Like your island and coffee table your dining table, particularly in an open plan living situation, is an opportunity for you to feast your eyes on something that makes your abode beautiful- spoiler alert, it’s not the kids’ homework.
Let’s start with styling the table that is not being used day to day.
The big table that’s sitting in wait for a dinner party or special family occasion and very possibly being used to fold laundry on right now. Ditch the laundry house look and try these ideas:
- Enjoy a tall floral arrangement. Something big and bold that is like a living sculpture that is a pleasure to view. Why not be practical, while it’s autumn, prune some branches from a deciduous tree and enjoy the leaves turning through their colourful shades inside. Make sure you use a very heavy based vase and the arrangement is symmetrical, so you don’t need to worry about it tipping. If you can’t take your shears to the garden, your florist will have branches of leaves for sale, they also sell glossy deep green monstera leaves and tall banana leaves, both which last a very long time and you will get some bang for your bucks. This greenery can be striking on it’s own, or a fantastic base for a more colourful floral arrangement.
- Why not buy a mass of a seasonal fruit and use that as a display in an oversized bowl? Imagine a bowl of shiny red apples that even Snow White couldn’t resist. Masses of a flower/fruit/greenery that is in season are a long-loved classic way to style and we love to repeat a good shape or colour. A visual sharing of a bounty that gives a feeling of abundance feels very welcoming.
- We love styling with a tray, and the dining table is a perfect space to set one up. It’s no secret that we think a tray is an opportunity to have beautiful and practical items grouped together in a neat and orderly way. You might group your placemats, a vase of flowers, candles together.
We know that the dinner party has evolve from the eighties, but we think some styling tips for a table you are dining at has some value. In most cases, you’ll find form follows function for a successful dinner party table.
- For starters, you want to be able to see your dinner guests across the table, so move your tall table arrange to a sideboard and set up low floral arrangements that don’t obscure your view.
- If you are serving dinner family style with platters, be sure your styling makes room for platters or is light enough that it can be moved out of the way while dining. You will need space that you can pass the salt/salad/wine!
- Consider the colour scheme of your room decor when styling the table. No need to make the table a jarring contrast to the room… or go for the complete opposite and make the table a spectacular contrast and complete showstopper as a fun temporary change!
How do you style your table? Is it homework central or a considered styling moment?
