Tablescaping with Fiona Leahy

The renowned events designer shares how she tablescapes for each of ABASK's style aesthetics

Fiona Leahy, the London-based designer is a connoisseur of conjuring the perfect ambience with her tablescapes. Here, she shows us how to capture four distinctive moods, without a cliché in sight.

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Classic conviviality

Classic never goes out of style; something I loved 10 years ago I will continue to love in 10 years’ time. It's like that white shirt that never dates: reassuring, doesn't require lots of bandwidth and you can dress it up or down!

When it comes to tables, I think there is something endlessly refreshing and visually cleansing about green flowers on white china plates: it’s one of my favourite things. Sit them on the perfect white tablecloth with candlesticks and elegant long-stem glassware, then add a centrepiece. This Astier de Villatte vase is perfectly proportioned for this table and the sort of item that will become a future heirloom.

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Modernist magnificence

This is a maximalist version of Modernism as it’s quite abundant. To me, embracing modernism is about geometry. We have the mimosa, which looks as if it might be scoops of ice cream served in this beautiful Gather stem bowl; the incredible colours of Green Wolf’s Murano lamps; and this vintage decanter, which is like an amazing globe. 

I think of Modernism as like sitting in a piece of a graphic art so it’s good to think about the way you want your tables to resonate. I want to give a dopamine hit with mine, so have created a table reminiscent of a liquid sunset in Mexico with a colour palette of Pepto-Bismol pink and sunshine yellow, that feels like the golden hour. Perfect for serving margaritas in these glasses by Gather.
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I think of Modernism as like sitting in a piece of a graphic art so it’s good to think about the way you want your tables to resonate.

Fiona Leahy

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Minimalist harmony

I think a minimalist tablescape is a breath of fresh air after a long time of people throwing every print, pattern and thing on the table; it’s like a visual rest.

My minimalist table is built around a couple of really beautiful things, like these sculptural candlesticks as the centrepoint. I then dress around it accordingly with architectural silver cutlery, white plates, a single-stem vase and these Lobmeyr glasses, which all need space to be appreciated. That’s the luxury of minimalism; there is something beautiful about seeing amazingly crafted objects in their simplest form and simplicity is the hardest thing to get right.

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Bohemian should look effortless and bring a little of the unexpected.

Fiona Leahy

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Bohemian bliss

Bohemian should look effortless and bring a little of the unexpected. A fruit bowl is so versatile in this setting as you can pile fruit or insert a flower frog and make a floral arrangement. They are substantial but don’t obstruct the view of the person in front of you (the most annoying thing is having something in your line of vision).

Bohemian can still be elegant – nothing is truly matching, but it sort of does. What is beautiful here is that the pink ceramics match the charger plate, so that there is a little dialogue happening.  I felt a happy moment thinking that they were very in sync.

You do need contrast, though. If you had had all pink on this table, it would be too much. The brown of the tablecloth and quince blossom tempers it and matches the edge of the plate to the edge of the napkin, which I have arranged – it’s like a neck-tie for your plate.
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