How to Turn A Tabletop Into A Showstopper

Here we are today, standing in the entryway to the holiday season, about to walk through to a time of festivities and happy gatherings. You have time right now to think ahead and plan for this busy time of year.

Will you host?
Who will come?
How will you prepare?

As you plan, ask yourself if your tabletop is ready for entertaining. If you shrug and think, “Sure, it’s clean,” then you are ready for something bigger—you have great options to think about providing your guests beyond just cleanliness. The tabletop is a real opportunity to create atmosphere and add oomph to your entertaining.

The Place Setting 

While you may get by with just a plate and fork at daily meals, entertaining guests should be much more formal. You want to have all the right utensils and plates. Most large meals for entertaining include several varieties of foods, or you may serve the meal in courses. Be sure to have a full set of flatware at the place setting, from spoon, fork, and knife to salad fork and dessert spoons, too. 

Holidays are special moments in time that call for equally special dinnerware. Update your day-to-day dinnerware with more sophisticated versions like using silver flatware, crystal water goblets, and china plates. There are also some beautiful designs and colors available in dinnerware sets that include soup bowls, small appetizer plates, and large dinner plates. Also, many sets include matching serving dishes so you can really wow your guests with the meal presentation! 

If you don’t want to invest in fine dinnerware, don’t worry! You can still make a beautiful table by using a mish-mash of plates, flat wear and sprinkles of any fine dinnerware you may have for an eclectic flare. Further, set the stage by adding unique centerpieces of mixed materials to fit the eclectic theme 

Dressing The Table

The surface of your table is like an artist’s palette; you can decorate the tabletop with color and fabrics to create an experience for your guests in style and flare. Add centerpieces and candlesticks for dimension, and you can build a look that has layers. 

Start with a solid color tablecloth as the anchor color, add a beautiful runner in colors that contrast or complement, and sprinkle on centerpieces that incorporate your colors and add dimension. A word of caution about centerpieces:  watch the heights of the pieces you put between people so that you don’t create a wall that blocks conversation. Keep centerpieces low with peaks of height if you’d like to add drama, but even then, be sure that it’s slender or narrow so guests can see through.

Thoughtful Details

Beyond the basics, there are some other additions to the tabletop that will pull your look together and add to the charm of your table. Guests want to feel special, so a few of the following details will offer that extra touch to subtly create warmth and welcome guests.

Large gatherings are fun, but it can be chaotic to bring guests to the table and get them to sit down. You can streamline the process with decorative nameplates to indicate seating, making it easier for guests to find a place to sit without awkwardness. These nameplates can be as simple as a place card with a neatly printed name or more complicated additions to your design containing color, images, and ribbon or other decorations.

Each guest will have a place at the table, and to avoid making it feel crowded and hard to distinguish one setting from another, provide a placemat and charger. These additions also build on your design and add layers to the table setting. By stacking all the dishware that the meal will need at the place setting, the table already looks full and luxurious before anyone even sits down.

Remember To Have Fun

At the end of the meal, the goal is to entertain and enjoy the meal. Your tabletop is an opportunity to set the mood for guests and get the party started. So, this season, be sure to pay some attention to your tabletop to make your entertaining more special and memorable.