia sari. Saris are not completely beaded but I thought I could cut it apart and put it back together for the top of the table. It worked and you can see the result.
For the tabletop decor, I knew I didn’t want to use the typical Moroccan lanterns you can see everywhere. I wan’t sure what I wanted but when I discovered the hammered copper candle holder, I knew that was it. Even though it was a large candle holder, I immediately visualized it with flowers poking through the wires.
In my travels, I passed a store specializing in Moroccan imports. The store was piled high with dishes and tagines. I fell in love with the beautiful, hand-painted dishes and was on the verge of buying them when I thought to ask if the dishes were food safe. The store owner hesitated and said, “Well… They should be.” This gave me pause. I didn’t buy them. But now I was on the hunt for Moroccan looking dishes that were food safe. On Amazon, I found a line of dishes manufactured in Tunsia (hand painted) there were certified food safe by the states of Washington and California. The manufacturer is Le Souk Ceramique and you can find these at my Amazon Affiliate Store. I knew I was using my white dinner plates because the food was so colorful.
Next, I needed salad plates and I found these amazing dishes manufactured by Pfaltzgraff. I loved the turquoise tone on tone pattern. They looked Moroccan and I knew I could use them on many different occasions, for many different themes. These are also at my Amazon Affiliate Store.
So, now I had a fuchsia tabletop, turquoise salad plates, Moroccan patterned platters. I added orange napkins to complete the picture. This combination of colors seemed exotic, Moroccan and a feast for the eyes that matched the food. Some of the other solid colored platters I already had.
Finally, I couldn’t do a Moroccan feast without those small Moroccan glasses (available at my Amazon Affiliate Store). In my travels, I found someone selling an entire case of 72 glasses. Seventy two glasses might seem excessive to some people but not to me. I used most of them to form a star on the courtyard table. When people entered the courtyard, they were greeted by Moroccan glasses and candles that set the tone for the evening.
Here’s what’s on my table:
- Dinner plates (Bone china, Coalport Country Ware pattern)
- Turquoise salad plates and serving plates (Pfaltzgraff, Dolce pattern)
- Moroccan hand painted turquoise plates (Le Souk Ceramique)
- Beaded, embroidered sari table top (Raj, an Indian merchandise store in Los Angeles: Rajimports.net)
- Scarf on side board table (Raj)
- Dark blue platters (Raj)
- Orange napkins (World Market)
- Blue water glasses (Bormioli Murano Glass, available at my Amazon Affiliate Store)
- Deep purple platter (Bordallo Pinheiro Majolica)
- Medium oval light blue platter (Bordallo Pinheiro Majolica)
- Large oval dark blue platter (Bordallo Pinheiro Majolica)
- Small Moroccan glasses (available at my Amazon Affiliate Store)
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