Are you ready to have a little fun? I’ve been wanting to write this post for awhile now and it’s a little overdue, cause there’s a young lady out there that has been waiting for me to share it. She wants to know how to be a table setting expert. But wait! I’m no expert—and that’s what I told her. I just LOVE decorating! I love beautiful table settings, and making a statement with tablescapes. And to be honest, my only rule when it comes to decorating your dining room table—–is that it’s all about having fun. So grab you a drink, and let’s do this!
Recently, on a rare occasion, I went to home decor store to pick up some items for my office. I came across the clearance aisle that had some really cute chargers and summer serve-ware. When I got to the register, I was waited on by this cute young girl that asked me about what I was buying and what I would be doing with them. She said she wasn’t familiar with chargers, (so I gave her a little spill on those), and she mentioned that she loves pretty things but never knows if they’ll look okay or if they’re acceptable to use on her table.
First off…another rule of mine—think outside the box and get creative with pieces. NOTHING necessarily has to be “just” for the purpose they were intended. NO!!! Play, have fun!
Let’s start with my slight addiction to serveware. I love dishes but I also love using them! Pretty sure I’m not the only one out there that’s drawn to the dish aisles in stores or the pottery barn, crate & barrel, or Williams and Sonoma online serveware “tabs”. Even when I don’t need any more pieces, I love to browse.
These aren’t all of my dishes, but you get the picture. In my defense though…I USE THEM cause entertaining is one of my favorite things to do and I believe in having a beautiful dining table at all times!
Let’s start with some “must have” table setting elements!
Chargers: it’s a Europe thing! But if you want to add dimension and fun to your everyday table–then by all means–USE ’em! I do–everyday! I have a collection of them, some are wooden, some are glass, some are melamine, and some are wicker. You place your dinner plate on them, then stack a soup bowl on top or (just see some ideas below).
Placemats: they also give dimension to the final look but more than anything I love to use them to catch crumbs on instead of on my tablecloth. They come in solids, patterns, and also made in a variety of textile materials.
Cloth Napkins: I’m always surprised by how many guests that dine with us ask if they can use our cloth napkins. ABSOfreakin’YES!!! I love cloth napkins and if you don’t want people using yours, then remove them from the table before your guests arrive. They are pretty, functional and can add such contrast to your table appearance. *I buy higher fiber content ones because they last longer, stains are less likely to reside in them, and they wash great!
Napkin Rings: I love fun, cute and pretty napkin rings!
Some examples:
So you see where I’m going with all of this? There are very few rules for my table settings—I use what I want, I have fun with them, I buy 10 of everything unless it’s specifically for my breakfast bar area.
Even if you eat sitting on a pillow on the floor, make that setting “classy & fun”–it makes for a more enjoyable meal. But more than anything that I want to share, is that I want you to use your dining room table for the purpose it’s intended for. (Not for a catch-all)!
Host parties, invite friends over and enjoy dining together. Nothing brings me more pleasure than to enjoy friends and family around our dining table.
Hope this has helped some of you but mostly Stephanie, (sorry for taking so long to post)! Make the most of your dining experiences~blessings!
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