IN EACH ROOM â—½ HOME
I love having my dining table set…either with dishes or just pretty décor…and I love changing it often. I have a whole cabinet in the garage just for dining décor! And I’m pretty sure I’ve shared this before, but I watched The Chew long ago on television and something they shared stuck with me. Tables need height, color, texture and light to be completely pretty! I stick to that when setting the table and it’s easy to do.
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Here are four July ideas for you:
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For the 4th or any time this month, you can spread a red checked tablecloth on the floor for an impromptu picnic supper. That’s your color. If you have some pretty paper plates and napkins to coordinate for Independence Day fun, then use them to add texture and more color. Little candles spread around can offer light, and you can add height with your bowls and serving pieces. Add some pasta salad and dips and chips. It’s a tablescape that’s informal, and perfect. Maybe watch a July-inspired movie, and you’ll have a night you won’t forget. In fact, you’ll want to recreate it again and again with different cloths and colors for each season to come.
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​I collect melamine plates in all colors and patterns, along with matching salad bowls and sometimes a large bowl as well…and sometimes cups! These too are stored in the big cabinet and pulled out for decorating, as each season rolls around. This summer teal and orange floral set is fun, and I use it every time the winter is over and the spring/summer season arrives. A set of bamboo placemats works for almost every dish set for summer, and they store nicely, as well. I think I found mine at Marshalls. And I had leftover Easter paper napkins that paired perfectly with the dishes. That was so fun! I placed the big salad bowl in the middle, and some tiny green plants on either side. I love this setting, as it’s so inviting…
​My newest set came from Ross. They always have sets of summer plates and trays and dishes and cups, often coordinating! I loved the earth tones and leaves in this set that can be used now, or on into fall, as well. Same bamboo placemats, but this time I added some cloth napkins, instead of paper. I look for these on sale, all year, and I have a bowl full of them sitting out as a décor piece on another table. I love cloth napkins. This set of glasses is a staple set, as well, from Amazon. And if you’ve got a little stand on which to place a small plant, let that be your height. You don’t want to make it so high that you can’t see your guests, though. Consider tying your cloth napkins in a knot! Just fold in a triangle, roll up, and tie. So pretty.
Maybe you don’t want the table set, but you want it to look pretty and simple. I used those same bamboo mats and placed them end to end down the length of the table. Next, I placed several of the little faux potted plants (Marshalls has a ton). They don’t have to match, but they are all about the same height. And for color, I used tea lights in little candle jars I found in the dollar spot at Target – the glass has painted leaves that light up, when the lights are on. It’s just a straight line look down the table, and so easy to re-do as you please, any time, with other colors and plants and anything you choose.
Creating tablescapes is fun and something I enjoy doing often.
Collecting all the pieces is equally as fun, and something I love to look for when I’m out, in any store, anywhere, and all the time.
Have fun with your table and smile when you’re done creating your own spaces with height, color, texture and light