It is undeniable that food tastes better when carefully and tastefully
presented, so makes your guests feel welcome with stylish yet simple decorative
touches. Remember that entertaining should be fun, so indulge yourself…
The Basic Elements
These are the basic foundation materials for any table, and a really easy way to set the tone for your meal, in terms of either colour or theme. Of course, simple white utility china is indispensable and can be set off beautifully by splashes of colour in other areas of your table, see sections on napkins, flowers or placemats. Daintily patterned china can also be appealing for the traditional look - perfect for a high tea! (See our suggestions for 'Cool Classic dining' for a perfect example of elegant patterned china).
Don't be
scared of moving away from classic china. Try wood, tin, glass, or ceramics
for a different look, and an immediate talking point amongst your guests.
Remember that cups, plates and bowls are not simply for practical usage;
they display your food and your decorations - a stemmed crystal bowl,
for example, presents floating candles beautifully. Whatever you decide
on, make the most of these items. Make sure they are clean, bright, and
carefully stacked to have the maximum effect on your food.
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Blue
spinwash Dinner Set. |
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20pc
Neutral Dinner Set |
Don't be fooled into thinking that glasses and decanters are just for your drinks; flowers, tea lights, floating candles all find an ideal partner in a clean, sparkling piece of glassware…
Mixing and matching your glassware can be great fun - keep an eye out for antique style one-offs at your local car boot sale or charity shop; an eclectic mix of old and new, or of various colours can be really interesting. You can customise your glasses anyway you want - the key is to be creative! Try an etching or transfer kit for DIY decoration. Glasses must be kept clean; try soaking obstinate stains in vinegar. The transparency of glass means you can fill it with coloured water, colourful food, shells, pebbles, or flowers to spread colour around your table. Decanters are brilliant for serving red wine, or for cordials and squash on a summer's day, but they can also be employed as simple vases.
The key is to experiment and think laterally. Glasses are one of the main ways you can decorate your table interestingly and tastefully; even milk bottles can work in some situations!
There are
lots of nice sets of cutlery around; from classic silver to the fun and
kitsch. It is obviously one of the most practical parts of your table,
but that doesn't rule out experimenting with its presentation. Try tying
cutlery together with ribbon, wire or even stemmed flowers; it can be
a really easy way of coordinating your place settings with the wider colour
scheme of your table.
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Seraph 18/10 Cutlery Set |
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Napkins
Clean and freshly laundered napkins are the secret to success. Apart from this hard and fast rule, napkins are an area of your table that allows you to be entirely creative. Play around with colours, foldings, fresh flowers and herbs, beads and gifts, napkin rings… Though the double damask napkin is generally considered one of the finest, the actual type of napkin doesn't really matter that much. For pure style, linen is preferable to cotton - try embroidering a monogram onto the corner for a classic personal touch.
Coloured napkins, even if just on the hem, look stunning when offset by a plain white dinner set. When choosing the colour, think about what food you are serving. Orange napkins look great next to crisp green lettuce, red napkins give a warm, autumnal feel, and paler linens complement red meat brilliantly. Colour coordination can be fun, for example exclusively using different shades of blue, perhaps mixing with a blue and white check. Alternatively, white on white looks pristine, especially when offset by simply coloured flowers or candles.
Loads of different looks can be created by your napkins. If you are feeling adventurous, stitch small roses (available from most haberdashery counters) onto white napkins for added panache, perfect for weddings and banquets. For a rustic look, checks and stripes are ideal, and are complemented well by wooden or worn metal napkin rings. Plaid can have a surprisingly subtle effect if pastel shades are used, and is perfect for those summer picnics in the park. Floral patterns can range from the dainty to the full-blown chintz; roses, daisies, buttercups, garden flowers and herbs can enhance any setting either as part of the napkin pattern or as its accompaniment.
With oriental styles of cooking becoming so popular, why not customise your table to match. Wrap your napkins together with chopsticks and contemporary minimalist wooden rings, or even raffia and twine. Stick to plain colours for a real touch of urban chic.
Napkins on
their own are smart and stylish, but don't be afraid to decorate them.
