Connecting with family and friends over good food and drinks is special in itself, but we love making the experience that more memorable by adding beautiful elements to the dinner table for everyone to enjoy. Incorporating these small things at your next get-together makes all the difference with very little effort.
Cloth Napkins
One of the main features of a well-dressed table are beautiful linen napkins that bring timeless elegance to any table setting. This simple tabletop accessory is an easy way to instantly elevate your table setting and introduce color. Unlike disposable paper napkins that seem to pile up when entertaining, fabric napkins are reusable and environmentally friendly, which is more reason to implement these sustainable beauties.
Place Cards
Besides helping guests find their seats, place cards add a touch of personalization to any gathering. We love keeping a drawer of stationery with place cards on hand as an easy way to add a special touch to the dinner table and make friends and family feel thought of and valued.
Low Floral Centerpieces
There’s nothing worse than trying to engage in conversation with guests and having your view obstructed by a tall floral centerpiece. Long and low floral arrangements provide good sight lines to invite conversation while adding a natural touch that elevates the setting.
Candles
We love creating a cozy setting with ambient lighting. Overhead lighting is sparingly used in our household as we tend to opt for softer light sources like wall sconces, lamps and candles. We recommend steering away from scented candles at the dinner table to not overwhelm the senses when enjoying the meal. Instead choose taper candles or tea lights to radiate a soft, flattering glow that enhances the atmosphere.
Fruit
An easy way to bring color and texture to the table. Fruits such as citrus and pomegranates add a fresh, natural beauty to the setting. They can be both scattered, or displayed in elegant bowls for a more polished look that’s reminiscent of an Old Masters painting. We love creating a tower of lemons or oranges in an urn to add a sculptural element at the buffet table.
Layering
Play with color and texture by layering linens, plates, and decor to add depth and dimension. For a more visually rich tablescape we like mixing dinnerware from multiple collections that share a common color or pair well together as complementary colors. A layered approach creates a harmonious tablescape that feels thoughtfully curated yet inviting.
Playing with Height
We believe that the key to great design is to create a sense of movement and variety that draws the eye. One of our favorite ways of applying this principle is by adding tall candlesticks or bud vases to the dinner table as these elements make the eye travel across your tablescape yet they are slender enough to not block conversation. Pairing these pieces with lower items such as long and low floral arrangements and small bowls of fruit can balance the look.