It doesn’t matter if this is your first dinner party, or you consider yourself a seasoned host. Creating a beautiful tablescape is one art you definitely want to learn how to master. It might seem insignificant, but when your room is all finished, and you’ve added all the major furniture pieces and decorations, there’s only one thing you need to complete the room: a beautifully arranged tablescape.
What In The Decor World Is Tablescaping?
Not to overwhelm you with interior design terminology here, but a tablescape is a bit more encompassing than a centerpiece. This is a term we refer to all elements of a table setting, including plates, glasses, utensils, centerpieces, and decorations arranged artistically to elevate the look and feel.
Build around your existing dinnerware (plates) and flatware. There is no need to buy a whole new set. You can add in color and texture with chargers, placemats, napkins, tablecloths/runners, and of course, greenery/floral arrangements. You can even find fun colored barware at a thrift store or dollar store for a more collected look. Today, Spacejoy Designer Sarah, is going to walk us through the simple steps for creating the perfect tablescape.
1-2-3 Tips For Creating A Beautiful Tablescape
Empty tabletops feel unfinished and wasteful. While it might be tempting to throw a couple of decorative objects by the center of the table and call it a day, it takes a bit more thought and effort. So, how do we make a tablescape that feels artful and inspiring, rather than awkward and clustered? We asked some of our interior designers to share their best tips.
1. Gather Your Essentials
First, you want to gather all your essentials. Usually, that means a tablecloth, runner, or placemats; plates, bowls, and other necessary dinnerware; utensils; napkins; and your centerpiece.
As you’re picking the right pieces, don’t be afraid to play with colors and textures. The best tablescapes include objects made with varying materials, textures, and finishes. Think about combining something old with something new, or an ancient piece paired with something modern.
A trick to elevate your tablescape is to add something natural like plants or flowers. We love a fresh garland or floral garland to snake down a table. It really helps liven up the scene and bring a pop of color onto the tablescape. While you can’t always have flowers, even adding some ferns and low maintenance plants can entirely change the way the setting looks. Adding plants or flowers is also a great tip if you want to update your tablescape for a special occasion like the holidays or an anniversary dinner party.
2. Play With Height
Creating a tablescape is more about finding balance than randomly adding pieces to make it look full. Think about the shape of your table and visualize how you want the layout to look like. Sometimes, you can split it into even quadrants. Others you want to leave some unevenness to it, so the eye wanders around the table more.
As you’re getting ready to arrange your tablescape, start with the tallest item placed by the center of the table, and then work from there. You can add height with a statute, a floral arrangement, or a sculpture. However, you can also add height by stacking some books or layering other pieces together. Once you situate the largest object, it’s easier to work around it.
As you’re playing with the layout, you might consider these classic styles: place the tallest pieces at the center of the table and work toward smaller objects at the end of the table. Or, create two or three different clusters by the ends of the table, leaving much of the center relatively open to create some balance.
3. Think In Groups
Going off that last grouping tip, the truth is that small groupings of objects within a larger tablescape add visual interest. When in doubt, adding a small cluster of the same item can add visual interest and highlight the objects better. For example, you might add maybe three or five candlesticks in different heights.
As you create these small groups, you might want to highlight or reinforce some of them over others. To make this happen, you can set the objects on a tray or a bowl, depending on the items. Trays and bowls help you keep everything organized, and they help frame the objects better.
If you do end up relying on trays to keep your grouped objects together, don’t neglect the space you’ve created between the trays. This is a perfect space to add a sculptural accent, some flowers, or other decorative objects that break the pattern. For example, you could place some garland pieces or ornaments to fill the space, add some texture, and create interest for the holidays.
Let’s Get Your Tabletop Party Ready
Now that you have an idea of creating a beautiful tablescape let’s get your tabletops party-ready. We’re super excited to celebrate the launch of a new package just in time for the holidays. With our tablescape package, you’ll work with our interior designers to create a drop-dead-gorgeous tablescape setup for your dinner parties.
Get ready to take your holiday hosting to the next level. Everyone is going to want to take note of your tabletop decor. Start a project today. Let us know all the details about your style and tabletop you want to set, and we’ll start working on finding the absolute perfect pieces to make it all happen.