Ribbons, rope, rings (literally, for a romantic anniversary!), beads,
leather strips, or wire can all have an interesting effect, and provide
a great talking point amongst your guests. Tie name labels round your
napkins, perhaps with a gift or even an edible pastry. For a touch of
natural beauty, use flowers, shells, fruits and plants. From the most
simply embroidered edging to a flamboyant beaded eastern ring, napkins
can become an opportunity to express yourself, and establish the style
of your whole table setting.
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'Napkin
Details', Margaret Caselton; Ryland, Peters and Small |
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Name
cards
Name cards should be incorporated into the style and theme of your table. A lovely way of using them is to attach labels to small table gifts at the place of each guest; even just a simple flower stem can be a really welcoming touch. For a more formal look, seek out pretty or quirky name card holders. Photo holders can be fun; for a romantic dinner for two why not put a few photos of you and your partner in the holder with your name cards. Ultimately, simply dropping a nicely handwritten card inside a wine glass or water tumbler is a classy way of arranging your seating. Name cards give you a great excuse to play around with who sits where (with potentially interesting results!?), alternatively, put the cards in a bag and let your guests choose their dinner neighbours randomly…
Placemats and coasters make an immediate impression as your guests arrive at the table. It can be great fun to experiment with colours and textures; fabric, cork, rattan, slate, leather, rubber, ceramic tiles, even a large wooden dish, could potentially complement the other components of your table. Children's parties provide a brilliant excuse for even more bizarre ideas; carpet, lino, or astro-turf, for example. See the table inspiration for a children's party for more ideas… Mirrors give an interesting illusionary effect that works especially well when place under shot glasses (don't forget to check out our Cocktail suggestions)
The most sophisticated way of lighting any table, candles can be subtle and stylish, bold and dramatic.
Candles are nigh-on essential for outdoor dining. Late summer barbeques give the perfect excuse to experiment. The container you use doesn't really matter; look out in car boot sales and charity shops for one off candles holders. Clay pots, glass bricks, kitchen glass containers, antique cut glass goblets, and natural materials such as wood, stone, metal, terracotta and cement can all be effective with a little innovation. Shells can provide a Mediterranean feel, or try bottles for an al fresco look that is ideal for Italian themed evenings. Subtly cast light over the patio or terrace with night lights in small glass pots. Try beaded or coloured pots for a pretty feminine touch or exotic extravagance. Candles can be dotted around individually when you are entertaining, or gathered together (perhaps in lines or shapes) for a cosy, welcoming warmth. Lanterns can be endlessly customised with shells, pebbles, coloured glass etc. They needn't be confined to your eating area either; welcome your guests to the house with a line of dancing lanterns up to the door.
On your table, one of the most beautiful ways of displaying candles is to float them in a bowl of water. You could try a painted terracotta bowl with yellows, oranges and reds for an exotic heat, or the classic crystal with flower petals for a chic sophistication. Even experiment with food colouring to complement the colour palette of your table. Candles of all shapes and sizes can be used on your table. It is a good idea to have a basic store of versatile styles that can be adjusted to suit any occasion. Whatever you choose, candles on the table will give a much gentler illumination than central electric lamps. Combine with dimmed lights for a romantic glow...
Don't be afraid to make your candles what you want them to be. Glittering candles are great fun for entertaining, simply roll a candle in a plateful of glitter to add some sparkle to your table. Decorate your candles and holders with feathers, fabric or paper that has caught your eye.
A nice way of using your candles as a personal welcome for your guests is either to present them as a simple table gift, or to incorporate them into each place setting. Use a blunt pencil or a bamboo skewer (anything thin and pointed will do) to carve your guests' initials into the candle instead of using name cards.
A romantic flame
Candles have always been associated with romantic occasions; a warm golden glow complements the passionate reds of the celebration excellently. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to experiment, so start lighting some fires…!?
Reds and pinks are the obvious choices in terms of colour, but don’t feel limited to simply buying coloured candles. Float some candles in a bowl of coloured water (a few drops of red food colouring should do the trick), or cover the water in a blanket of coloured petals. Go for red glassware for a really opulent feel.
