A Fourth of July Tablescape

Written by MICHELLE MASTRO

Photographs by RHONDA KAISER

This patriotic Fourth of July tablescape is decked out in classic Americana hues with mixed and matched pieces to create vintage appeal.

Hosting gatherings outside is the best on the Fourth of July, when outdoor sports, grilling and playing with sparklers rank high on the list of activities, and a Fourth of July tablescape sets the scene for a delicious, shared meal. For social media influencer, master gardener and designer Rhonda Kaiser of Southern Home and Farm, creating an inviting space outside is as important as attending to those inside her farmhouse. “My main goal with my outdoor spaces,” she says, “is to extend my indoors, creating an outdoor sanctuary of sorts. I think of these spaces as an extension of my home.”

In the distance, the silo welcomes with an opportunity to take refuge in the shade from a hot Texas July. Inside, an antique hog grain feeder acts as a chandelier. Outside, the tablescape blends other antique tins, bridging farm life elements with homespun pastoral accents.

Creating Cohesion

Rhonda wanted all her outdoor structures to match her charming white farmhouse. Her greenhouse, along with provincial style chairs, benches and a hanging bed swing are all white. It’s better still when her pieces are all chippy white, which she loves for a homespun, lived-in look. These chippy white chairs, pieces she’s collected over the years, encircle her large farmhouse-style table where she creates her Fourth of July tablescape.

Rhonda’s large farmhouse style table hails from a popular biannual Texas antique market, the Round Top Antiques Fair, which she visits every time it’s held. Some of the chippy white and brown wood chairs—more treasures from Round Top—offer an eclectic mix around her table.

Using Florals for a Fourth of July Tablescape

Rhonda piles on the red and blue motifs in her tablescape to coordinate with her chippy white theme. Antique tins in patriotic hues play host to gathered blooms of faux and dried hydrangeas. “Ninety percent of the time,” she says, “even a florist can’t tell which is which when you pair dried and faux together.” But the flowers, like the chippy chairs and strips of fabric she attaches to her statement centerpiece, are also a way to allude to red, white and blue without going overboard on tons of streamers or traditional stars and stripes.

Rhonda’s antique silo came from Mount Sterling, Illinois, where it was disassembled on the farm and then taken to Rhonda in Southeast Texas and reassembled. The silo, built in 1880, now functions as a hangout spot. “We grill and have family time out there,” she says.

Bringing it Together

Rhonda saves the Star-Spangled Banner for mini flags she tucks in a bottle vase garland she got from Antique Farmhouse. She adds in the flags sporadically and unevenly to create a random scheme. “Odd numbers are always better than even when it comes design,” she says. Thus, she folds an uneven number of flags into flower planters. She then coordinates her perennials to fit the red, blue and white dining plates she picks for her tablescape. Stepping back, she takes it all in. “We want pretty, but we also want functional,” she says. “We grill out here and have family time out there. If I’m out there all day, why not make it pretty
and enjoyable?”

Rusted vintage chairs in Rhonda’s silo-turned-hangout spot attest to the homespun, antique look she loves. “For the look I am going for, it is important to mix and match,” she says. Here, old farm feed sacks have become throw pillows, while vintage tins house living plants.

For more information, visit southernhomeandfarm.com

Surprising Ways to Decorate with Red, Blue and White

Rhonda shares how she incorporates patriotic hues beyond the traditional stars and stripes.

Whether it’s charming red and white throw pillows or dried hydrangeas, there are plenty of ways to evoke a classic Fourth of July color scheme.

Mix Patterns and Textures. Rhonda chose red and white polka dot patterns for her faux cupcakes; she then picked red and blue checkered patterns for some throw pillows. She also made sure to combine rough edges—like throws made from farm feed sacks—with softer textures, including cozy white pillows on the bed swing. “Mixing and matching different patterns and textures can also create a vintage feel,” she says.

Spring Snow Style

The standout statement centerpiece is a bottle vase garland Rhonda scored from Antique Farmhouse. She tucks mini flags into the glasses and affixes strips of cloth in an array of patterns to craft the vintage farmhouse vibe she has throughout her outdoor spaces.

To render her décor a bit more antique, Rhonda adds in handmade flags she finds on Etsy. With their wood sticks acting as flag poles, they add a rustic touch to her farmhouse spread.

Pick Unique Solids. The American flag is made of blue jay blue and scarlet red, but Rhonda pairs these more traditional shades with some unusual tints like turquoise candles on a table or the reddish-pink of the coneflowers near her silo. She does this to create visual interest and a homespun look, she says.

A faux cupcake acts as unexpected table dressing to the tablescape. The star, stripe and polka dot patterns add visual interest without being overwhelmingly red, white, and blue.

Weave in Living Touches. With her expertise as a florist and master gardener, Rhonda adds in live plants. Coneflowers, boxwood and native grasses make up the area around her tablescape. On the table, Rhonda peppers in dried and faux hydrangeas to bring her spread to life.