Château de Villandry Garden Party
Grand is a State of Mind
A mother-daughter trip to the Loire Valley led us to the utterly enchanting Château de Villandry, famous for its historic ornamental parterre gardens à la française. As we walked sunlit paths and marveled at so much beauty and grandeur, we had an epiphany: no matter where you are, you can choose how to live—because “grand” is a state of mind.
You don’t need a chateau to live like a princess! You can create romance, beauty and grandeur by cultivating little everyday luxuries such as keeping fresh flowers in your house at all times and making a point of romanticizing mundane tasks with thoughtful attention to beauty.
Join us and revel in the romance of life! Let’s usher in spring with blossoming tabletops inspired by the formal gardens of this marvelous chateau—whose elements we have reimagined into miniature versions for you to take home.
Garden Architectural Elements
Villandry’s gardens are a spectacle of romantic Renaissance style, with box hedges, topiaries, and mazes bringing meticulous order to Mother Nature. Create your own petite parterre tabletop garden using classical elements, from statuesque pedestal urns frothing with fairytale flowers (hello, height and drama) to our fabulously unique ceramic parterre vases that can be endlessly configured to display blooms (watch Capucine floral arranging in parterre-garden style in the video below)!
Fill in your tableau vivant with lavish layers of linens in lush and verdant hues, plates festooned with intricate garden motifs, and sparkling Bohemian glassware (a chilled Chablis would pair perfectly)!
The Jewels of the Garden
We noticed many magical little creatures during our visit. As twilight descended and stars twinkled in the azure sky like diamonds, we spied bunnies in the flowerbeds and songbirds atop the topiaries. Tranquil ponds revealed tiny frogs peeping out from the lily pads—did we kiss one? We’ll never tell, but we were inspired to create whimsical jewelry pieces to accompany you at spring soirées and summer fêtes.
Forever Florals
Lastly – we wanted to bring home all the stunning flora and fauna we saw in the garden. We picked a few and cast a magic spell on them to last forever. These forever florals of intricate, hand-painted metal bring color and whimsy to the table, from blooming candelabras, candlestick holders and napkin rings, to brambly place card holders gilded with gold. These little sculptural elements provide layers of texture and really bring the garden to life for your tablescaping. Now all we have to do is pop the champagne, add a splash of crème de cassis for a berry-hued Kir Royale and raise a glass to the effervescence of spring’s beauty and the joy of togetherness!
Que la fête commence!
How to Create a Tabletop Parterre Garden