Lanterns and candleholders are available in lots of different colours, and those with patterns can throw off beautiful dancing silhouettes and shadows. Don’t reject the simple though; small red tea-lights in little glasses, perhaps embellished with a heart-shaped sticker or transfer, are just as effective as a more elaborate design idea.
Take a look at our Valentine’s recipes for further inspiration.Spring and summer lights
As the sun begins to warm up, so we begin to come outside and notice the garden again! What better way to celebrate this awakening, than by a festival of light to illuminate your al fresco dining and entertaining.
Lanterns are the order of the day. Why not make a trail to welcome your guests up the garden path, or hide your lights amidst the new foliage on the trees. Use cellophane wrapped around lanterns and other candleholders to add colour; different shades of blue and vibrant pinks will evoke memories of Mediterranean siestas.
Look for
interesting ceramic or stone holders for your candles, and be inventive;
flat shells make ideal candle holders, for example. You could put these
eclectic holders next to each place setting for a personal touch to welcome
each guest, or put clusters of them around your patio for little alcoves
of light. Combine candles with pebbles and flowers to complete the al
fresco, natural feel.
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'Candle Details', Emily Chalmers; Ryland, Peters and Small | ||
Flowers and Plants
From full floral centrepieces, to chic individual flowers, to flower petals floating in water or scattered across the table, flowers provide the finishing touch to any table and can complement any scheme of colour or theme. Even fruit and vegetables can be used to good effect - see the rustic Halloween table inspiration. A small posy of fresh flowers is an ideal table gift when combined with a pretty ribbon and name card.
See Fast
Flowers for your table for further ideas
Table Inspirations
Ideas for different occasions…
Lazy weekend breakfast
Simplicity is key for this clean and fresh way to begin your weekend - and make sure there is a plentiful supply of tea, coffee and newspapers!
A generous linen tablecloth is an essential start, and will set off basic but versatile china and accessories. Combine plain white china with uncomplicated glassware. A fun idea for place-names is to write them on your guests' boiled eggs before laying them out, or gently carve an initial into an individual pat of butter. Serve orange juice in clear, clean decanters or jugs, and milk in traditional old glass bottles. Put condiments like marmalade into small glass dishes with a tea spoon, or get hold of some vintage jars - sometimes you can find labels from rural French brands for an interesting talking point.
The colour scheme is white with yellows and oranges. Jars full of sunflowers will put you in a good mood for the rest of your weekend. Dishes of dried apricots match the colour scheme and are a tasty accompaniment to most cereals. Try primrose yellow napkins with wood rings set next to simple silver cutlery to complete this sunny breakfast experience.
Mediterranean style table
Evoke memories of summer holidays with an alfresco lunch on the terrace…
Weathered white-washed old wood and old garden furniture really set the tone for this look, although any wooden table covered with a large cloth would do. Stick to the colours of seaside Mediterranean cafés with whites, blues and pinks. This setting is inspired by texture as well as colour, so chunky glassware and china in soapstone and matt ceramic work well when put together with splashes of colour like scattered petals or bougainvillea flower heads, plants potted in terracotta or aluminium, or pretty pebbles in small dishes. Checked napkins in blue and white look fantastic with the white china.
Eating outdoors is a perfect excuse to experiment with lights. Put tea lights in small glass jars dotted over your table and around the patio or garden area. Plant candles in sand, gravel or pebbles for the rustic feel; coloured sand could emphasise the Mediterranean mood. Lanterns are a nice touch, to light the way to the table, and to create a warm, cosy glow around your eating area even if eating during the day.
Cool classic dining
A formal occasion calls for stylish elegance; keep things to a minimum with crisp white linen, fine china and sparkling glassware.
Low rounded vases holding sprigs of foliage (ferns work well) or a few white lilies set the tone for this minimalist look. Decorate the rest of the table with simple tea lights and hollow glass balls (available from florists and gift shops). A couple of large candles create a warm glow without complicating this simple look. Try standing them in white saucers with glass pebbles round the base.
