A stylish and impactful table setting, I find, is often inspired by the wonderful outdoors. My love for bringing the garden indoors is especially amplified during the colder winter months, because we tend to be inside a lot more.
For my winter styling, I collaborated with Willem van Schalkwyk, anthophile and entrepreneur, from @InBloomZA. He is my go-to floral designer and brought my winter vision to life perfectly.
In line with my winter-inspired home décor, I love the idea of using seasonal fruits and foliage when it comes to table settings and floral arrangements. My citrus-themed tablescape introduces bright and aromatic elements to your home interior. The lovely combination of oranges, lemons and naartjies make any gathering around the table colourful, bright and cheerful.
My love for citrus goes far beyond just the beautiful zesty smells and bright colours, because, in winter especially, I tend to crave these vitamin-rich fruits. So, I’m excited to share a delicious recipe for a moist, tangy and delicious lemon drizzle cake that has become somewhat of a tradition in our home. We all enjoy baking it together and indulge in its citrus deliciousness!
Citrus-inspired tablescape
Fresh lemon branches foraged from our beloved kitchen garden are the focal point on the table. The bright yellow lemons and lovely green leaves brighten the room and create a fresh and colourful centrepiece.
I used a mixture of glassware on the table to soften the bold, yellow colour and combined crystal wine glasses and gold vintage-inspired water tumblers. I also sourced a few local items to add interest to the table. I love the combination of Poetry’s ceramic pret-a-pot blom dinner and side plates, as well as their leafy napkin rings, Boschendal’s lemon & clementine embroidered tea towels (that I used as napkins) and @home’s gold cutlery.
Besides the décor, seasonal edible elements also adds to the winter atmosphere at the table. Boschendal’s chilli-infused olive oil and their dark Belgian chocolate with clementine curd are divine.
Homely florals
For our entrance hall, Willem combined dried agapanthus, an old tree branch and strelitzias to complement the striking artwork against the wall. The extra detail of Trudon’s Gabriel candle introduces a welcoming warmth during those chilly winter afternoons. With notes of leather, cashmere, wood and candied chestnuts, the candle’s fragrance embodies happy and cosy memories.
For the living room, we decided to add an elegant pop of colour with beautifully rich pink magnolias (currently blossoming all over the Cape Winelands). The magnolias were arranged in the dynamic Japanese Ikebana style, creating an elegant, yet striking combination of blossoms, branches, leaves and stems.
Lastly, we placed divine, red clivia berries in a small vase next to the piano and a mahogany dracaena indoor plant to balance the two living room areas.
The Lemon Drizzle Cake
My Instagram followers would know that my daughters and I love making this delicious lemon drizzle cake (inspired by the abundance of fruit on our lemon trees in our garden). It is super simple. easy to make and a firm favourite in our house.
We use Donna Hay’s recipe from her book, Fast, Fresh, Simple. Try it, you’ll thank me later.
Ingredients Cake
● 3⁄4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil
● 2 eggs
● 1 tablespoon finely-grated lemon rind
● 2 tablespoons lemon juice
● 1 cup (280g) thick natural yoghurt
● 1 3⁄4 cups (385g) castor (superfine) sugar (we only use 1 cup)
Drizzle
● 3⁄4 cup (120g) granulated sugar
● 2 1⁄4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Place the oil, eggs, rind, lemon juice, yoghurt and sugar in a bowl and whisk tocombine.
- Sift over the flour and stir until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 24cm ring tin.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked (test with a skewer).
- While the cake is still ho,t remove from the tin and place on a plate.
- To make the lemon frosting, gently mix together the sugar and lemon juice.
- Spoon over the cake and allow to set. Serve warm.
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