Holidays bring us together, and it’s not just Thanksgiving and Christmas. Easter and Passover arrive just in time to wake us from our winter hibernations and usher us into the warm days of Spring—and we can’t wait for it! As you begin to think about hosting your family and friends at your table this Spring, here are a few tips for setting your brunch, lunch, or dinner table.
1. Get inspired! Choose a color scheme or theme and build your table from there. Instagram or Pinterest are a great place to start searching for tablescape ideas.
2. Begin layering with a tablecloth, runner, or placemat in (ideally) a pastel or bright color scheme. Whatever color scheme you choose, make sure it coordinates with your plate settings, whether you are using your cherished family china or your everyday dinnerware. Tablescapes don’t have to be expensive—they just need to be consistent in theme.
*Pro Tip* I personally prefer to own plain white dinner china, because they provide a blank palette for any occasion or season and they of course combine easily with any type of decor from spring to summer to fall to winter.
3. Use all the pieces of the place setting from the dinner plate to the dessert plate to the sorbet dish for a fuller look. It will initially all look pretty flat and uninspired, but next comes layering! Add something interesting to your place setting like a different colored / patterned salad or dessert plate.
*Pro Tip* I love to scour vintage shops and flea markets (heck, even goodwill!) for interesting pieces like these. People’s cherished family china often end up at these places, so you can find gorgeous and unique pieces to add to your collection.
4. Use cloth napkins that coordinate with your color scheme. They don’t have to be super fancy – they just have to coordinate with your color scheme. If you’re going for a more casual look or setting the kids table, give yourself a break and use some fun paper napkins. Again – keep the color schedule consistent.
*Pro Tip* Google interesting ways to fold napkins to add a special touch.
5. Utilize napkin rings. Don’t have any? Get creative instead & use raffia, twine, or ribbon. Jeweled hair ties from the dollar store even work! Elevate the look by placing a spring of dried flowers or herbs, like rosemary, lavender, or eucalyptus atop.
*Pro Tip* Simply hang herbs upside down to dry them. Want that pressed dried flowers look? Wrap individual stems in a paper towel and place inside a heavy book.
6. Place at least two pieces of glassware at each setting, one for water, and one stemmed for wine, juice, etc. Vintage shops or flea markets are great places to look for unique or colored glassware.
7. Place cards are always a special touch, especially if your handwriting is exceptional! If not, just use clear labels and choose a whimsical font that can be printed from your computer.
8. Now that the places are set, fill the center of the table. Add fresh flowers, or candles, or both. Choose flowers in the same color scheme as your linens for a pulled together look. Remember to keep flowers low, so your guests can see over them easily.
*Pro Tip* Use any bowl and a floral sponge from a craft store as the foundation of your arrangement. Buy fresh flowers and some greenery. Cut your flowers short. Layer the greenery first around the perimeter of the bowl, and fill in the center of the bowl with flowers. Voila!
9. Preparing a kids table? I love paper placemats that also serve as coloring sheets. Add crayons to each place setting and the kids can have an activity to keep them busy (and off their phones, at least for a bit)
Visit a few of my favorite Instagram places for tablescape inspiration …
Photo Credits:
Addictedtochina
Mrscarlissa
Fashionablehostess
Karlakazemi
Sweetshadylane
After a trip to Paris in 2000 and a ten-year career in PR and media, Le Village Marché founder Angela Phelps left it all behind to follow her entrepreneurial spirit. She dreamed of bringing a French market-style boutique to the uninspired retail landscape of Washington DC & in March 2007, opened Le Village Marché, a unique blend of old and new home décor & gifts in the DC suburb of Arlington, Va. Named one of Washington DC’s Best Gift Shops numerous times over the years, Phelps opened three additional businesses, Le Petit Marché, a 6-mo pop up in 2010, Verbena Paper & Gifts in 2009, and a second location of Le Village Marché at Cathedral Commons in DC in 2015. In the Fall of 2022, Phelps began the next chapter of Le Village Marché’s journey, franchising her business.
