Creating A Summer Tablescape For Warm Weather Entertaining
For those summer barbecues and dinner parties ahead this summer, setting the table before those plates of homemade potato salad, grilled pork chops, dripping watermelon and pie fill the table can be a great way to set the mood and invite warm conversation to your summer soiree. Your table setting is a simple way to incorporate easy elegance that won’t blow away and can be easily packed up in your picnic basket after the fireworks.
To start, you can use a picnic basket to pack all your tableware and linens. This serves a great way to keep your dinnerware all together for an impromptu picnic or get together. Easy storage in your back seat or trunk make transporting easy and clean up simple. Once you’ve taken out your linen or cotton table cloth at your gathering, have children or friends help you set the table. It’s a great starting place to meet new family friends and neighbors as well. Your table linens are a great backdrop for sparkling vintage glassware and ceramic dishes. A family heirloom or antique store find can be a great conversation starter too.
Next, layer your table linen with crisp linen place mats and napkins to continue the theme of simplicity and relaxed elegance. Add your silverware and ceramic dishes from home as well. Adding some vintage or antique drinking goblets to your table can be added by shopping your china cabinet or a neighborhood yard sale this season. Glass shades of amber, green, blue, or clear are sure to bring a bit of sparkle or color to your otherwise neutral table palette. For finishing touches, add some seashell accessories from a favorite vacation to the middle of your table. Seashells are lightweight and travel well in a picnic basket if you’re setting up at a friend’s home or picnic table outside.
If you decide that dining outside in the nice weather is a favorite summer tradition, continue your outdoor dining this fall by adding vintage books and dried florals as focal points. Adding some brass candle sticks with taper candles will add some lighting as the sun goes down, too. They can be packed away with your silverware after the party is over. Lastly, add a scented candle for added freshness for your party. Diptyque’s baies scented candle or La Jolie Muse’s sandalwood and pachouli candle offer warm summery fragrance to your gathering. Most importantly to note, it’s the people that come to your table that are the most important part of your tablescape. Cheers!
– Noblesville native and college writing instructor Lindsay Rosa is back writing for the Times on all things design and lifestyle. As your personal style guide, Lindsay will bring her fashion writing expertise to you each month. When she’s not writing, you can find Lindsay on her bicycle, gardening, baking, volunteering with local museums, and writing her legal book series for children.