With this table, much of your decoration is based around each individual place setting. A fresh, starched white linen napkin makes a simple placemat. Embellish it with a small gel candle for each guest and a name card perched on a beaded napkin ring. This is a good example of daintily patterned china creating a beautiful effect; complement it with plain, classic glasses and decanters. Each place should be set smartly and precisely (especially in terms of cutlery), which will contrast well with the circular and rounded shapes on the wider table for a look that is pure elegance.
Children's party
A perfect excuse to let your imagination run wild!
Colour is the key element for your party tea - and lots of it. Try Astroturf for surreal placemats that kids will love. Find as many quirky decorations as possible; peg, float, pot and place objects to keep your guests occupied throughout the meal. Colourful fruit jelly and coloured drinks in clear bottles spread colour across the table, as do large flamboyant flowers such as gerbera (present in plastic bottles for fun). A paper tablecloth with develop as the meal does if you provide your guests with colouring pens and pencils!
Try to make each place setting as 'gift-like' as possible. Wrap party food in irresistible packages, and leave your guests small gifts around their plates. You could try hanging up personalised paper plates all ready for the birthday cake. Just be inventive!!
Rustic Autumn Feast
Treat yourself to an autumnal celebration of seasonal fruits and colours.
Mustard, amber, oranges, reds, deep forest greens…. Adorn your table with vegetation such as gourds, artichokes, oranges and satsumas for a rustic, earthy simplicity that will give you and your guests a warm, wholesome feeling. Follow this look through with the texture of ceramic plates and bowls, wood or rattan placemats, and cutlery with bamboo, wood or coloured resin handles. Build up layers of colour for a sensual richness; thick glassware in red, orange, green or yellow works brilliantly - go for an eclectic mix of styles. Surround each place setting with a mixture of tempting goodies; bowls of nuts, satsumas, and interesting curios.
Candles are essential to create an autumnal mood or an eerie Halloween glow. Bamboo-shaped candles and coloured tea lights in coloured glass holders are perfect. Multi-coloured fairy lights and lanterns will be sure to encourage the festive spirit and put you in a celebratory mood - just what you need as the dark winter evenings start to draw in!
Cocktails and canapés
With the festive party season approaching what better way to celebrate than a stylish cocktail evening for friends.
Try something different by embellishing your snack trays with candles and pebbles, interspersed with small pieces of greenery or simple flowerheads. Invest in some banana leaves and cut them up to make mats for your plates and glasses. It is fun to experiment with layering elements like leaves, gravel and candles on plates and small dishes dotted around the room for a really tasteful effect. Use candles of every shape and size for maximum impact. You should be focussing on a colour palette of blues, greens and reds; go for the festive and bright.
For further information see the 'cocktails' section.
Entertaining Asian Style
Pink, jade, turquoise, lemon…
Some tips for transforming your table into a blaze of Asian colour:
- Customise
your own napkins with cotton fabric or napkins, fabric paint and stencil
of any pattern you like. You can make these accessories as simple or
intricate as you choose; a great idea for cocktail napkins
- Bring feng shui into your home with feng shui bells, sage sticks and light prosperity candles. Open the pathways to chi'i with feng shui peony and lemongrass scented potpourri.
- Versatile
vegetables: fill a glass container with whole limes, lemons, tamarind
pods or gourds. Fill a hollow pumpkin with exotic flowers for a truly
stunning effect.
- Add a
touch of zen with your flowers. Team bright gerberas with a teak container
or an ice bucket. Make tropical orchids bloom from a woven Thai basket
by inserting the stems into plastic florists tubes filled with water.
- Serve
your spirits in decorative bottles for maximum impact. Place the bottle
inside any freezable container (which should be about an inch wider
than the bottle and as tall). Fill the container with water to the neck
of the bottle and insert orchid stems or any other flower into the water
and freeze overnight. When solid, peel away the carton. Leave the iced
bottle in the freezer until ready to serve.
- Wrap
jewelled ribbons round large candles.
- Try some
gossamer drapes over windows, doors or even just a dull bit of wall
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For
a comprehensive guide to a stunning table ensemble, take a look at
'Table Inspirations', Emily Chalmers; Ryland, Peters and Small. |
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