A tablescape is simply a styled dining table — the arrangement of objects, linen, candles and flowers that turns a table set for dinner into something worth photographing. The word sounds more complicated than the thing itself.
Done well, a tablescape makes guests feel that the meal has been thought about before they arrived. Done badly, it looks like a display home or a Pinterest board that got out of hand. Here is how to get it right.
Start with the linen
The tablecloth or placemats set the tone for everything that goes on top. A few principles:
A tablecloth in a natural linen or woven cotton is the most versatile starting point — it works with almost any crockery and any occasion from a casual Sunday lunch to a formal dinner. Avoid polyester tablecloths; they look cheap and feel cold under your hands.
If you prefer placemats to a tablecloth, use them consistently spaced and pair them with matching or complementary napkins. A linen placemat with a contrasting linen napkin in a deeper tone of the same colour family is a reliable combination.
The napkin is where you can introduce a pattern or colour without committing the whole table. A striped linen napkin on a plain placemat. A printed cotton napkin on a neutral cloth. One pattern element, used consistently across the table, is enough.
The centrepiece
The centrepiece needs to do two things: add visual interest and stay out of the way of conversation. This means keeping it low enough that people can see each other across the table, or using tall, slender elements that don't block sightlines.
Three reliable centrepiece approaches:
- A grouping of candles at varying heights — three or five pillar candles or taper candles in a shared colour, with a small vase or two tucked between them. This works for evening dining especially well because candlelight flatters everything and everyone at the table.
- A single statement vase with a loose arrangement — one generous vase with market flowers, garden cuttings or dried botanicals. Loose and imperfect rather than structured and formal. A wide-mouthed ceramic vase works better here than a tall slender one.
- A row of small bud vases — three to five small stoneware or glass bud vases down the centre of the table, each with a single stem. Simple, graphic, and easy to source. You can pick one stem from the garden for each vase and the effect is beautiful.
Candles are non-negotiable
A dinner table without candles is a table that could be anywhere. Candles are what make a dining table feel like an occasion rather than a meal. They don't need to be elaborate — even a pair of simple taper candles in holders creates warmth and atmosphere that overhead lighting never achieves.
Use unscented candles on a dining table — scented candles compete with the food. Save the scented candles for the living room before guests arrive and the bathroom.
Crockery and glassware
You don't need matching sets. In fact, a mix of complementary pieces — a plain white dinner plate with a patterned side plate, mismatched wine glasses in the same general style — often looks more considered and personal than a perfectly matched set.
What matters is that the pieces you use share a general aesthetic. Rustic stoneware and fine bone china don't sit well together. But two different stoneware pieces from different makers in similar tones are perfectly compatible.
The finishing details
The details that separate a considered tablescape from a functional table setting:
- Napkin rings or a simple fold — a rolled napkin in a ceramic ring or a simple fold tucked into a glass looks intentional. A crumpled napkin dropped on a plate does not.
- Place cards — for a dinner of six or more, place cards tell guests where to sit and add a personal touch that costs almost nothing.
- A small object at each place — a sprig of rosemary, a small chocolate, a handwritten note. One small thing at each setting that says the person sitting there was thought about specifically.
What we carry at House of Dudley
Our table linen range includes placemats, napkins and runners in linen and cotton weaves suited to exactly this kind of entertaining. Our vase collection covers everything from statement centrepiece pieces to small bud vases for a row-of-stems centrepiece. And our candle range includes taper candles and holders as well as the pillar and jar candles we are known for.
Visit us at 92 Glen Osmond Road, Parkside — Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm — or shop online at houseofdudley.com with fast delivery across Australia.