Beautiful Tablescape Goes Beyond the “Extra” Mile
When staying at a B&B, you should expect an amazing breakfast, but what about the table setting. Do you expect a beautiful tablescape as well?
If VIP service that includes breakfast served on china with crystal and silver is what you hope for, we know just the place. You will want to stay at Blessings on State Bed & Breakfast.
We have stayed there twice. (Read about our 1st visit here.) Both times, the breakfast table was stunning. I asked Gwenn, owner and innkeeper, about all she does to make breakfast so elegant.
Here’s her what, how, and why…
Blessings on State Bed & Breakfast in its summer elegance.
Location
1109 West State Street
Jacksonville, IL 62650
Contact:
Gwenn Eyer
(217) 245-1013
Check In: 3 PM
Check Out: 11 AM
Breakfast: Included
*Specials, packages and gift certificates available.
Fall’s beautiful tablescape has deeper, rich colored linens, floral arrangement and gourds along with colored glassware.
What is a “Tablescape?"
Before we get to the how and why, just what is a tablescape? In 2003, chef Sandra Lee coined the phrase. She blended “table” and “landscaping” together and tablescaping was born.
Simply stated, it involves setting a themed dining table in decorative and artful ways. By combining elegant items with artfully presented food, tablescaping elevates the dining experience….even it it’s just breakfast!
Main course egg “puff,” served with sausage and potato stack set on a beautiful fall table looks too good to eat.
At Blessings on State, setting an elegant breakfast table is part of their VIP service. After all, as Gwenn says, “Breakfast is part of our name. I take that very seriously. We use a more formal design for our breakfast tablescapes.”
As a result, when you enter the dining room, a table set with china, silver, and crystal greets you. Flowers and other seasonal items adorn the table as well. Linens and china patterns fit the season or holiday, depending on the time of year you visit.
Breakfast comes from the kitchen in multiple courses, served blue-plate style. Serving courses is “the style that we serve, which is an elegant upscale service,” according to Gwenn.
A beautiful tablescape begins with chargers, crystal, and china set on elegant linens.
How are Beautiful Tablescapes Created?
I asked Gwenn how she created such beautiful tablescapes. She told me the secrets to success—have a plan, shop smart, and have fun with chargers.
First, Have a Plan
Having a knowledge of the parts and pieces of an elegant table is important to the plan. Thus, knowing what you need makes planning a breeze.
Color, size, and shape is part of the presentation—and that includes the food. Once you decide on the menu, plan your table around the season then start mixing and matching the decorative pieces.
(Check out Gwenn’s video on the Blessings on State YouTube channel for a quick tutorial.)
Breakfast starts with a fruit course like “Peach Soup” served in a crystal goblet set on a doily on a china plate.
Second, Shop Smart
Being budget minded doesn’t mean sacrificing elegance. Watch for estate sales. Shop the outlets. Look for clearance sales. You can even find bargains at thrift shops.
Gwenn learned how to spot items which were seconds but looked like 1st quality. She said, “Most people don’t pick up a plate and look at the mark on the back. I was very careful to buy pieces that were very good quality.”
Family members and friends may also contribute items they no longer want but will work perfectly for your needs.
Breakfast-for-one served on the Dining Room table has the same elegant flair.
Third, Have Fun with Chargers
Chargers are the “under plate” on a beautifully set table. Changing the charger can completely change the look of your table.
They add color, texture, and pattern to any table. Chargers don’t have to be expensive to be effective.
Gwenn told me, “We use [chargers] as the foundation. It’s an easy update. It’s an easy change.”
(Watch Blessings on State YouTube channel video for a quick tutorial on chargers.)
Summer setting at a romantic table-for-two beside the large picture window.
Why Does Blessings on State do Beautiful Tablescapes?
The “why” goes back to two parts of Gwenn’s life and training. At an early age she learned about hosting guests. Everyone was welcome in her parents’ home. Gwenn jokingly says she has the “hospitality gene.”
In addition, she was a home economics major in college. Gwenn mentioned, “I have had housing and home furnishings, cooking, and baking, and sewing, and childcare. I like the whole idea of those classes—the table settings, the napkin folding, the fine china, the crystal. All that just appeals to me.”
At Blessings on State B&B, the innkeepers take note of food preferences—like this waffle for a fruit lover….
…and this waffle for one who doesn’t like fruit. However, it’s still dressed up with edible nasturtiums!
Being able to use pretty things for her guests—and have her guests enjoy it is part of the Blessings on State hospitality goal. “We do things here to make it an experience that you will remember and if possible, want to repeat.”
Rediscover the Art of Hospitality at Blessings on State
If you want to feel pampered, stop by Blessings on State B&B where breakfast enriches the VIP experience.
You will find personalized treatment with careful attention to, well…everything.
Rediscover the art of hospitality offered by those who understand how a guest should be treated.
Festive fall breakfast table decked out with china, crystal, and silver.
Always smiling, Gwenn stands next to her beautifully set breakfast table.
About Blessings on State Bed & Breakfast
Nestled in the heartland region of the United States, this stately 1880’s Victorian mansion sits within Jacksonville, Illinois’ historic district.
The “grand dame” as owner-innkeeper Gwenn Eyer calls it, has all the beauty and elegance of a bygone era. From the wraparound porch to the rich woodwork to the beautiful suites to the gardens, each part of the property welcomes weary travelers.
Receiving several awards since opening, Blessings on State B&B is known for attention to hospitality. Gwenn's husband, Glenn and daughter Casey are also part of the team. Passion for service, along with excellent staff, makes Blessings very much worth the detour.
**Thank you to Gwenn, Glenn, and Casey for the interview and allowing us to photograph your B&B for our Worthy Detours Travel Blog. Also, thank you for your kindness in providing our overnight stay and delicious breakfast!
Looking for more amazing places to sleep during your travels? Head over to our "Places to Sleep" page for other Worthy Detour stops.
