Styling a Summer Afternoon Tea

We all know those blissful moments in life. Those little indulgences make your heart skip a little with excitement. For us, it’s a new series on Netflix, bottomless brunch, the arrival of an ASOS delivery, and its afternoon tea.

Let’s talk about afternoon tea for a minute. Teeny tiny bite-sized portions towered high. An array of colorful treats alongside the tastiest sandwiches. Scones with jam and clotted cream. Endless prosecco and tea. What’s not to love? And we never fight over what comes first – the jam or the cream.

For us, it’s all about making your afternoon tea unique to you and what better for a summer garden soiree than the Westerly collection from Portmeirion. We’re all about jazzing up your dining table when the sun makes an appearance.

Ideal for the summer months, the Westerly collection with its sky blues and sunshine yellow tones, is bound to brighten up the dining table. The leaf and floral motifs are the perfect pairings for an outdoor tea party. However, it’s the cool retro vibe that Westerly offers that we loved. Starting from £9.50, the collection is fun and dynamic. Whether you mix and match the ceramics or keep them to one color, the range is playful yet sophisticated.

Three Top Influencer Tips for Creating an Eclectic Summer Afternoon Tea

• “Free your mind from “tradition” and get creative. Use any beautiful pieces you have that may not be typically associated with tea time or use everyday objects in unusual ways. For example, a mirror laid flat like a tray for candles or cutlery or a piece of ceramic turned upside down with a plate on top for a custom cake stand. Be inventive and have fun!” Julia Alexander and Tamara Broido, Interior Designers; Alex and Bro
• “The casual nature of summer dining lends itself perfectly to mixing and matching tableware. For a beautifully styled and eclectic afternoon tea table, combine different sets of plates, cups, saucers, and serving pieces. Display ditsy florals alongside heritage designs, chinoiserie with stripes, scalloped edges with clean lines. The focus here is to keep things relaxed and fun and then to pile up with delicious sweet treats!” Sarah Mailer, Blogger & Interior Designer; Girl About House
• “Make it reflect summer. Add small groupings of local wildflowers together around the table and use seasonal food as part of the decoration; big juicy strawberries in a bowl and vibrant pink radishes for dipping make excellent table decor as well as being delicious” Melanie Lissack, Blogger

If Westerly isn’t your cup of tea (pardon the pun) then Stoke-on-Trent-based Portmeirion and its accompanying sister brands have a wide selection of tableware to suit all styles and tastes. From Spode and Sara Miller to Royal Worcester and Pimpernel, there’s a dining set to suit many styles. Here are a few that may tickle your taste buds…

For us though, it’s Westerly all the way. Grab the macarons and spruce the table up with some wildflowers, it’s tea time!

This article was written by David & Mark from Forward Features

Meet The Authors

London-based duo blogging about interior, trends, design & industry news. Winners of the Best Design Inspiration blog in the Amara Interior Blog Awards '16, Forward Features is the journey of David & Mark, interior geeks searching for domestic bliss in the city.

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